08 to 13 March 2010

Semester 2 AY 2009/2010

e L e a r n i n g We e k
The eLearning Week Preparation
Get ready for eLearning Week
Guide gives an overview of
eLearning Week tools. You must Preparation Guide
still refer to the individual tool’s
user guides on the respective
web pages for details.
Introduction With this in view, the NUS School
of Business has been selected to carry
CONTENTS An eLearning Week will take place out a full implementation of eLearning
at the NUS Business School from 8 to Week. This will pose unique challenges
2 IVLE
13 March 2010, Week 8 of Semester 2 as faculty staff and students will most
2 General Tips
AY 2009/2010. likely be using web conferencing
3 Summary of Online software to meet their tutorial and
Tutorial and Seminar This will involve only the BBA seminar needs.
programme and will include lectures,
Tools
tutorials and seminars for all BBA The Office of the Provost hopes that
4 Web Conferencing you take this exercise as an opportunity
modules. MBA, EMBA, PhD and
5 IVLE Chat Executive Education are exempted. to pick up new skills and to prepare
5 IVLE Discussion Forum Computer Centre, the Centre for yourself for emergency situations.
Instructional Technology (CIT), and
6 Summary of Online
the NUS Business School IT Unit will
Lecture Tools be managing the preparations and
University's
7 Presentation + Lecture conduct of eLearning Week, under the Objectives
Notes direction of the Office of the Provost.
• Stress test the University's ability to
7 Presentation + Audio carry on teaching during major
Recording Why eLearning Week? disruptions without seriously affecting
students’ study plans.
8 Previously recorded
The threat of a pandemic situation
Webcasts leading to campus zoning or home • Discover and rectify any technical and
8 Pre-recorded Webcasts quarantine is real. Other emergencies human gaps which may impede full
9 Breeze or accidents may also necessitate implementation of eLearning.
temporary measures that require
10 Screen Recording
students and staff to stay at home.
11 Other Tools During these times, eLearning can be Outcomes
12 FAQ instituted so that the University can
Through eLearning Week, CIT
continue a certain level of teaching
hopes that faculty staff:
eLearning Week Enquiries and learning.

Mr Kenneth PINTO • Learn about the options available to

Last semester, the University's first
kennethpinto@nus.edu.sg them for eLearning.
campus-wide eLearning Week focused
6516 1531
on lecture delivery. Tutorials and
• Lear n at least one method of
seminars could not be included due to
Website delivering a lecture and conducting a
the massive amount of resources that
class online.
cit.nus.edu.sg/elearning-week would have been required to carry this
out for the whole of NUS. The
eLearning Week was an overall
success, and the next natural step is to
conduct tutorials and seminars online.

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 eLearning Week
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IVLE
The basic requirement for eLearning Week is a presence on
IVLE. This will be the conduit through which you communicate
with your students during eLearning Week.
• Keep your module syllabus updated so that students will know
what to expect for eLearning Week.
• Upload your lecture notes to the Workbin as a backup.
• Maintain a Discussion Forum for the eLearning Week lecture.
This gives students a space to clarify doubts and for you to
clear up misunderstood points.
• Use the Multimedia tool to deliver audio recordings, webcasts,
screencasts (screen recording) and Breeze presentations.

But don't worry if you make mistakes

General Tips
Preparation Tips
Early preparation
Like a student preparing well for examinations, early
preparation is vital. It is no different with creating online
learning materials and conducting online classes. You will need
time to figure out which tool you want to use. After which, you
will need time to learn how to use the chosen tool and become
conversant enough to use it effectively. Finally, you may run
into unforeseen circumstances when creating/publishing your
online lecture or during your online class. You may have to
create online lectures for more than one module, so schedule
enough time for each lecture.
Choose a tool which fits you
There are many options available to you, so which one do
you choose? You will have to try out a few options and find
what works best for you. While you may want to be
adventurous, the reality is that the simpler options may be most
feasible ones, especially in a real situation when you do not
have time to create an optimal online lecture. Of course, if you
are tech-savvy, you may wish to explore and exploit the various
technologies to their fullest. You may even want to try different
tools for different modules. Just remember to leave enough time
to do it!
Consider writing your lecture script...
It is natural that you will want record your lecture as you
normally deliver lecturers: without a script. While this allows
for spontaneity, you may find that you end up re-recording
many times so that no one hears your fumbles, “ums” and
“ahs”. In order to save time, you may consider writing your
lecture script first. This may not sound as natural, but it will
save a lot of time during recording.
While writing a script helps to minimise pauses and
unplanned interruptions, it is fine if you make mistakes. Your
recorded lecture need not be absolutely perfect. In fact, some
mistakes gives online lectures a more natural feel.
Audio Tips
Hold your web conference or record your lecture in a
quiet place
The audio quality of a microphone connected to PCs will
not be of studio standard. However, this is adequate for a
decent recording. What matters more is background noise. You
can minimise background noise by recording in a quiet room.
You may want to put a notice on the door to indicate that you
are recording or in an online session, lest you get interrupted by
someone knocking on the door.
Use a headset with microphone
For audio on a computer, you may want to use a headset
with a microphone. This will help prevent feedback during
recording or online classes.
Points to note
Online lectures may be shorter than usual
If you record your own lecture, you may find that it runs
much faster than a face-to-face lecture. This is entirely normal
as you will not start late or pause for interruptions. You will also
not be able to react to the students, leading to a condensed
lecture. Do note that this may be a good thing. The average
student might not be able to concentrate for extended periods
sitting in front of an online lecture.
eLearning is unlikely to be as effective as face-to-face
It takes a fair amount of skill and practice to be as effective
online as you are offline. Do keep in mind the context in which
eLearning takes place: it is meant to be a temporary measure
while students and staff are required to stay at home during
emergencies.

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Summary of Online Tutorial and Seminar Tools

Tool Features Requirements Structure
Win/Mac computer,
Audio chat, text chat,
headset w/microphone,
Application sharing,
IE/Firefox/Safari,
Web Conferencing Virtual whiteboard, Feature-rich
Internet connection
Shared annotation,
(broadband preferred),
Session recording
Webcam (optional)

Win/Mac computer,
IVLE Chat Text chat, save text chat Internet connection, Simple
Web browser

Win/Mac computer,
IVLE Discussion Forum Threaded discussions Internet connection, Simple
Web browser

Tool Advantages Disadvantages Mode

Offers a variety of No non-verbal cues from
Synchronous - participants
Web Conferencing communication and students.
log on at the same time
collaboration options Requires bandwidth.

Students are already Synchronous - participants

IVLE Chat Text and audio
familiar with this log on at the same time

Students are already Asynchronous - can

IVLE Discussion Forum Text-only
familiar with this participate at any time

WEB CONFERENCING
• Using WebEx, shown above, you can conduct an online class. In the screenshot above, you can see WebEx from the
student’s view. The student can see the presentation that the lecturer is sharing. The lecturer can also share other
documents, which students can annotate if they are given permission. The panel on the right is currently displaying
the participants and the text chat box.

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 eLearning Week
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Web Conferencing Workflow

Website
http://cit.nus.edu.sg/web-conferencing/ Prepare materials for display: slides,
documents, websites, etc.
Contact
Web Conferencing Team citbox7@nus.edu.sg

What is it? Login 30 mins before session (if possible) at

Web conferencing allows you to have classes online, without http://nus-test.webex.com/
using specialized video conference hardware. You and your
students will meet using your own computers connected to the
internet. With web conferencing, you and your students will be
able to communicate as if you are all on a multi-party phone Choose Instant Session
call. Users can engage in live two-way audio, video (optional)
and text chat, share what is displayed on their computer
desktops as well as display and annotate documents or a virtual
whiteboard. Session leaders can take attendance and record the Send email invite to your class
session for playback later.

Technical Requirements
1. PC or Mac computer with: Take attendance as students enter session
• Internet access (broadband preferred)
• Internet Explorer / Firefox (Win), Firefox / Safari (Mac)
• Headset with microphone
Set ground rules for online session
• Webcam (if transmitting video)

Tips
Inform your class before hand Conduct session, record if necessary
Your students will not know which tool you will be using in
advance. If you use WebEx, you have to inform them what to
expect. For example: The tutorial/seminar will take place at
the usual time. Students will expect to receive an invitation
email 10 to 30 minutes before the session (less if you have a
session directly before that time).

Choose a quiet place

In order not to pick up unnecessary background noise
during your online class, choose a quiet place to conduct the
session. Make sure you advise your students to do this too!

Test audio levels

If you have time before your session, do make sure that your
students can hear you and vice-versa.

Enable chat between participants

While you may want to control the session by disabling text
chat between participants, it is useful to do so, particularly if
they encounter technical problems. Their classmates can try to
assist each other instead of asking you. You should remain free
to focus on your session.

If possible, get an assistant

You will be busy conducting the class. Try to get someone to
assist you with the session. The assistant (or co-host in WebEx
lingo) can handle attendance, technical issues and watch out for
things like hand raises.

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 eLearning Week
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IVLE Chat IVLE Discussion Forum

Contact Contact
IVLE Team citivle@nus.edu.sg IVLE Team citivle@nus.edu.sg

What is it? What is it?

IVLE Chat is a private instant messaging system for your IVLE Discussion Forums allow for threaded discussions
module in IVLE. Users will have to be present in the chat room where users need not be in the forum at the same time.
in order to take part in the live discussion. The text chat session Discussion forum posts also can me more lengthy and in-depth
can be saved for future reference. Users can also chat via audio compared to chat as students have time to formulate their
(this cannot be saved). responses. You can start off discussion topics for students to
work on, or you can let students raise questions for you or their
Technical Requirements peers to respond to.
1. Computer with:
• Internet access Technical Requirements
• Web browser for IVLE 1. Computer with:
• Internet access
Inform your class before hand
• Web browser for IVLE
Your students will not know which tool you will be using in
advance. If you use IVLE Chat, you have to inform them what
to expect. For example: The tutorial/seminar will take place at Workflow
the usual time. Students have to log in to IVLE and go to a
specific chat room to join the session.
Create discussion forum in IVLE
Workflow

Create chat room in IVLE Seed discussion forum with questions

Inform students about session Participate in discussions

Conduct chat session

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Summary of online lecture tools

Group Tool Mode Output Format Requirements

Presentation + Slides & notes uploaded Presentation slides &

Self-service
Lecture Notes to IVLE lecture notes
Basic
Presentation slides &
Presentation + Slides & audio recording
Self-service audio recorder,
Audio Recording (mp3) uploaded to IVLE
PC microphone

Previously Video of lecturer + Webcast from

Recorded for you
recorded Webcast coordinated lecture slides previous semester
Webcast
Pre-recorded Video of lecturer +
Recorded for you None
Webcast coordinated lecture slides

Windows computer,
PC microphone,
Flash-based
Breeze Self-service PowerPoint,
web page
Breeze account,
Adobe Presenter plugin
Advanced
Win/Mac computer,
Video of screen PC microphone,
Screen Recording Self-service
recording Camtasia Relay account,
Camtasia Relay recorder

Group Tool Advantage(s) Disadvantage(s) Ideal for

Presentation + No additional skills Lecture notes must be Faculty staff who are
Lecture Notes required comprehensive pressed for time
Basic
Situations where
Presentation + Most simple eLearning
- presentation is only text
Audio Recording lecture solution
+ images

Only need to inform CIT Lecture content may have

Previously Faculty staff who have
about which lecture to changed from previous
recorded Webcast used webcasts
replay semester
Webcast Time has to be scheduled Faculty staff who have
Pre-recorded Normal lecture to do this, might not be not used webcasts but
Webcast preparation viable in actual want video + slides
emergency format

Breeze authoring is Faculty staff who only use

Works from within
Breeze PowerPoint on Windows PowerPoint in
PowerPoint
only presentations
Advanced Faculty staff who display
Windows or Mac Planning necessary as
slides, websites &
Screen Recording authoring, displays Camtasia Relay records in
software demos
anything shown on screen one continuous take.
during lectures

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 eLearning Week
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Presentation Presentation
+ Lecture Notes + Audio Recording
Contact Website
IVLE Team citivle@nus.edu.sg http://cit.nus.edu.sg/audio-recording/

What is it? Contact

The Presentation + Lecture Notes solution is the simplest Mr Kenneth PINTO citpkg@nus.edu.sg
way to deliver an online lecture. Students can download the
presentation slides and lecture notes. You will not need What is it?
The Presentation + Audio Recording solution is the simplest
anything other than presentation software, a word processor
way to create an enhanced lecture. Students can download the
and IVLE. This is suitable for faculty staff who are severely
presentation slides and audio file. They can listen to the audio
limited by time or are not able to use the more complex tools
recording while viewing the lecture slides on the computer.
available.
Alternatively, they can print the lecture slides and listen to the
Technical Requirements audio file on their portable media devices. This is suitable for
1. Computer with: faculty staff who are limited by time or who want a simple
• Internet access method to record their lectures.
• Web browser for IVLE
2. Presentation software Technical Requirements
1. Computer with:
e.g. Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, OpenOffice
• Internet access
3. Word processor
• Microphone
e.g. Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, OpenOffice
• Web browser for IVLE
Workflow 2. Presentation software
e.g. Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, OpenOffice
3. Audio recording software
Create presentation slides e.g. Audacity

Tips
Write lecture notes Audio cues for change of slide
As you are recording the audio file for the lecture, you may
want to give your students audio indications about which slide
they should be viewing. It can be as simple as saying “Next
Upload both to IVLE Workbin slide”, if you are going in a linear fashion. If you need to jump
back and forth between slides, make sure that they slides are
numbered and refer to the slide numbers as you record the
audio file.

Workflow

Create presentation slides

Download and install

Audio Recording software
AUDIO RECORDING
• Using Audacity, shown above, you can record your
audio lecture and it as a mp3 file, playable on any
Record audio lecture
computer or portable media device.

Upload lecture slides and audio file to IVLE

cit.nus.edu.sg/elearning-week/ 7
 eLearning Week
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Previously recorded Pre-recorded

Webcasts Webcasts
Contact Contact
Mr LIM Sew Hoo citlimsh@nus.edu.sg Mr LIM Sew Hoo citlimsh@nus.edu.sg
Mr YONG Chee Ann cityca@nus.edu.sg Mr YONG Chee Ann cityca@nus.edu.sg

What is it? What is it?

If you have used Webcasts in previous semesters and the
lecture content has not varied, you can choose to reload the
respective Webcast for eLearning Week. Please contact CIT,
and we will arrange this for you. The Webcast will be made
available in IVLE..
Technical Requirements
1. You have created Webcasts in previous semesters.
Workflow
A pre-recorded Webcast is a webcast created in advance of
the lecture date. CIT will record the video of you while you
click through your slides. It is just like a normal Webcast,
except that you will be recorded without the students in front of
you ahead of time. Contact CIT if you are interested in doing
this. We will arrange a time and date to record the webcast in
advance of eLearning Week. The Webcast will be made
available in IVLE. Note that this method may not be feasible
during an actual emergency situation as there may be too little
time to cater to recording for a large number of faculty staff..

Email Webcast contact Technical Requirements

1. You must have your presentation slides ready for the
recording.

CIT republished Webcast in IVLE Workflow

Email Webcast contact

WEBCASTS
CIT arranges schedule
• Two examples of webcasts can be seen below. and records your lecture
Webcasts typically display your presentation slides
or computer desktop.

CIT publishes Webcast to IVLE

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 eLearning Week
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Breeze Workflow: Register for Breeze

Website
http://cit.nus.edu.sg/breeze-diy-courseware/ | Example Visit
http://cit.nus.edu.sg/breeze-diy-courseware/
Contact
Mr NARAYANAN Shyam citns@nus.edu.sg
Mr LIM Han Leong citlhl@nus.edu.sg
Click Register and fill in form
What is it?
Breeze is PowerPoint with audio, packaged into a standalone
Flash-based website. This is powered by the Adobe Presenter
plugin, which works within PowerPoint itself. You can record Wait for confirmation email
your audio slide by slide, with the option of adding simple (by next working day)
quizzes and interactivity. After recording the audio for the
slides, you can upload it to the Breeze server which will
generate the standalone online presentation. The web link for Read attached instructions
the presentation can be placed in Multimedia on IVLE. in confirmation email

Technical Requirements
1. Windows XP or Vista computer with:
• Internet access Download and install
• Microphone Adobe Presenter plugin
2. Microsoft PowerPoint XP, 2003 or 2007
3. Adobe Presenter plugin for PowerPoint (download after
registration)
Open Microsoft PowerPoint
Note: Only creation of Breeze presentations requires Windows &
PowerPoint. Students can view Breeze presentations on any
Flash-enabled web browser that is connected to the internet.
Configure Adobe Presenter preferences
Tips
Start preparing early
Workflow: Create Breeze
You will need time to plan, record and upload the
presentation
presentation. Traffic jams happen online as they do in real life
during rush hour. As we anticipate high demand, many faculty
staff will be attempting to upload their presentations close to Load pre-existing presentation
eLearning Week. This may result in slow or failed uploads. You or create new presentation
can avoid these online traffic jams by preparing early.

Keep the PowerPoint file small

This will reduce the possibility of a failed upload. Also, you Record audio over presentation
can follow these tips for:
• PowerPoint 2003
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/power point/ Publish presentation to Breeze server
HA011168821033.aspx
• PowerPoint 2007
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/power point/
HA101922001033.aspx Publish presentation URL
to IVLE Multimedia
Resist the temptation to re-record
As Breeze allows you to record your audio per slide, you may
be tempted to re-record every slide until you get it perfect. This
can be very time consuming. In fact, a few imperfections may
help to make a scripted presentation seem more natural and
lively.

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 eLearning Week
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Record your presentation in intervals of 20 to 30

Screen Recording minutes
Website Breaking up your presentation into smaller chunks reduces
http://cit.nus.edu.sg/screen-recording/ | Example the chances of failed uploads.

Contact Workflow: Register for Screen

Mr YONG Chee Ann cityca@nus.edu.sg Recording
Mr Nik Azizi BIN MAT ZIN citnamz@nus.edu.sg

What is it? Email Screen Recording contact

Screen Recording is a video recording of what happens on
your computer desktop while you are narrating. This is enabled
by Camtasia Relay. For example, you can start recording your
desktop and show the presentation in Acrobat Reader while Wait for confirmation email
recording the lecture. As the recording continues, you can (by next working day)
switch to your web browser to show the website that you want
to highlight while you talk about it. You can then switch back to
the presentation. After you upload, Camtasia Relay will Read attached instructions
generate a video file, available via a URL. The URL for this in confirmation email
video file can be placed in Multimedia on IVLE. Please note
that there is no video of the lecturer using Camtasia Relay.

Technical Requirements Log in to http://screencast.nus.edu.sg/

1. Windows or Macintosh computer with:
• 2 GB free hard disk space
• Internet access
Download Camtasia Relay Recorder
• Microphone for your operating system
2. Camtasia Relay Recorder software (download after
registration)

Tips Install Camtasia Relay Recorder

Start preparing early
You will need time to plan, record and upload the
Workflow: Create Screen
presentation. Traffic jams happen online as they do in real life
Recording
during rush hour. As we anticipate high demand, many faculty
staff will be attempting to upload their presentations close to
eLearning Week. This may result in slow or failed uploads. You Launch Camtasia Relay and log in
can avoid these online traffic jams by preparing early.

Plan your presentation

As Camtasia Relay records in one continuous take and in full Prepare computer, presentation software
screen, you have to plan your presentation in detail before you and other programs for recording
start. Even though you can pause during recording, you cannot
choose to re-record a previous section if you made a mistake.
(You will have to re-record everything from the start, up until
Record presentation
the point you left off.) You should:
• open all necessary programs you will show during the
recording e.g. presentation software, web browser and any
other program you intend to demonstrate Submit recording
• preload any websites if necessary
• close any programs which have pop-up notifications or
emit sounds
Wait for email notification
• choose a neutral wallpaper and clear your desktop of any
sensitive materials
• script your presentation, annotated with the actions you
need to take at each point Publish video link to IVLE Multimedia
• rehearse before recording

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BREEZE
• Breeze produces a
standalone Flash website, as
shown on the left.

SCREEN
RECORDING
• Since the output of screen
recording is a video, it is
difficult to show in a still
image. Watch this screen
recording demonstration.

Other Tools Prezi

http://www.prezi.com/
You may consider other ways to deliver your lectures
Prezi is an online presentation tool which dispenses with
online. We encourage you to try these tools as alternative ways
the idea of slides. It is based on the concept of a big picture/
to create, host or disseminate presentations. While CIT does
small picture or as they call it “zooming sketches on a digital
not endorse nor provide official support for these following
napkin”.
products, we want to highlight that there are options besides
PowerPoint.
Slideshare
http://www.slideshare.net/
Google Docs & Zoho This site is known as the YouTube of presentations. You
http://docs.google.com/ &
can upload your presentations in various popular formats, and
http://www.zoho.com/
it will generate a Flash-based presentation on its own page on
Google Docs and Zoho are both online office suites.
their site. You can embed this presentation on other websites or
Instead of installing software on your computer, these office
blogs. You can also add an audio track to create a self-
suites exists online, similar to webmail. Both Google Docs and
supporting online audio lecture with co-ordinated slides.
Zoho have a presentation tool which enables you to create
presentations online without any software. As long as you have
a connection to the internet, you will be able to create your Scribd
presentation. http://www.scribd.com/
Scribd goes ones step further than Slideshare, it will host
documents, as well as presentations. Documents and
presentations can then be embedded in websites or blogs and
shared with others.

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 eLearning Week
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FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

I am not sure about which tool to use.
Who can I contact about this?
Please contact Mr Kenneth PINTO at kennethpinto@nus.edu.sg for general
enquiries.
If you are interested in a particular tool or are already using it and require
assistance, please contact the respective contact persons listed for the tool in this guide
or on the CIT website.

The workflows do not seem complete. This guide provides an overview of the tools. It is not meant to be a user guide for
Where can I access more information? any of these services. Detailed user guides are available on the individual tool’s web
page. You can also email the respective contacts for each tool.

Do I need a webcam? No, a webcam is not necessary for any of the options we offer. The most
important piece of hardware is a headset with microphone. We advise against webcam
use for Web Conferencing and Breeze as this will require more bandwidth and inflate
file sizes respectively.

What if I only decide what goes into For online lectures, it is best to prepare whatever you can first, then add in the
the lecture the week before? other content when you know what you need to add. This is because it will take some
time to prepare your online lecture, especially if you have not tried any of the self-
service tools before.

I use software other than what has Yes, please do so as long as your students can access the final output. Do keep
been mentioned in this guide. Can I use CIT in the loop and send us any feedback you receive from students about the tool you
this software to create my online intend to use during eLearning Week.
lecture?

Can I host my online lecture content Yes, this is not an issue if you agree with the terms of service and privacy policy
using external/non-NUS services? of the third party services/web sites that you use.

Photo Credits
Page 2: #271 eLearning by adesigna, reproduced under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0 Generic license
Page 8: CM1101 Webcast by Associate Professor Ryan Phillip Anthony Bettens
Page 8: PH1101E/GEM1004 Webcast by Assistant Professor John Christian Holbo
Page 11: Work by Winston Avich, reproduced under a Creative Commons BY 2.0 Generic license

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