Kwong Nui Sim
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Kwong Nui Sim, Lecturer Academic Development |
Background
As a teacher before, I believe education is the key to a successful, fulfilled life. I am used to motivating students as well as peers in order to ascertain their inner strengths and abilities for them to discover what truly inspires them. I am a dynamic, resourceful teaching professional with a genuine interest in student's and peer's cognitive and social growth. I am self-directed and enthusiastic with a passionate commitment to the teaching development and learning experience.
I possess outstanding communication skills: I am able to present information in a variety of ways, emphasising the relevance of materials to the world beyond the classroom. As an active team member I can effectively collaborate with staff members at all levels and establish quality relationships with people around me.
Responsibilities and Professional Activities
The primary role of my position is to contribute to the development and implementation of the university’s plans for digitally-enabled learning and teaching. I work as part of the CAD team, promoting the use of ICT and supporting all staff members at the university with the use of ICT to promote teaching and learning. I also work in collaboration with other staff in the university who provide support within teaching and learning ICT, such as the ITS Learning and Research Technology Group. In addition, I work towards the university policy and practice in the development and provision of educational technology as well as conduct and collaborate on research into the effective and efficient applications and uses of ICT in everyday teaching and learning activities.
Projects
Academic-App Study (2015) KwongNui Sim's initial scoping study examined the use of a pilot platform (web-based app) among the students at the Toroa College over 2015 first semester period. The study aimed to gain insights into the degree to which the web-based app was utilised by students in their daily academic practices to retrieve academic information they need within three clicks.
KwongNui Sim's supervisor is Christina Watson-Mills (Accommodation Division, University of Otago).
Information-App Study (2014-2015)
KwongNui Sim's initial scoping study examined the use of a pilot platform (web-based app) among the students at the University of Otago over 2015 summer school period. The study aimed to gain insights into the degree to which the web-based app was utilised by students in their daily academic practices to retrieve information they need within three clicks.
KwongNui Sim's supervisor is Simon Chu (International Division, University of Otago).
PhD Study (2013-2015)
KwongNui Sim’s research on ‘An Investigation into the way PhD students utilise ICT to support their research process’ is about PhD students’ ICT utilisation (hardware, software and internet) throughout their doctoral journey (e.g. in doing background research for the thesis, in conducting the research, in writing the thesis, or in all aspects of the research phases). She is working from an interpretative perspective, drawing on a Socio-technical Theory (Rophol, 1999), investigating how PhD students at University of Otago utilise ICT to support their research process in producing a doctoral dissertation. While there is an assumption such as ICT should be able to help PhD students to complete their research process in the best possible ways, there is little evidence to support these assumptions. KwongNui Sim is hoping to find out the beliefs and practices related to ICT and research processes held by students as they undertake their PhD study. Her PhD study thus is designed as a planned investigation through a data-driven emergent design that takes a new angle of looking at the role that ICT plays in supporting PhD students’ research processes at the University of Otago.
KwongNui Sim's supervisors at the University of Otago are Sarah Stein (Director of Distance Learning), Russell Butson (Senior Lecturer at Higher Education Development Centre) and Jacques van der Meer (Associate Dean at College of Education) - https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/grs/2014/10/24/the-phd-seesaw/
Master Study (2011-2012)
KwongNui Sim's research 'Student use of information and communication technology' is about students’ personal use of computer technology to support learning in higher education. She is working from a social constructivist, interpretative perspective employing Constructivist Grounded Theory (Chamaz, 2006), investigating how undergraduate students at University of Otago use their personal computers to support their study. While there is an assumption that personal computers are becoming a necessity for undergraduate study, there is little evidence to support these assumptions. KwongNui is hoping to find out if there is any merit to these assumptions, and will be matching student self-reports (perceptions) of their ability and use of computers to support their studies with objective natural occurring datasets.
KwongNui Sim's supervisors at the University of Otago are Russell Butson (Senior Lecturer at Higher Education Development Centre) and Sarah Stein (Director of Distance Learning)
University of Otago Summer Scholarship (2011-2012)
KwongNui Sim's scoping study investigated the role that personal computers play in supporting undergraduate study practice. Monitoring software was installed on the personal computers of third year students undertaking a summer school course at the University of Otago in 2012. The study aimed to gain insight into the context(s) in which the students integrate technology into their learning, and the ways they use technology to support and develop independent learning.
KwongNui Sim's supervisors is Russell Butson (Senior Lecturer at Higher Education Development Centre, University of Otago)
Research Interests
My research is focused on ICT (Information Communication Technologies) beliefs and practices held by students as they undertake their tertiary education. What is the role of ICT among undergraduate students in their daily study practice? How does ICT play a role in postgraduate students' day-to-day research practice? ICT literacy could be a significant aspect in today's tertiary learning context. Therefore, studies on students' ICT literacy offer a new perspective in the emerging area of research on ICT utilisation and integration in tertiary education. At the same time, I also have a growing interest in the ICT beliefs and practices held by university staff members in their daily working life. The use of ICT is likely to be a learning process for our everyday work in today’s complex world, thus I am very interested to investigate the complicated relationship between staff members and their use of ICT in their daily working practice.
Collaboration
Successful Grants and Awards
Otago Travel Award (July 2015) New Zealand Federation Graduate Women
Otago Summer Scholarship (2011-2012) Division of Humanities, University of Otago
Some Recent Publications
Articles:
Sim, K. N. & van der Meer, J. (2015). Tracking the PhD students' daily computer use. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 3, 288-295.
Sim, K. N. & Stein, S. (2015). Deconstructing the reality: To what degree are the PhD students using their computer(s) to support their research practices? GSTF Journal on Education, 2(2).
Harland, T., McLean, A., Wass, R., Miller, E. & Sim, KN. (2014). An assessment arms race and its fallout: high-stakes grading and the case for slow scholarship, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 40(4).
Sim. KN., & Butson, R. (2014). To what degree are undergraduate students using their personal computers to support their daily study practices? IAFOR Journal of Education, 2(1), 158-171.
Butson, R., & Sim, KN. (2013). The Role of Personal Computers in Undergraduate Education. International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital Competence (IJDLDC), 4(3), 1-9.
Sim, KN., & Butson, R. (2013). Do Undergraduates Use their Personal Computers to Support Learning? Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 103(0), 330-339.
Conference Proceedings:
Sim, KN., Stein, S., Butson, R., & van der Meer, J. (2014). Seeing between the lines: How do PhD students use computer technologies in their research practices? Paper will be presented at the Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE), Dunedin, New Zealand.
Sim, KN., & Stein, S. (2014). Deconstructing the Reality: To what degree are the PhD students using their computer(s) to support their research practices? Paper presented at the 4th Annual International Conference on Education & e-Learning (EeL 2014), Bangkok, Thailand.
Sim, KN., & Butson, R. (2013). Do undergraduates use their personal computers to support learning? Paper presented at the 13th International Educational Technology Conference (IETC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Sim, KN., & Butson, R. (2013). The Role/Importance of Personal Computers to Support Learning in Higher Education. Paper presented at the The European Conference on Technology in the Classroom (ECTC), Brighton, UK.
Showcase Presentation:
Sim, KN., & Butson, R. (2015). The Sense of Efficiency and Productivity among PhD Students. Abstract presented at the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia Inc, Melbourne, Australia. (The Best Paper Presentation Award)
Poster Presentation:
Sim, K. N. (2013). Reaching the unreached: The role of ICT to support PhD students’ research process, Spotlight on Teaching and Learning Colloquium, Dunedin, New Zealand, August 26-27.
Refereed Report:
Harland, T., McLean, A, Wass, R. Miller E. & Kowong Nui, S. (2013) Contemporary assessment practices in university: impact on teachers and stu- dents, Massey University, Ako Aotearoa
