Browsing by Author "de Silva, TS"

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item: Conference-Full-text
Evaluating the effectiveness of online learning and teaching: a study focused on undergraduates at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2024) Dassanayake, B; Gunawardana, A; de Silva, TS
The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented shift from traditional classroom settings to online learning environments worldwide. This transition emphasized the importance of online learning not only as a response to emergencies but as a crucial mode of education that could shape the future of learning. Online platforms offer opportunities for flexibility, accessibility, and personalized learning experiences, making them increasingly relevant in modern education. However, this rapid transition, particularly in developing countries like Sri Lanka, posed significant challenges and raised critical questions regarding the effectiveness of online education. This study focuses on the University of Moratuwa (UOM), one of Sri Lanka's leading technical universities, and seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of online learning both during the pandemic and in the broader context of ongoing online educational practices. The study primarily aims to assess student engagement, learning outcomes, and the challenges encountered by students during this period. The sudden switch to online learning in Sri Lanka highlighted both the resilience and the challenges of the educational system. Unlike courses initially designed for online platforms, the rapid adaptation of face-to-face courses to virtual environments presented a steep learning curve for both students and educators. The need for a sustainable online learning framework became evident, as this shift revealed underlying issues like technological barriers, student isolation, and the complexity of fostering engagement in a virtual space. This study addresses the research gap by analyzing the experiences within a developing country context, offering insights that are crucial for improving online education globally while proposing strategies for its effective integration into future educational models.
item: Conference-Full-text
The Impact of monetary policy on inflation and production: a comparative study on Sri Lanka, India, and the USA
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2024) Karunarathna, KK; de Silva, TS; Perera, SD
Monetary policy is a critical tool used by the Central banks to stabilize inflation and foster economic growth. Over the past few years, the Sri Lankan economy faced significant economic challenges, such as economic downturn, and rising inflation. This led the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to execute various monetary policy changes to stabilize the economy. This study examines the effects of monetary policy transmission mechanisms (MTM) on production and inflation in the USA, India, and Sri Lanka, using monthly data from 1980 to 2023, to provide a comparative understanding of how monetary policy adjustments influence each of these economies. The analysis employs the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) to understand the short-term and long-term effects of monetary policy adjustments on Gross Domestic Production (GDP) and the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The results of this study indicate major differences in the magnitude and timing of the policy implementation and its effects across the three economies: where the USA economy indicates quicker adjustments to monetary policy changes, which reflects their advanced financial infrastructure. In contrast, India and Sri Lanka demonstrate delayed responses, suggesting inefficiencies in their policy transmission mechanisms. In addition to this, the results also indicated that in the USA, interest rates and money supply have predictive power over both CPI and GDP. This implies that policymakers can use these channels to manage inflation and economic growth. In India, none of the independent variables showed a correlation between CPI and GDP, while in Sri Lanka, domestic credit to the private sector and money supply significantly impacts GDP and CPI. These results imply that it is vital to have tailored monetary policies for each economy considering their unique structural and temporal characteristics. For the USA, the results affirm the effectiveness of its current policy framework, while India and Sri Lanka may require enhanced policy strategies to improve transmission efficiency.
item: Conference-Full-text
Optimising financial forecasting: implementing a predictive cash flow platform for bank branches
(Business Research Unit (BRU), 2024) Hettiarachchi, SN; de Silva, TS
This study addresses the challenge of managing daily cash flows in bank branches, which often face excess or deficiency of cash, disrupting daily operations. The research focuses on developing a predictive model that can accurately forecast daily cash inflows and outflows across 175 bank branches in Sri Lanka, covering all provinces and districts. The aim is to create a robust tool that enhances financial efficiency by reducing idle cash balances while ensuring smooth operations. Two models were developed for this purpose: a multi-branch model utilizing Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and a single-branch model using a Random Forest Regressor. The multi-branch model, which features separate sub-models for cash inflow and outflow, attained accuracies of 85.45% and 85.50%, respectively. In contrast, the single-branch model, tested on the Grandpass branch, demonstrated performance with accuracies of 60.06% for cash inflow and 70.29% for cash outflow predictions. The multi-branch model's superior performance underscores its ability to provide consistent and reliable predictions across a broader range of branches. The final models have been integrated into a web-based user interface, offering a user-friendly platform for real-time cash flow predictions. Overall, the results highlight the multi-branch model as a robust solution for effective cash flow management across bank branches.