Dr. (Mrs) I. A. Kamani C. Samarasinghe
Senior Lecturer (Grade I) | Director - General Administration/ Training/ Research and Development VAPA TV Channel | Member - Sports Advisory Board | Academic Warden - Rajagiriya Girls Hostel | Cell Leader - Internal Quality Assurance Cell (Faculty Of Music) | Chairman - Curriculum Development Committee (Faculty Of Music) | Director - Centre for International Relations | Head - Department of Information Technology
Qualifications: BSc, PG Cert (Inf Te), MSc (Com Sc), MPhil (Com Sc), Higher National Diploma ( Public Procurement and Contract Administration), PhD
Profile:
Dr. Kamani Samarasinghe is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Information Technology (IT) at the University of the Visual & Performing Arts (UVPA), Colombo, Sri Lanka, where she has served as a faculty member since 2006. She currently contributes to academic, research, and quality assurance activities within the university and has held several administrative and leadership positions. She served as the Director of the Centre for Open and Distance Learning (CODL) from 2018 to 2021 and was the Cell Leader of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of the Faculty of Music from 2011 to 2023. She is the Co-Editor as well as the Editorial Manager of the Journal of Research in Music (JRM) published by the Faculty of Music, UVPA, and is also a member of the Sports Advisory Committee of the university.
Dr. Samarasinghe completed her PhD in the field of safeguarding traditional music heritage and digital technologies at the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS), University of the Visual & Performing Arts, Colombo, Sri Lanka. She also holds an MPhil and an MSc in Computer Science from the Postgraduate Institute of Science (PGIS), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.
Her interdisciplinary research focuses on digital heritage preservation, sound and audio-visual archiving, e-learning and distance education, knowledge management, data mining, and the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage through innovative technologies. Her current research particularly explores the use of Virtual Reality (VR) and digital technologies in preserving, documenting, and sustaining Sri Lanka’s traditional music and dance traditions. She has also contributed to archival restoration initiatives, including the retrieval, restoration, and preservation of historical field recordings related to Sri Lankan traditional music heritage.
Dr. Samarasinghe is actively engaged in both national and international professional organizations. She is a member of the National Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage, ICOMOS Sri Lanka; the International Association of Sound and Audio-visual Archives (IASA), including its Research Archives Section (RAS); the International Society for Music Education (ISME); and the International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance (ICTM). She also serves as the Sri Lanka Focal Person for the Asia Pacific Higher Education Network for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (APHEN-ICH).
Research Interests:
Distance education teaching and learning, data mining, E-learning, Knowledge management, Digital Archiving, Traditional Music Field Recording
Publications:
Journal Articles
- I. A. Kamani C. Samarasinghe, S. R. Kodituwakku , Roshan D. Yapa Understanding the Internet Usage Habits of the Students of University of the Visual & Performing Arts through Data Mining , International Journal of Soft Computing and Engineering (IJSCE), 2014, V4(2), pp: 45 – 48
- I. A. Kamani C. Samarasinghe, S. R. Kodituwakku , Roshan D. Yapa Data Mining and Service Customization in Leisure and Hospitality , International Journal of Soft Computing and Enginee ring (IJSCE), 2013, V3(5), pp: 24 – 29
- I. A. Kamani C. Samarasinghe, S. R. Kodituwakku , Y. P. R. D. Yapa Impact of Data Mining on Telecommunication Company Revenues, , International Journal of Soft Computing and Enginee ring (IJSCE), 2016, V6(3), pp: 37 – 41
- Samarasinghe, K., Nethsinghe, R. (2022). Adopting Distance Learning Approaches to Deliver Online Creative Arts Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic. In: Aurelia, S., Hiremath, S.S., Subramanian, K., Biswas, S.K. (eds) Sustainable Advanced Computing. Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, vol 840. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9012-9_50
- Social Processes that Shaped Sinhala Folk Music and Its Characteristics Based on the Purposes of Usage – Journal of Research in Music (JRM)
- Keeping the Tradition Alive: Analysing the Work of C. De S. Kulatillake – Asian-European Music Research Journal
- STRATEGIES OF ONLINE MUSIC TEACHING: THE STORY OF EIGHT CASES DURING THE COVID – 19 LOCKDOWN IN SRI LANKA – Journal of Research in Music (JRM)
Abstract and Extended Abstract
- I A Kamani Champika Samarasinghe, Incorporating e-learning into performing art undergraduate education in Sri Lanka, in the Proceedings of the University of the Visual & Performing Arts Research Symposium 2013, Sri Lanka, 2013.
- Kamani Samarasinghe, S. R. Kodituwakku and Y. P. R. D. Yapa, A preliminary study on impact of data mining on telecommunication company revenue, in the Proceedings of the PGIS Research Congress 2014, Sri Lanka, 2014.
- I A Kamani Champika Samarasinghe, Pilot Study on Career Pathway Planning, in the Proceedings of the University of the Visual & Performing Arts Research Symposium 2015, Sri Lanka, 2015.
- Samarasinghe I A K C, The impact of video learning resources on the student learning: A survey of visual and performing arts students, in the proceeding of the 2nd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences (ICHSS), University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2016.
- Samarasinghe I A K C, The use of video learning resources for educational purposes: A mini survey study exploring the attitudes of Performing Arts undergraduates, in the proceeding of the International Conference on Education, Psychology, and Social Sciences (ICEPS), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 2-4 August 2017.
- Samarasinghe I A K C, An investigation of the correlation between students entrance scores and grade point average, in the Proceedings of the University of the Visual & Performing Arts Research Symposium 2015, Sri Lanka, 2017.
- Samarasinghe I A K C, ICT literacy among undergraduates in University of Visual & Performing Arts: case of faculty of music, in the proceeding of the International Conference on Melbourne International Business and Social Science Research (MIBSRC), Melbourne, Australia, September 2018.
- Samarasinghe K C, Tacit Knowledge: A Literature Review, in the proceeding of the International Conference on Education and Global Studies (ICEGS), Sapporo, Japan, 2019.
- Samarasinghe I, Improving Quality through Review: Case of University of the Visual and Performing Arts, in the proceeding of the Pan-Commonwealth Forum 9 (PCF9), Scotland, 2019.
Other Publications:
- Newspaper Article – How one man created a national identity through a folk song revival, Link – https://www.themorning.lk/articles/NZcv0TJgbZaNeYp4joJM
- Newspaper Article – Remembering Devar Surya Sena, Link – https://www.ft.lk/harmony_page/Remembering-Devar-Surya-Sena/10523-760360
- Musical Meet-Up, Link – https://www.ft.lk/harmony_page/Musical-meet-up-and-interactive-joint-cultural-performance-between-SVIAS-EUSL-and-University-of-VAPA/10523-758591
- ICH Courier Magazine – ICH Sri Lankan String Puppetry: Safeguarding a UNESCO-Inscribed Heritage through Digital Engagement, Link: https://ichcourier.unesco-ichcap.org/sri-lankan-string-puppetry-safeguarding-a-unesco-inscribed-heritage-through-digital-engagement/
TV Programmes:
- W. B. Makulloluwa, Link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juTsDtmPB3k
Awards:
- Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU)-Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Fellowship 2021
- Ninth Pan-Commonwealth Forum of Open Learning (PCF9) Travel Sponsorship 2019
- Asia Pacific Regional Internet Conference on Operational Technologies (APRICOT ) Fellowship 2018
- WOMEN TAKE ICT SKILLS TO THE NEXT LEVEL IN SRI LANKA Submitted by Saori Imaizumi (ICT & Education) Consultant, Wrlod Bank 03/06/2014 http://blogs.worldbank.org/endpovertyinsouthasia/women-take-ict-skills-next-level-sri-lanka
- ISME South Asia Regional Conference 2023 Travel Award
- 3rd Symposium of the Study Group on Music and Allied Arts of Greater South Asia (MAAGSA) to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh fellowship
- International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA) 2024 Travel Awards
- ISME South Asia Regional Conference 2026 Travel Award
Achievements:
- Completed Coursera online certificate course, Learning to Teach Online, UNSW Sydney (The University of New South Wales), 2015,
Credential URL: https://www.coursera.org/account/accomplishments/certificate/URKBKJVK7K - Completed Coursera online certificate course, Assessment for Learning, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2021, Credential URL:
https://www.coursera.org/account/accomplishments/certificate/EQNWY33NK4WN - Completed Coursera online certificate course, Designing Learning Innovation, Politecnico di Milano, 2021, Credential URL:
- https://www.coursera.org/account/accomplishments/certificate/49VQCDENKS6W
- Completed Coursera online certificate course, New Learning: Principles and Patterns of Pedagogy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2021, Credential URL:
https://www.coursera.org/account/accomplishments/certificate/Z6BGSN4XJB4S - Completed Coursera online certificate course, Introduction to Data Analysis Using Excel, Rice University, 2021, Credential URL:
- https://www.coursera.org/account/accomplishments/certificate/RZT422N6878V
- Successfully completed the Massive Open Online Course on “Introduction to Technology-Enabled Learning” offered jointly by the Commonwealth of Learning and Athabasca University, Canada from 9 January to 13 February 2021. Verify this certificate at http://telresources.org/v/TLN16277974
- Certificate of Participation “Blended Learning Practice” offered jointly by the Commonwealth of Learning and Athabasca University, Canada from 3 April to 1 May 2021. Verify this certificate at https://blpmooc.org/v/QNQ76522823
- Completed ASEAN-ROK- Professional Training Program on XR/Metaverse 2023
- UNESCO Mooc on Living Heritage and Sustainable Development 2023
National Level Contribution:
- Member of National Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), ICOMOS (Sri Lanka)
International Contribution:
- Sri Lanka Focal Person: Asia Pacific Higher Education Network for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (APHEN-ICH)
- Member of the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA)
- Member of International Society for Music Education (ISME)
- Member of the International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance (ICTM)
- Member of Research Archives Section (RAS) Committee International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA)