Text questions

Students will ask questions about lectures via text message, which will be answered in Dr Ashraf's blog.

The lecturer has also been putting his appointment times online so students can check if he is available or book a meeting without coming into the university.

Dr Ashraf said the move would better suit the needs of distance learners, part-time students and those balancing studies with family and work.

He said: "Some lecture classes have 250 students, so I question the effectiveness of a didactic lecture for an hour."