More than Just YouTube Plus a Quiz: HKU03x Humanity and Nature in Chinese Thought

We believe that online courses are more than just YouTube videos plus a quiz. In building courses online, we endeavour to create the most integrated and personal learning experience for our learners.

In this age of information explosion, with numerous education resources available already, why would somebody care to be involved in a MASSIVE open online course (MOOC) through participation in the discussion forum? Ms. Karen Carlson, an enthusiastic MOOCer and a star learner in the course HKU03x Humanity and Nature in Chinese Thought, is kind enough to share with us her thoughts. To Karen, one of the best things about HKU03x is having an instructor who is “extraordinarily involved” in the course from the start. Discussion with the teaching assistant, Catherine, also prompts her to think further and ask questions on issues such as whether it is possible to have a morality that is not imposed from the outside.

The course instructor Professor Hansen’s ownership, together with the active involvement of teaching assistants and fellow learners, are great motivations. Without instructor ownership, a course tends to turn into just “YouTube plus a quiz”, which is hardly a good class. “A class is far more of an overall experience where everything is integrated,” said Karen, and this is exactly what we believe.

While we are flattered to receive Karen’s positive comments, it is also our pleasure to meet and greet our MOOC learners. To us, producing a MOOC is not just about uploading videos and quizzes, but is also about connecting with learners from all around the world and building an online learning community. We don’t just teach. We care. Contact us if you have anything to share about your learning experience in HKU MOOCs.

Further reading
Take a look at Karen’s blog for her deep reflections on our course and other MOOCs.

Teaching Exchange Fellowship Scheme Seminar – Cultural Exchange in Developing Teaching on Child Welfare

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Organised by Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL)

Details of the workshop:

Date : 13 October, 2016 (Thursday)
Time : 12:00nn – 1:00pm
Venue : Room 321, 3/F, Run Run Shaw Building (Main Campus), HKU
Speaker : Dr. Edward Chan, Associate Professor, Department of Social Work & Social Administration, HKU
Facilitator : Dr. Luke Fryer, Associate Professor, CETL, HKU

Abstract:

Utilizing a “case bank approach” Korean and HKU students engaged in exchange activities towards the development of a new course named Asian Perspectives on Child Welfare. Participating students shared their different cultural perspectives during the exchange, comparing the similarities and differences of these two Asian cultures. Korean and Chinese culture share similar roots in Confucianism and yet have also had very different trajectories of socio-economic development. Across the exchange experience, students on both sides had substantial opportunity to share their views and experiences with other young scholars.

The use of a case bank approach was extremely effective for this project. Students gained insights on Asian cultural perspectives through the process of preparation, presentation and discussion. The product of the case studies developed during the exchange activities will continue to be used as materials for future teaching. While most of the publications in this field address Western societal contexts, these indigenous materials could serve as good references to begin to address cultural issues in specifically Asian contexts. These and many other aspect of the exchange will be elaborated on during the seminar.

It is hoped that seminar participants come with questions as well ideas for future exchanges. Discussion will aim to both highlight the outcomes of the current project and support other staff in organizing similar exchanges.

About the Speaker:

Dr Edward Chan Ko Ling is a Fulbright Scholar. He was recently awarded by RGC Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme in 2016.
He has been researching into epidemiology and culture-specific risk factors for family violence, child and family poly-victimization. He is active in research and teaching in Mainland China & South Korea.

Registration

For information, please contact:
Ms. Noranda Zhang , CETL
Phone: 3917 4729; Email: noranda@hku.hk​