Vice-President (Teaching and Learning)

Message from Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning)

Dear colleagues and students

I am very pleased to announce the recipients of the University’s 2023 Teaching Excellence Awards. The Selection Panel was deeply impressed with the awardees’ dedication to teaching, their tireless and creative efforts to make learning enjoyable and challenging, and the impact they have made on student learning.

Outstanding Teaching Award

• Dr. John T.C. Fung, School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine

Early Career Teaching Award

• Dr. Enoch Chan, School of Clinical Medicine and School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
• Professor Linda Chan, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
• Professor Ying Wai Chan, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science
• Professor Frank van der Wouden, Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences
• Dr. Joni H. Zhang, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine

Teaching Innovation Award

Individual award

• Professor Kristof H.C.G.J. Crolla, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture for Online E-Learning Database for Flipped-Classroom Tutorials on Digital Design Tools & Techniques in Architecture
• Ms. Susanne E. Trumpf, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture for TAL-L (Taxon-Archive-Lab – Library) – A Materials Archive for Landscape Architecture

Team award

• Dr. John T.C. Fung of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine (Leader), Dr. Siu Ling Chan (Medicine), Dr. Vichy W.C. Ho (Arts), Mr. Chun Kit Chan (Medicine) and Dr. Alice H.Y. Yau (Arts) for A Cross-Disciplinary Transmutable Application of Interactive, Immersive 360 Virtual Reality Videos on a Learning Management System (LMS) Combined with Facilitated Structured 3D Debriefing- an Innovative Experiential Learning Pedagogy in Enhancing Student Learning Engagement
• Dr. Mei Li Khong of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine (Leader), Professor Julian A. Tanner (Medicine), Dr. Fat Man Lau (Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre) and Professor Gary K.K. Lau (Medicine) for Students as Co-Designers – Formalising Student-Educator Partnerships in Curriculum and Pedagogy Co-Creation
• Professor George L. Tipoe of Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine (Leader), Professor Fraide J.A. Ganotice (Medicine), Dr. Jannie Roed (Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre), Professor Linda Chan (Medicine) and Dr. Jian Yang (Medicine) for Reinventing Near-Peer Teaching: The “START to STaR” Programme at the Li Ka Shing, Faculty of Medicine

I would like to thank our external assessor Professor Moira Fischbacher-Smith (Vice-Principal (Learning and Teaching) of the University of Glasgow) for providing us with expert advice during the final selection process. I would also like to thank the other Panel members: Professor Pauline Chiu, Professor Cecilia Chan and Mr. Derek Cho (student representative) for their assistance in this important exercise

Please join me in congratulating the awardees!

Professor Ian Holliday
Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning)
Chair, Selection Panel for 2023 Teaching Excellence Awards

Message from Professor Ian Holliday, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning)

I’m sending you our Policy on Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence for Teaching and Learning

Pls do drop me a line if you have any queries.

Best wishes, Ian

Professor Ian Holliday
Vice-President (Teaching and Learning)
The University of Hong Kong

Message from Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning)

Subject: 2023 UGC Teaching Award

Dear colleagues and students

I am delighted to share with you the exciting news that David Bishop of the Faculty of Business and Economics has won the prestigious 2023 UGC Teaching Award (General Faculty Members).

David has delivered outstanding teaching, innovation and dedication to student success throughout his academic career. In recognition of his achievements, he was honoured with the University Distinguished Teaching Award in 2022. He has a unique teaching style that combines intellectual curiosity, energy, drive and dedication to create exciting and rewarding learning opportunities for students.

David believes that students learn best when they are actively engaged in real-world problem-solving and decision-making. He has developed a variety of experiential courses that provide students with the opportunity to grapple intellectually with the intricacies of real-world business and legal problems. He has founded local and international award-winning charitable foundations and social enterprises, the majority of which are active today and support HKU student learning.

Please join me in extending our warm congratulations to David!

Best wishes, Ian

Professor Ian Holliday
Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor
(Teaching and Learning)

Message from Professor Ian Holliday, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning)

Dear Freshers:

We hope your first weeks at HKU are both exciting and fruitful!

We know that transitioning to university studies can be daunting!

To help you navigate, and give you an edge to academic success in the university setting, two self-paced, online courses are available to you as part of the Future Readiness Initiative – which aims to help students become future-ready in their HKU studies and beyond. A website for the Future Readiness Initiative is here: https://fri.hku.hk/.

Two courses

Both courses are online and self-paced, with about 20 hours of learning time each, for you to study at your own time and pace.

Course 1: Preparation for University: Essentials for Success, developed by CAES, highlights the differences between studying in secondary school and in the university, and emphasizes the communication and study skills that pave the way to fruitful studies

Course 2: Introduction to Research Methods, developed by FOSS, teaches research skills – but don’t let the word “Research” unnerve you
Almost every conclusion and decision we will make is going to be based on a kind of “research” as our society becomes more data-rich.  This course is designed to be easy and very accessible– so that year 1 and entry level students can learn the skills.  So, it is for you!

Completion of each course earns one out-of-classroom credit.  You can claim these as transcriptable credits in blocks of three.  So if you complete both of these courses, earning just one more out-of-classroom credit would enable you to gain an extra three academic credits on your transcript.

Students are welcome to complete these courses anytime, but we hope you do so sooner rather than later! So, we have made it easy for you–  year 1 undergraduate students in 2023-24 are pre-enrolled into the courses through the HKU portal. Students who complete both courses by October 31 will receive a $50 voucher for the Visitor Centre store.

New one-stop shop for freshman students

A first year student website – https://firstyear.hku.hk/ has been set up as a one-stop-shop site for a lot of useful information, both academic events and extra-curricular activities for new students—come check it out!

Engage, experiment and enjoy!

Best wishes – Ian & Pauline

Message from Professor Ian Holliday, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning)

Dear colleagues,

Teaching Matters

As you are aware, assessment is an important vehicle for supporting and guiding student learning. The University has an overarching assessment policy which sets out the philosophy and principles that guide and regulate assessment practices. The key principle is that students should be assessed in an appropriate, fair, rigorous and transparent manner. Solid and timely feedback, not restricted to scores or grades, should be provided. In particular, the QAC Audit Panel has advised us to enhance students’ understanding of the grade descriptors used in undergraduate and taught postgraduate courses, and to provide better feedback.

You are therefore requested at the start of each semester to talk students through the grade descriptors used in their courses, so that they understand the level of performance expected of them. You are also asked to give timely feedback on assignments and written examinations, so as to enable students to learn from what they have done well and what they have done badly.

The Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre (TALIC) will continue to work on enhancing assessment practices and providing good feedback to students. If you have any thoughts or need any help, you are most welcome to contact the TALIC staff liaison for your Faculty/Office:

Plagiarism

The University is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity, and has in place a Policy on Student Plagiarism in Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate Curricula.  Please do inform your students about proper academic practice. Relevant resources could be found in the plagiarism website.

Best wishes, Ian

Professor Ian Holliday
Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor
(Teaching and Learning)