Date/Time: 27-Oct-2014 – 28-Oct-2014
Location: William Mong Man Wai Block, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, Sasson Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
MOOCs in Postmodern Asia (Oct 27, 2014)
Big Data and Precision Medicine (Oct 28, 2014)
Supported by Li Ka Shing Foundation; Organized by HKU on behalf of the East-West Alliance (EWA); Co-organized by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and China Medical Board (CMB).
The 2014 East-West Alliance Global Symposia to be held on October 27 and 28, 2014 will be hosted by HKU Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine on behalf of the East-West Alliance (EWA) and co-organized by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and China Medical Board (CMB). For the programme and online registration, please visit . www.med.hku.hk/ewa2014.
A post from the e-learning Pedagogical Support Unit (EPSU)
Sal Khan of Khan Academy fame may recommend recording natural speech rather than planning every word of his instructional videos, but a fully scripted video seems to be the preferred approach for many MOOC educators.
As part of the University of Hong Kong’s small team tasked with helping faculties prepare HKU’s first MOOCs, we recognize that learners have individual preferences about how best to gain subject-related knowledge. So far we have adopted three different approaches when recording professors’ MOOC input:
‘Talking head’ videos: Many educators’ initial choice, a short, chunked ‘talking head’ video is a familiar option but still offers room for creativity and customization based on individual needs. Professor Gabriel Leung from the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine and colleagues in their Epidemics MOOC have gone for the scripted approach, while Professor Hansen from the Philosophy Department in Humanity and Nature in Chinese Thought prefers to use key words as a cue. What both MOOCs have in common is recording the professors in front of a green screen so that still images and motion graphics can be added later on to enhance the learning process.
Panel Discussions: We are all familiar with groups of experts on TV sitting round a table discussing topical issues, but panel discussions also have a place in MOOCs. Professor David Lung from the Faculty of Architecture in The Search for Vernacular Architecture of Asia shares a table with colleagues to film the discussions that make up the bulk of the input on his course. In Epidemics, panel discussions form the final part of the course, with public health experts discussing the implications of what has previously been presented in the ‘talking head’ videos and Thomas Abraham, former editor of The South China Morning Post, chairing the discussions. Two different approaches to using panel discussions, but for the learner the same result of engaging input.
Location Filming: For such a visually rich and location-dependent field as Vernacular Architecture, including location footage seems an obvious choice. We filmed Professor Lung and his colleagues out on location, so that what was previously covered in the panel discussions and presented in still photography can really come alive. And for our team too, a trip to nearby Macau to film a Mandarin’s house was a welcome break – much nicer than when the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine wanted to send us to Yunnan province in southern China to film SARS-carrying bats!
Three different MOOCs, three different approaches to recording professors’ input. Let us know your thoughts on Facebook orTwitter@HKUniversity with #BeyondTalkingHead.
EPSU hosted a seminar to update the HKU community on progress with the development of the University’s four Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Over 70 colleagues from the various Schools, Departments, and University Offices attended the session.
EPSU hosted a seminar to update the HKU community on progress with the development of the University’s four Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Over 70 colleagues from the various Schools, Departments, and University Offices attended the session.
EPSU will be giving a seminar on 16th May to update colleagues about MOOC development work at HKU. Speakers will include Professor David Lung from Architecture, Darcy Christ from the Journalism and Media Studies Center, Iain Doherty and EPSU staff.
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has been working on a series of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) named “HKUx” since joining edX, the non-profit online education platform founded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University.
The University of Hong Kong will be delivering four Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) through edX (http://www.edx.org). Work on these MOOCs has been progressing steadily and this seminar will update colleagues on what has been happening with the development work.
Wen Wei Po interviewed Professor Amy B.M. Tsui, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching & Learning), on HKU’s approach to massive open online courses (MOOCs) and our contribution to the edX platform. Read the article to find out more about how MOOCs bring a shift to the teaching and learning landscape of higher education, and change the way we envision alternatives to pedagogies. In the article, Professor David P.Y. Lung, Professor of Architecture, also shared about the challenges and excitement of preparing his edX course on vernacular heritage in Asia.
Message from Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) Professor Amy B M Tsui
Dear colleagues, students, alumni and friends,
Many of you will know how important it is for HKU to be both internationally engaged and at the forefront of innovations in teaching and learning.
As part of our continuing endeavours in this area, I am pleased to announce that the University has joined edX, a non-profit online education platform founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) which provides a platform for massive open online courses (MOOCs). HKU is among the few Asian universities which have become new members of the “X universities”.
MOOCs, through the use of a quality and effective learning platform – which includes web environments, interactive video, online discussion, social/cohort interaction etc. to support teaching and learning – access to knowledge would be enhanced and a large group of people could be benefited.
MOOCs are an educational innovation that will bring about a seismic change in the higher education landscape that has yet to be understood. The opportunity to witness and contribute to this change cannot be missed.
At this stage, HKU will provide a series of HKUx courses that are specially designed for edX, including “vernacular heritage in Asia”, “law, economy and society”, “Chinese and Western philosophy” and “infectious disease and public health”. These courses will be taught by professors of Architecture, Economics, Philosophy and Public Health.
The University will continue to call on professors with a track record of excellence in teaching to offer HKUx courses so that not only HKU students but also students from around the world can benefit from our online programmes.
HKU is delighted to be part of this consortium of world class universities and I look forward to seeing how the HKU community can work with the consortium to fully leverage technology to make quality higher education more accessible to all.
Professor Amy B M Tsui
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning)
