What does the future hold for vernacular architecture in Asia? In this concluding episode, we will try to look into this question and examine tradition, modernity, and cultural sustainability in the context of the Asian vernacular built environment. Register to take the course for free at http://tinyurl.com/architecturemooc and join learners from around the world on July 26, 2016. Find out more about it here!
Sneak Preview ( Week 5 )
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As the curriculum broadened in scope and depth, more and more teachers are interested in developing meaningful and effective ways of documenting, monitoring and evaluating student achievements through ePortfolios. That’s why Professor Gavin Brown (Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland) and Dr. Tanja Sobko (Faculty of Science, HKU) received a full-house attendance at their seminar “Assessing with ePortfolios” on July 8, 2016.
Professor Brown introduced ePortfolio as a ‘systematic, purposeful and chronological collection of student work’ which empowers students to continuously learn through critical thinking and reflection. There are several aspects to facilitate the use of ePortfolios.
An example in HKU
In the second part of the seminar, Dr. Sobko shared her ePortfolio experience in a BSc Exercise and Health course with 30 students. She aimed to promote eHealth Literacy 1 via the combined use of wearable device ‘Mi band’ and ePortfolio. Students wore the tracker device to record their daily activity levels (e.g., walking distance, hours of deep sleep) electronically, and wrote regular reflections during the process.
It was found that students became more aware of their personal health, and incorporated more scientific references in their reflection writing as the weeks passed. Key words to describe content quality of ePortfolio evolved from ‘interesting’, ‘personal’ at the beginning to ‘reflective’, ‘evidence-based’, ‘organized’ at the end of the course.
Dr. Sobko particularly saw the added value of the data collected in helping to ‘track, support and explore development of new literacies in eHealth literacy.’
TELI is now working closely with teachers on a few pilot projects to understand the features that they’d like to see in ePortfolios. If you’d like to collaborate, please get in touch via enquiry@teli.hku.hk.
Download the presentations here:
Prof Brown’s presentation
Dr. Sobko’s presentation
Summary of workshop details here.
If you are someone who is curious or cares about the everyday environment you live in, join this online course! Be part of the journey with us in Vernacular Architecture of Asia: Tradition, Modernity and Cultural Sustainability and explore how vernacular architecture can be sustained in this urbanized world. This 5-week course will start on 26 July 2016.
Highlights of the course
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As vernacular architecture faces various threats, how do we make sure that the needs of both the current and future generations are met? In Week 4 of Vernacular Architecture of Asia, we focus on the conservation of the built vernacular heritage. Register to take the course for free at http://tinyurl.com/architecturemooc and join learners from around the world on July 26, 2016. Find out more about it here!
Sneak Preview ( Week 4 )
Course Trailer
We have made it to the cover of the the Convocation Newsletter!
Read about what we have achieved so far in building flipped classrooms, games and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) – including upcoming courses Vernacular Architecture of Asia: Tradition, Modernity & Cultural Sustainability, Introduction to Dinosaur Ecosystems and Hong Kong Cinema.
Want to be part of our e-learning journey? Contact Us.
Creating online videos is easier than you think, even if you are no tech guru. With a graphing tablet, a microphone and a screen capture software, you can create DIY videos efficiently. In the Spring 2016 semester, Dr. Rachel K.W. Lui, Dr. K.F. Lam, Dr. William M.Y. Cheung and Dr. N.K. Tsing of the Faculty of Science tried this DIY approach of creating videos for flipping their first-year science foundation course, “SCNC1111 Scientific method and reasoning.”
Screen-capturing
Rachel created a series of short videos using a screen capture software called Camtasia. She started by putting teaching contents in presentation slides, then highlighted keywords and added annotations on a separate tablet while going through the slides. To ensure that students are engaged, she kept the videos short (2-5 minutes), illustrating one concept in each video. Students could also refer back to particular concepts easily. All videos were done in one take. The recording time was roughly the same as the time she used in delivering lectures.
Each video will be 2-5 minutes long and covers one concept at a time.
Using videos in a flipped class
The videos were used in flipping the science class. As opposed to lecturing during the entire class, the class now consisted of first replaying videos with explanations, followed by time for in-class activities. For example, in groups of three, student solved problems using concepts learnt from the videos. Teachers were able to walk around the classroom and offer individualized support to students. Selected groups would then present their answers in front of the class using slide projectors. Members of well-performed groups would be awarded one point towards their final grade.
Putting videos online prevents wasted lecture time to teach concepts again.
Through presenting key concepts in short videos, teachers are now free to organize more interactive in-class activities. Students can also consolidate their understanding through reviewing the videos anytime, anywhere. The use of online videos enhances the quality of learning, and it is not difficult to create your own videos via screen-capturing. Want to give it a try? Contact Us.
Further reading:
Does the city you live in have “slum” areas? Have you ever thought about how they are built and how they meet the needs of the people who live there? In Week 3 of the Vernacular Architecture of Asia: Tradition, Modernity & Cultural Sustainability, we continue our examination of the urban environment by focusing on these “informal settlements”. Register for the course for free at http://tinyurl.com/architecturemooc and join learners from around the world on July 26, 2016. Find out more about it here!
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Course Trailer
Faculties are now invited to submit course proposals for the next phase of our experimentation with massive open online courses (MOOCs) that commences in 2017-18. It is anticipated that all Faculties will be participating in this call to explore how the University can capitalize on this new way of teaching and learning and stay relevant in a worldwide movement of setting new education standards.
For details, please refer to the following:
Call for Proposals for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) (document 361/616)
Appendix A: Call for proposals process (document 362/616)
Appendix B: MOOC proposal template (document 363/616) (PDF)
Appendix B: MOOC proposal template (document 363/616) (Word)
Please get in touch via enquiry@teli.hku.hk for questions. Thank you.
Digital and virtual learning tools create new possibilities in internationalizing our learning environment. In a seminar on 20 Apr 2016, Professor Ricky Kwok was invited to share his ideas on how technology broadens the concept of internationalization.
What is internationalization?
Ricky began the conversation by brainstorming with participants some characteristics of “internationalization”:
The intention of internationalization is to create an environment where students must interact with people from different cultures. The intensity of interactions is a major area to consider when evaluating students’ international experience. The intensity of intercultural experience correlates to the willingness to interact with local people, such as using the local language and being involved in community projects.
Internationalization at Home
We can intensify the process of internationalization at HKU using technology. With digital and virtual learning tools, we can bridge the distance among learners and institutions. Digital learning has made it possible for us to connect learners worldwide through Massive Open Online Courses. For example, in HKU02.1x The Search for Vernacular Architecture of Asia, Part 1, students from all over the world were invited to analyze their local living environments using key concepts from the course. In HKU03x Humanity and Nature in Chinese Thought, a synchronous online debate on a global scale was organized.
Virtual learning also allows us to replicate our learning environment for overseas students to explore without needing to be here. Currently, we are planning to build a 3-D virtual tour of buildings on the HKU campus in collaboration with the Google Cultural Institute. If more tertiary institutions worldwide offer similar virtual tours, more students can “visit” universities overseas without travelling.
HKU is a focal point of multiple ethnicities and cultures. With technology, we can expand our web to reach international students in a more innovative way. What are your views on this? What digital and virtual tools would you like to try in enhancing internationalization? Share your ideas with us.
Further reading
Can urban environments also be vernacular? In Week 2 of the Search for Vernacular Architecture of Asia, we will examine the broader and more complex issues in the urban built environment. Register for the course for free and join learners from around the world on July 26, 2016. Find out more about it here!
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Course Trailer