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 Centre for Information Technology in Education within the Faculty of Education
I am pleased to inform you that CITE Research Symposium 2014 (CITERS 2014) will be held on 13-14 June 2014 (Friday & Saturday) at Rayson Huang Theatre, The University of Hong Kong. CITERS is organized by Centre for Information Technology in Education (CITE), in collaboration with the Centre for Advancement in Inclusive and Special Education (CAISE), Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL), HKU Libraries of the University of Hong Kong, HKUSPACE Centre for Cyber Learning and Center of Teaching and Learning Development, National Taiwan Normal University. The symposium’s main theme is ‘Learning without Limits’.
The CITERS 2014 Organizing Committee is now calling for contributions from educational researchers and practitioners, including teacher educators, principals, teachers, government officers, librarians, students and graduates from education programmes, CITE members and those interested in IT and educational research. More details about CITERS 2014 call for contribution can be found in http://citers2014.cite.hku.hk/call-for-contributions/
The symposium has six sub-themes:
Partnerships for learning beyond technology
Technology-supported professional learning
Leveraging learning environments for meeting diversity in the classroom
Open Educational Resources (OER)
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
Professional learning for meeting students’ special educational needs
Submitted contributions will be reviewed by the CITERS 2014 Organizing Committee. Full papers (optional) submitted will have a chance to be published in the ITEC e-Journal. Regarding the instructions for preparing the full papers, please kindly refer to URL http://ejournal.cite.hku.hk/ for details.
Selection Criteria:
Accepted proposals will be invited for presentation at the Symposium. Selection criteria:
Relevance of the presentation to the theme of the symposium
Originality of the presentation contents
Clarity of the presentation
Important Dates:
Deadline for submission: 4 April 2014 (Fri)
Notification of acceptance: 12 May 2014 (Mon)
Full paper submission (optional): 11 June 2014 (Wed)
Conference dates: 13 -14 June 2014 (Fri & Sat)
The EPSU ran a seminar on the 19th February on “Mobiles for Polling, Generating Resources and Reflecting”. The seminar was attended by 38 colleagues from different Faculties across the University. If you have an idea for a seminar or would like to see EPSU deliver a seminar on a specific topic please get in touch with Dr. Iain Doherty.
Massive Open Online Courses
As we move into March it is just six months until HKU launches four MOOCs on the edX platform (https://www.edx.org/). EPSU is working with Professors in Architecture, Medicine and Philosophy. At the same time the fourth MOOC will be delivered by the Journalism and Media Studies Centre and EPSU liaises with the centre on the MOOC development.
New Moodle Plugins Installed
The following new Moodle plugins have been installed on the central Moodle platform on February 5, 2014.
Attendance block – A plugin that allows an attendance log to be kept.
Scheduler – An appointment scheduler for planning face-to-face meetings between teachers and students. Teachers can set up time slots, and students can choose one of these on Moodle.
OU wiki – An alternative wiki. Simple wiki designed for teaching and learning.
OU blog – An alternative blog. The blog can be used as a course activity.
Teaching and Learning Showcase
To provide staff members and students with a better understanding of how teaching and learning can be supported by the use of technologies, the e-learning Pedagogical Support Unit (EPSU) and Information Technology Services (ITS) jointly organized a two-day Teaching and Learning Showcase on February 11 and 12, 2014. More than 150 colleagues and students visited the booths in both Centennial Campus and Main Campus. Click here for more details.
Special Issue on “Practical applications of KM systems for organizational learning”
Editorial: Practical applications of KM systems for organizational learning By Murali Raman
Seeking a potential system in managing organizational knowledge flow towards enhancing individual learning and intellectual capital By Intan Soraya Rosdi, Kok-Wai Chew, Aliza Akmar Omar
The prospects of Web 2.0 technologies in teaching and learning in higher learning institutes: The case study of the Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania By Wulystan Pius Mtega, Ronald Benard, Matulanya Dettu
Knowledge management systems in support of an induction programme: An action research approach By Murali Raman, Peter Woods, Anna Maria Lim
Regular Papers
Employees’ acceptance of knowledge management systems and its impact on creating learning organizations
By Sun Joo Yoo, Wen-Hao David Huang
A study of university student behaviors in using eBooks in Hong Kong By Hokyin Lai, Marco Li
Knowledge management mechanisms in e-learning environment: A conceptual model By Mehdi Shamizanjani, Saeedeh Mohammadraei Naeini, Mozhgan Nouri
You are cordially invited to visit the Teaching & Learning Showcase jointly organized by e-learning Pedagogical Support Unit (EPSU) and Information Technology Services (ITS). The showcase will be held at two venues in the Centennial Campus and Sun Yat Sin Plaza:
Date:
11 February (Tue) & 12 February (Wed), 2014
Time:
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Venues:
– Outside G/F of Chi Wah Learning Commons [opposite to Delifrance]
– Outside G/F of Library Building (Old Wing) [the new ITS General Enquiry Counter is on 1/F]
The showcase aims to provide our users (teachers, support staff and students) with a better understanding of how teaching and learning can be supported by the use of technologies. You will also be able to find out about the services offered by EPSU and ITS to support colleagues and students in teaching and learning.
In particular, we shall roll out the Panopto video + PC capture service for student use in the Learning Commons study rooms so that students can record video and PC screens and share recordings with others for collaborative working.
The following will be showcased:
– Mobile access to Moodle learning management system
– Mobile access to Panopto lecture capture and viewing of recordings
– High definition video conferencing and access via mobile devices
– EPSU services and support
Colleagues from EPSU and ITS will be at the showcase venues to demonstrate services and to answer questions.
Steve Roberts joined the EPSU team as an instructional designer in January 2014. Steve has an extensive background in teaching along with an excellent working of knowledge of how to make purposeful use of technologies in teaching. The EPSU now has three instructional designers and a multimedia designer along with the Director. We’re here to help so please get in touch if you would like support with using technologies in your teaching.
Teaching and Learning Days
The EPSU, Information Technology Services and Learning Environment Services will be running teaching and learning days on the 11th and 12th of February 2014. There will be display stands at the Chi Wah Learning Commons and the Run Run Shaw Building manned by members of the three teams. Staff and students will have the opportunity to experience technologies first hand and to talk with members of the EPSU, ITS and Learning Environment Services about technologies and teaching. Watch the bulk email for more details.
Mobile Learning Seminar
The EPSU will be running a seminar on the 19th February from 12.45-2.00 in Room 321, Run Run Shaw Building. The topic is “Mobiles for Polling, Generating Resources and Reflecting”. This will be a hands on session with participants having the opportunity to try out different applications and services on their own devices. For more details and registration go to http://epsu.cetl.hku.hk/19feb2014/.
Guidelines for Use of External Services
ITS and the EPSU have been collaborating on a set of guidelines for use of external services such as Google Docs. ITS and EPSU ran consultation seminars with staff in January and the guidelines have been revised based on input from staff. The guidelines will be released in the first quarter of this year. In the meantime if you have questions about use of external services you can contact Dr. Iain Doherty.
Moodle GradeMark Video Tutorials
We have produced a new series of short video tutorials for teachers to learn how GradeMark can be conveniently used to give feedback, leave comments and grade the assignments of students online in the Moodle learning management system.
My e-learning tab of HKU Portal Enhanced
We have enhanced the staff’s “My e-learning” tab of HKU Portal with a new look and feel. Now teachers can locate the information of their courses and manage them more easily. The online application form for teacher-requested Moodle course is also reviewed, enhanced and simplified. It now has better integration with SIS Class Staff Information System for creating Moodle courses and with a better support for early creation of SIS courses based on teacher’s request.
Panopto and Moodle Hands-on Training Courses
The ITS Panopto and Moodle hands-on training courses in February are now open for registration. Details can be found here.
Facilitator: Mr Steve Roberts, Instructional Designer, CETL
Date: 19th February, 2014 (Wednesday)
Time: 12:45pm – 2:00pm
Venue: Room 321, Run Run Shaw Building
The fact that mobile technologies are rapidly expanding is established. However, the rate of this expansion is at times challenging to fathom: radio took 38 years to reach 50 million users worldwide, whilst the ‘Draw Something’ mobile app took only 50 days to reach the same number of users. Hong Kong alone has 17 million public mobile subscribers in a population of approximately 7 million. This ubiquity of mobile technologies raises questions of ways in which these devices can be integrated into teaching and learning environments in a pedagogically sound manner.
This predominantly learner-centred session aims to address this issue through the use of mobile polling (using Moodle’s ‘Feedback’ activity), resource generation (using a smartphone’s video recorder), and collaborative reflection on action (using a mobile-friendly online platform embedded within Moodle). Participants will have the opportunity to experience these technologies from the perspectives of both a learner and a teacher, providing a platform to reflect on how these tools could best enhance specific teaching and learning contexts.
Please could you bring your smartphone or tablet and, if possible, a laptop to the session. All are welcome even if you are not able to bring any technology.
Message from Institute of Medical and Health Sciences Education
You are cordially invited to attend the following seminar organized by the Institute of Medical and Health Sciences Education (IMHSE):
Title: Staff and Professional Development Seminar on “Virtually there: A journey to the HKU Medicine Island for teaching and learning.”
Date: Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 pm (Sandwiches will be provided)
Venue: Seminar Room 5, LG1/F, Laboratory Block, Faculty of Medicine Building
Speakers:
Dr Deneen, Christopher Charles
Professor US Khoo, Professor, Department of Pathology, LKS Faculty of Medicine
Dr Joanna Ho, Lecturer, Department of Biochemistry, LKS Faculty of Medicine
Mr Brant Knutzen, Lecturer – MSc IT in Education, Faculty of Education
Descriptions:
This seminar reports on the current progress of two funded grant projects awarded to Dr Joanna Ho and Dr NS Wong from the Department of Biochemistry and Prof US Khoo from the Department of Pathology. The projects aim to enhance teaching and learning by creating educational experiences in the virtual environment. Mr Brant Knutzen, the technical expert and Co-I on these projects will briefly explore the feasibility of virtual environment scenarios for Anatomy, Surgery, and Intensive Patient Care.
Attributed by Mr Knutzen’s technical expertise in the constructions of the virtual environment, the HKU Medicine Island is now just a few clicks away from us. Since the core objective of the project from the Department of Biochemistry is to explore the potential functionalities of such a novel virtual space in stimulating effective teaching and learning, Dr Ho will share her experience of a trial lesson where she invites her students to the virtual island where bots (virtual patients) were set up in the virtual hospital beds to facilitate implementation of patient scenarios and subsequent lab assays were also set up on the virtual lab benches furnished with recognizable equipment from the real biochemistry teaching laboratory. The observations gathered on the student’s reactions when being introduced to such simulations and the intriguing effects on their learning stimulation will be discussed.
Message from Institute of Medical and Health Sciences Education
You are cordially invited to attend the
following seminar organized by the Institute of Medical and Health Sciences Education (IMHSE):
Title: Teaching & Learning and Assessment Development Seminar on “Eportfolios: Opportunities and challenges as program‐level assessments”
Date: Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 pm (Sandwiched will be provided)
Venue: Mrs Chen Yang Foo Oi Telemedicine Centre, 2/F, William M.W. Mong Block, Faculty of Medicine Building
About the speakers
Dr Deneen, Christopher Charles
Research Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor (Honorary)
Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong
Dr Deneen is a research assistant professor with the Faculty of Education at The University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on relationships of assessment and curricula in higher and teacher education. He is especially interested in learner-oriented assessment, technology-enhanced assessment, and managing curriculum change.
After earning his doctorate from Columbia University’s Teachers College, Chris served as a university teacher and administrator in New York City. Inspired by the often-unanswered questions raised by his experiences as a teacher and administrator, Chris chose to develop research into higher and teacher education as a core element of his professional identity and practice. After working two years with the Hong Kong Institute of Education, he joined the HKU Faculty of Education in 2011. As principal investigator on a General Research Fund (GRF) grant, Chris is currently exploring digital portfolios as assessment in higher and teacher education.
Description
Eportfolios are a popular means of both promoting and evaluating student learning. They are widely recognized as enhancing self‐regulation, promoting reflection, and determining achievement of professional outcomes.
Eportfolios have significant potential for medical education programs as they may integrate assessment and learning innovations currently favored in medical education, such as problem‐based learning scenarios and simulations.
There are, however challenges in implementing eportfolios as assessments. These challenges range from maintaining student engagement to establishing rater reliability. In this talk, Chris Deneen will address both the challenges and opportunities presented by using eportfolios. Drawing on his own research and the field of literature, Dr. Deneen will discuss key issues such as feasibility, implementation guidelines, and how existing assessments in courses, modules or blocks could be capitalized on to support program‐level eportfolios.
ALL ARE WELCOME!
For inquiries, please contact us at imhse@hku.hk. To register, please visit
There are many advantages to using external applications and services such as Facebook, Google Apps and Blogger (called “web 2.0 services”) to support teaching and learning.
At the same time there are risks with using these services. For example:
— What happens if the service becomes unavailable?
— What happens if students cannot retrieve data?
— How does the Personal Data Privacy Ordinance relate to use of these services?
ITS and the e-learning Pedagogical Support Unit have drafted some guidelines to help staff make an informed decision about use of external services. In this presentation we will summarise the guidelines for staff. We would also like input from staff and so there will be time for you to feedback to us. You are cordially invited to join the workshop of the respective session (45-minutes):
Venue: Room KB-111, The Oval, 1/F, Knowles Building
Date: January 15 (Wednesday)
Time:
