Student Guide to Online/Hybrid (Dual-Mode) Learning

Introduction

Referring to the latest message on the S2 teaching arrangements for UG and TPG courses (for HKU UG and TPG students) released on 5 Nov 2020, course coordinators will provide one of three options of delivering lectures: online, hybrid (dual-mode), face-to-face in the Second Semester. (Only in very special circumstances will the f2f option be available.)

This Student Guide is intended to provide a guideline for students to prepare for learning in online/hybrid-mode. The information covered in this guide does not address all aspects of issues students may encounter in different learning modes but aims to help you to make the most of your learning journey.

Preparing for Online Learning

To succeed in online learning, you should be proactive, present and actively participate in discussions and other learning activities with your classmates. Here is a list of learning tips:

  1. Be Familiar with the Digital Tools You Will Need to Use
    Take some time to become familiar with the tools you will need to use in your courses (e.g. navigation). Explore the tools provided to ensure that the technology works on the computer/mobile device you will be using.

    1. Your Learning Management System (e.g. HKU Moodle, HKU Online Learning, etc.)
    2. Teleconferencing tools (e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.)
    3. Collaborative tools (e.g. Google Slides, Google Jamboard, Miro, etc.)
    4. Other digital tools for your learning  (e.g. Google Drive, Microsoft Office 365, Mentimeter, etc.)
  2. Prepare for Your Class
    Here are a few checklists for you to better prepare for your class:
    Before class

      Check whether you have Moodle access to each of your subjects.
      Read the course outline and the required pre-class reading materials.
      Use an e-calendar to help mark assignment due dates and plan self-study hours.
      Laptop, earphones, and camera are ready for online sessions.
      Log in Zoom/Microsoft Teams with your HKU student account.
      Test Zoom/Microsoft Teams settings (e.g. camera on/off, audio on/off, share screen, etc.).
      Have a distraction-free space with a reliable Internet connection for online learning (e.g. study room, home, library, etc.).
      Connect to VPN (if necessary).

    At the beginning of the online class

      Join the online meeting around 5-10 minutes before.
      Mute your mobile phone and log off social networks and media.
      Mute yourself upon entering the Zoom/Microsoft Teams meeting.
      Change your display name in English in Zoom/Microsoft Teams for identification.
      Switch on your webcam during lectures and tutorials (if possible). Add a profile picture in Zoom/Microsoft Teams if you are not able to switch on your webcam.
      Set up a virtual background (if necessary).

    During class

      Stay focused and take notes of the lecture.
      Actively participate in the in-class discussions and other learning activities as instructed by the instructor (e.g. join a breakout room, respond to a Poll, share your work via screen sharing, etc.).
      Listen attentively and follow the instructions given by your course teacher (e.g. unmute yourself and speak up when it is your turn to speak, mute yourself when others are speaking).

    After class

      Check rubrics/requirements for assignments.
      Check assignment due dates and submit your work on time.
      Book a consultation session with your course teacher/tutor if you have any questions on the course content.
      Contact your classmates and work together on group assignments/projects.

    For students who choose to come back to campus and attend a face-to-face lecture, here are some extra tips for you besides the ones listed above:

    Before class

      Confirm your class timetable and classroom locations.
      Bring your earphones.

    During class

      Attend the face-to-face lecture, pay attention and take notes. 
      Join the online Zoom meeting and online breakout rooms (if instructed by your course teacher). 
      Mute yourself in Zoom/Microsoft Teams and use your earphones to avoid the echo effect in the online environment.
      Share your ideas and discuss with your peers who are attending online (if instructed by your course teacher).
  3. Netiquette for Online Communication
    Your communication with your peers and course instructor may take in various forms, such as via online meetings (Zoom/Microsoft Teams), Moodle discussions, or emails. Here is a list of tips for you to better interact and communicate with them online:

    1. Respect your course instructor and peers, and communicate in a respectful tone.
    2. Identify yourself when you are communicating online, like showing your name in Zoom/Microsoft Teams. Professors may not be able to identify you as there are many students. 
    3. Switch on camera during lectures and tutorials if possible. 
    4. Introduce yourself in the email conversation/Zoom chat, and communicate with your course instructor clearly (e.g. in an email – ‘Dear Dr XXX, this is Natalie from your course MITE6023…’; in the Zoom chat – ‘Hi, I have a question on XXX – from Natalie’).
    5. Use clear and concise language and review what you write before sending out the message. Please use appropriate language to express your ideas.
    6. Protect personal privacy. Do not share your personal information or other people’s personal information in any public online forums/chat rooms.

Watch this 2-minute video to know more about Teleconferencing skills!

Resources for Online Learning

Download PDF version

Technical Support

If you encounter any difficulties, please contact the eLearning Support Team (Email: eLearningteam@hku.hk, Tel: (852) 3917 0123)

Free Polling Tools to Support Online/Dual-Mode Teaching

Teaching and learning online has brought many challenges to teachers and students. When teachers try to involve students in classroom discussion and learning activities, students are restricted by the screen, which requires teachers to seek useful technological tools to engage students in online classrooms. This article introduces six free polling tools by comparing the common features that can be applied in online or dual-mode teaching. Teachers are expected to select anyone from below to meet specific teaching needs.
Six free polling tools include:

  • Polling and Q&A in Zoom
  • Poll Everywhere
  • Mentimeter
  • Q&A in Google slides
  • Slido
  • Pigeonhole
Zoom Poll Everywhere Mentimeter Q&A in Google Slides Slido Pigeonhole
Audience Size 300 max. 40 max. Unlimited Unlimited 100 max. 500 max.
Participation in Zoom For teachers: https://www.polleverywhere.com/

For students: https://pollev.com/

 For teachers: https://www.mentimeter.com/

For students: https://www.menti.com/

 in Google Slides https://www.sli.do/ For teachers: https://pigeonholelive.com/

For students: https://pigeonhole.at/
Question types/ format Polling, Q&A Multiple choice, Word cloud, Q&A, Survey, Open-ended Multiple choice, Word cloud, Open-ended, Scale, Ranking, Quiz, Q&A, etc. Q&A Live poll, Quiz, Q&A Polling, Q&A
Upvote in Q&A ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Export data ✓ ✓ ✓ N/A ✓ ✓
Distinguished features – ✓ Features like Icebreaker, Leaderboard, Emotion scale, spotlight, Bulletin board, 2X2 matrix, Assign teams ✓ Unlimited audience size, questions, content slides and quizzes
✓ All templates available (details)
✓ Data analytics 		– Data analytics ✓ Event agenda
✓ Embed videos (for free until Dec 2020)

All six tools are user-friendly and supportive in a fully online setting. In dual-mode teaching, on-site students are supposed to attend lessons and discussions without Zoom environment. Therefore, Mentimeter could be the best choice to engage both online and on-site students because they can quickly join the discussion and share ideas via menti.com without registration and even can upvote questions to prioritise them.

Now a campus license for academic staff and students to use Mentimeter for facilitating work and study is available. The Mentimeter should be a useful tool for engaging students as it provides various question types and presentation formats that support online communication and multiple teaching and learning activities. You can login to Mentimeter through single sign on with the company name “The University of Hong Kong” and “HKU”.

Written by Cindy Liang; Reviewed by Leon Lei

So You Want To Be A Surgeon?

The Department of Surgery of HKU Medicine presents Asia’s 1st Multidisciplinary Surgery MOOC – So You Want To Be A Surgeon? This MOOC is a first of its kind global online course in surgery co-created by 30+ world class surgical experts featuring 15 subspecialties of HKU Medicine. The 6-week Surgery MOOC will commence on 1 Dec 2020 and is currently open for registration on edX platform.

Registration and Learn more

Designing High-stakes Online Assessments with or without Proctoring

Date: 21st Oct 2020 (Wed)
Time: 11:30am – 12:30pm
Venue: Virtual Venue – via zoom
(For HKU staff only)

Registration

Speakers:
Dr. Leon Lei, Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative
Ms. Sharon Keung, Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative

Abstract:
With the current social distancing measures being put in place, teachers may be looking for ways to conduct high-stakes assessments online. However, teachers may worry that conducting an assessment online would require high digital literacy skills while some are concerned about the risk of academic misconduct in the online environment. This webinar will look at strategies in conducting a high-stakes online assessment with proctoring and conducting one without proctoring. We will also introduce some good practices and design considerations in developing high-stakes online assessments.

This webinar will cover the followings:

  • Conducting high-stakes assessments with live proctoring and self-proctoring
  • Conducting high-stakes assessments without proctoring: designing good open-book questions

Colleagues are very welcome to sign up for this webinar. We look forward to seeing you there!

Taking Students on Virtual Field Trips

Date: 6 Oct 2020 (Tue)
Time: 1130am – 1230pm

Speakers:
Mr. Mathew Pryor, Faculty of Architecture
Mr. Gavin Coates, Faculty of Architecture
Dr. Leon Lei, Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative
Ms. Sharon Keung, Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative
Mr. Patrick Desloge, Centre for Applied English Studies (Digital Literacy Support Services)

Online Registration (For HKU staff only)

Abstract:
During the current pandemic, teachers from the Faculty of Architecture have been looking for creative ways to maintain field trip experiences for students. Taking advantage of Twitch (video live streaming service), and Zoom, Mathew and Gavin from the Faculty of Architecture have been conducting virtual field trips in and around Hong Kong. Linking these real-world activities to the virtual T&L environment has helped students stay connected with their studies and to achieve authentic outcomes for their projects. The virtual field trips are also a synchronous teaching experience with the possibility to receive feedback in real time with the students. In the webinar, Mathew and Gavin will share their experiences and the techniques they use. Patrick, Leon and Sharon will share their experiences of designing, preparing and implementing virtual field trips, and discuss the range of possible applications for this approach. They will also look at the support and resources available at HKU for conducting virtual field trips.

This session will cover:

  • Experience sharing by the Faculty of Architecture in designing, preparing and implementing a virtual field trip
  • Create a virtual field trip with Google Earth
  • Support and resources at HKU in conducting a virtual field trip

Colleagues are very welcome to sign up on this workshop. Look forward to meeting you there!

Getting Ready for Dual-mode Teaching at HKU

Starting from September 22, 2020, dual-mode teaching for UG and TPD courses will start. Most of the courses will be available online throughout the semester while some students may return to campus for some face-to-face classes. A key challenge in this mode of teaching is to engage both the on-campus face-to-face students and off-campus online students effectively.

Tips and Advices on Dual-mode Teaching at HKU
To help teachers to get ready for dual-mode teaching, we have prepared a set of slides with some tips and advices, including:

  • Checking the facilities of the classroom assigned for your course,
  • How to stream your lesson for off-campus online students,
  • How to engage both face-to-face and online student groups, and
  • Connecting the two groups of students with collaborative tools, etc.

Extra Resources
We have also prepared a list of resources for HKU teachers and students to get ready for this semester.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact us at our Whatsapp Hotline (+852 6437-8034 / http://wa.me/85264378034)

E-learning Resource Hub

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

Dear students and colleagues,

As we embark on a new semester with a strong reliance on online teaching and learning, I am pleased to introduce the HKU E-learning Resource Hub (https://elearning-resource.hku.hk).

Developed by the University Libraries in collaboration with the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL), Information Technology Services (ITS) and Technology Enhanced Learning Initiative (TeLi), the Hub provides access to a wealth of resources developed by these departments as well as others. The platform offers search and browse functions for electronic resources, online tools, guides, courses, equipment, learning spaces and departmental services in support of teaching and learning.

You are most welcome to suggest new resources either developed by HKU or other institutions for inclusion into the E-learning Resource Hub via its e-form (https://elearning-resource.hku.hk/submit-resource-2/). The Libraries will continue to develop the contents and feature useful resources on the platform to support your teaching and learning.

Best wishes, Ian

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

Conducting Online Lessons in Classrooms

The new teaching arrangement of the upcoming semester will be a combination of offline and online teaching using various tools such as Zoom, MS Teams, Panopto and Moodle. Teachers that taught students in an exclusively offline setting may find the transition to online teaching daunting and foreign to them. In order to facilitate the transition, we have produced a step-by-step video for all the different tools and methods that teachers can use to conduct, record and upload their lectures.

In this video, we will demonstrate how you can conduct a dual-mode (f2f and online) teaching at HKU step-by-step. We will show you how to start an online class, how to enable video and audio sources before and during the class, how to share your screen/PowerPoint and ways to record your lecture via Zoom and Panopto. We will also explicate the steps to upload your lecture/video to Moodle and provide tips on hosting a lecture with students in class and online.

Video timestamps
1. Start an Online Class 00:10
   1.1 Join an Online Meeting via Moodle 00:10
   1.2 Check Audio and Video Sources 00:41
   1.3 Share Computer Screen / PowerPoint 01:49
2. Record Your Zoom Online Class 2:13
3. Upload Your Zoom Recording to Moodle 03:00
4. Effortless Online Class Recording and Sharing Using Panopto 03:59
5. More Ways to Engage Students in an Online Class 05:23

For details of using the MS Teams block and Zoom block in Moodle courses, please refer to the following user guides prepared by ITS:

At TELI, we work closely with teachers and students to maximize the use of e-learning tools. Please check out other resources available at the teaching and learning website. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us at our Whatsapp Hotline (+852 6437-8034 / http://wa.me/85264378034).

Written by Ms Hanah Fjelddahl and Mr Sunny Kong

Online Teaching through Zoom or Microsoft Teams

As teachers have different teaching needs, some of you may want to explore and use other teleconferencing tools besides Zoom for conducting your online lessons. The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has acquired campus licenses for both Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

To help teachers in choosing a teleconferencing tool that best fits their needs, we have prepared the following table comparing the features of Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

Feature Comparison: Zoom and Teams

Feature Microsoft Teams Zoom
No. of Participants Up to 300 participants Up to 300 participants
Meeting Duration Unlimited Unlimited
Authority to Join Join via a meeting link /Admitted by Host Can be password protected
A fixed URL for meeting every time No Yes
Calendar Integrations Yes, MS Outlook Yes
Host Set by Meeting Organizer Host  and co-host
Video Spotlight No Pinned by Host
Silence Others Host Host
Remove Participant Host Host
Waiting Room Yes Yes
Screen Sharing One at a time One at a time
Who can share screen Host (can be more than one) Controlled by Host
Annotation No Yes
Whiteboard Yes Yes
Screen sharing using iOS/Android devices Yes Yes
Chat Yes Yes
Raise Hand No Yes
Integration with HKU Moodle Yes Yes
Polling No, recommend to create polling using MS Forms and share the link to participants on MS Teams Yes
Record Meeting Yes, cloud recording and saved on MS Stream Yes, cloud recording or local recording
Breakout Rooms No Yes

Reference: Esor Huang; With the permission to translate, edit and share in an English version

How-to Videos on Microsoft Teams and Zoom
We have also prepared step-by-step videos guiding HKU Staff and Students in using the two tools.

Videos on Microsoft Teams: https://hku.to/UseTeams
Videos on Zoom: https://hku.to/UseZoom

If you have questions, please feel free to contact us at our Whatsapp Hotline (+852 6437-8034 / http://wa.me/85264378034).

Support on Online Teaching and Learning from AAO (Aug 2020)

Message from Academic Advising Office of the Registry

Dear Academic Advisers and Colleagues,

The COVID-19 pandemic and the online mode of teaching and learning have brought significant challenges to everyone of us. To support online teaching, AAO has recently developed some tools and tips to strengthen your connection with students and make your virtual classes more effective:

10 Advising Tips for Faculty Academic Advisers During Online Teaching & Learning
Based on our observation and the feedback we collected from teachers and students, a list of practical tips has been compiled for spicing up your advising work during online teaching and learning period. We hope you will find them useful and helpful, particularly when you need to advise first year students.

Simple Guide of Using Instant Messages in ZOOM and Microsoft Teams
We understand that many teachers would like to make good use of the popular mobile instant messaging function to create a conducive environment for effective advising relationship, but have concern over the use of personal account. In this connection, we have created a simple guide on how to use individual and group instant messaging functions in ZOOM and Microsoft Teams to connect with individual advisee and/or group of advisees. The steps are very simple. Let’s give it a try today!

Advising Service as Usual
AAO continues to provide one-on-one advising to students during the COVID-19 via TELEPHONE, WHATSAPP PHONE and ZOOM. Students can make appointment with us at https://booking.aao.hku.hk/. For enquiries and quick questions, apart from emails, students can also WhatsApp us at 852-5413 6321. Please refer your students to us if deemed appropriate.

We have recently revamped our website (https://aao.hku.hk) which has adopted a more effective design to make navigation easier and information search faster. Please check out our range of online advising resources there and stay tuned to our emails on more resources! For enquiries, please contact us at aaoffice@hku.hk / 852-3917 0128.

Best regards,
Academic Advising Office