Category: General

Dear colleagues,

You are encouraged to explore different pedagogies to optimise student learning.  Among which, the use of audio and audio-visual recording of lectures and other classroom activities may be considered.  A set of guidelines related to classroom recording and how such recordings should be managed is therefore developed so as to standardize the practice across the University.  Please refer to the Guidelines here for details and handle all recordings with due care.

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 colleagues,

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 Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) 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 CETL staff liaison for your Faculty/Office as set out below:

CETL Staff Liaison	Faculty / Office
Dr. Susan Bridges (sbridges@hku.hk)	Arts, Dentistry, Education and Medicine
Dr. Cecilia Chan (ckchan09@hku.hk)	Architecture, Business & Economics, Common Core, Engineering, and Science
Dr. Luke Fryer (fryer@hku.hk)	Social Sciences, and Law

Opportunity is taken to draw your attention to a new exciting initiative called “Collaborative Online International Learning” (COIL). Through online technology, COIL connects teachers and students from two or more universities in different countries, enabling them to engage in discussions, collaborative projects, and other virtual exchanges (in class or out of class). Fully aligning with the University’s internationalisation at home strategy, COIL expands our course offerings, and broadens students’ horizons. You are strongly encouraged to develop COIL courses for undergraduate and taught postgraduate students, and consult the CETL staff liaison for your Faculty/Office as necessary. Details about COIL can be found on the T&L website.

Best wishes, Ian

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

Dear colleagues and students

Just a quick note about the new academic year.

T&L arrangements

As you know, all UG programmes will be delivered f2f in S1. Faculties will support students who cannot return to HK for the start of S1, but the experience will not be as good as actually being here. Pls do try to get back as quickly as possible. TPG programmes are making their own decisions about S1 T&L arrangements and informing their students directly.

Teaching rooms

We’ll be occupying many teaching rooms up to full capacity in S1. At the same time, we’ll be requiring everyone to comply with our health protocols in all classes, whether lectures, tutorials, labs, studios or anything else – masks on throughout, no eating or drinking at all.

Lecture recordings

For the past couple of years, we’ve asked teachers to upload lecture recordings to HKU Moodle. In S1 our policy will change. Teachers may still upload lectures to Moodle, especially during the add/drop period when many students like to audit courses online. However, this will no longer be required (unless a Faculty decides to retain the policy). To keep everything simple, ITS is creating a ‘hide’ button in Moodle. This will enable teachers to decide which lectures they wish to share with students and which they prefer not to share.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Sept 1. HKU offers an immersive experience, much of which can be gained only by coming on campus and participating in the many activities taking place here.

Best wishes for S1!

Ian

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