Moving Beyond the Classroom: Using Flexible Approaches to Support Teaching and Learning in Uncertain Circumstances (2)

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Organised by Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning

Details of the workshop:

Date : 22 October 2019 (Tuesday)
Time : 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Dr. Susan Bridges, Ms. Tanya Kempston, Prof. Samson Tse
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU

Abstract

Learning nowadays is not confined to the classroom. Using flexible approaches and adopting some easy technology solutions can enable students to learn everywhere and anytime. This is particularly useful in uncertain circumstances (e.g. unstable weather conditions, transportation delays) when students and teachers may not be able to gather together physically. In this seminar, the three speakers will share with us their approaches to facilitating flexible learning. Participants will be able to explore in what ways these approaches might be relevant to their own teaching.

About the Speaker

Dr. Susan Bridges is Associate Professor and Assistant Dean (Teaching & Learning) with the Faculty of Education and the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) and Adjunct Professor with the Australian Catholic University. She supports curriculum re-design, innovation and staff development at HKU with a particular focus on professional programmes (health professions and teacher education). Her research explores the ‘how’ of effective pedagogy and health communication through interactional and ethnographic approaches. She is the principal investigator of 4 HKSAR General Research Fund (GRF) grants and was awarded teaching excellence awards in Hong Kong in 2012 (Team Award) and at the QS Wharton Re-Imagine Education Awards in 2016 (Bronze Asia; Health Sciences). She currently serves on the Steering Group of the Universitas21 (U21) Educational Innovation Cluster which supports excellence and innovation in higher education across this international network. Her latest co-edited volume, Interactional Research into Problem-based Learning will be published with Purdue University Press in 2020.


Ms. Tanya Kempston is a Lecturer in the Unit of Teacher Education and Leadership Learning, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong. She has worked as a front-line teacher of English Language and Literature in secondary schools in Northern Ireland, Japan and Hong Kong and was a Curriculum Development Officer in the Hong Kong Education Bureau before joining the University of Hong Kong. Tanya was awarded an Master of Arts with Distinction in Drama and Theatre Education from the University of Warwick, UK and is a recipient of her Faculty and University’s Outstanding Teacher Awards (2016-17 and 2017-18) She works in pre- and in-service education and teaches on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. She believes passionately in access to the arts for all and taking learning outside the university environment.


Prof. Samson Tse has taught in New Zealand and Hong Kong for over 25 years; the pedagogy adopted in his teaching includes the adult learning model, promotion of critical thinking skills, and role modeling. Samson presents to groups around the globe about issues about: Living beyond mental disability and improving service users’ experience. Samson has served in governmental, and non-governmental organization advisory committees in New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong. He is passionate about putting recovery approach into practice cross-culturally. Jointly with his community partners and colleagues, he has contributed to the development and implementation of strengths model of case management and peer support services in Hong Kong and the region.

HKU staff and invited guests only.

Registration

For information, please contact:
Mr. Thomas Lau , CETL
Phone: 3917 4807; Email: kanclau@hku.hk​

Moving Beyond the Classroom: Using Flexible Approaches to Support Teaching and Learning in Uncertain Circumstances (1)

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Organised by Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning

Details of the workshop:

Date : 17 October 2019 (Thursday)
Time : 1:10 pm – 2:00 pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Prof. Gina Marchetti, Prof. Mike Botelho, Dr. Caroline Dingle
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU

Abstract

Learning nowadays is not confined to the classroom. Using flexible approaches and adopting some easy technology solutions can enable students to learn everywhere and anytime. This is particularly useful in uncertain circumstances (e.g. unstable weather conditions, transportation delays) when students and teachers may not be able to gather together physically. In this seminar, the three speakers will share with us their approaches to facilitating flexible learning. Participants will be able to explore in what ways these approaches might be relevant to their own teaching.

About the Speaker

Prof. Gina Marchetti teaches courses in film, gender and sexuality, critical theory and cultural studies at the University of Hong Kong. She is the author of Romance and the “Yellow Peril”: Race, Sex and Discursive Strategies in Hollywood Fiction (Berkeley: University of California, 1993), From Tian’anmen to Times Square: Transnational China and the Chinese Diaspora on Global Screens (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2006), and The Chinese Diaspora on American Screens: Race, Sex, and Cinema (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2012), Andrew Lau and Alan Mak’s INFERNAL AFFAIRS—The Trilogy (Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2007), and Citing China: Politics, Postmodernism, and World Cinema (Hawai’i, 2018), among other publications. Her most recent book is The Palgrave Handbook of Asian Cinema, co-edited with Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park and See Kam Tan (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2018). Visit the website https://hkwomenfilmmakers.wordpress.com/ for more information about her work on Hong Kong women filmmakers since 1997. To register for her Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Hong Kong cinema, go to https://www.edx.org/course/hong-kong-cinema-through-global-lens-hkux-hku06-1x .


Prof. Michael Botelho been actively involved in the design, development and implementation of a range of curriculum innovations and reforms in: PBL, e-learning and competency assessments. He has a particular interest in video and has used these for a number of learning scenarios and needs. In particular he created additional video learning content for students who were absent from class during a previous social unrest movement. These videos were watched at a greater rate than just the students who were missing from class showing students consumption and hunger for learning content.


Dr. Caroline Dingle serves as the Coordinator for the Environmental Science major at HKU and teaches courses in Environmental Science and Ecology & Biodiversity. She also teaches a Common Core course on Women in Science. She actively seeks to find ways to engage students both in and outside the formal classroom setting and maintains an open door policy for student consultations. Dr Dingle has used various social media tools in classrooms to encouragement student engagement with course material outside formal classroom hours, and has been involved in efforts to create online materials for enhancing student learning. ​

Registration

For information, please contact:
Ms. Noranda Zhang , CETL
Phone: 3917 4729; Email: noranda@hku.hk​

Technology-enabled Feedback Processes

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Organised by Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL)

Details of the workshop:

Date : 15 October 2019 (Tuesday)
Time : 12:45pm – 2:00pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Dr. Naomi Winstone, Head of the Department of Higher Education, The University of Surrey, UK
Discussant : Prof. David Carless, Faculty of Education, HKU
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU

Abstract

In the domain of assessment and feedback, technology has the potential to streamline the process or facilitate practices not possible without the use of technology. Technology is less effective, however, if it replicates transmission-focused feedback modes through a different medium, and it is important to consider how the use of technology adds further educational value. In this talk, I argue that technology can facilitate effective feedback processes, if built upon a strong pedagogic rationale. I draw upon a systematic review of the literature (Winstone et al., 2017) and student perceptions of educational technology (Parker & Winstone, 2017) to evaluate different approaches to technology-enabled feedback processes. I then discuss examples of practice as presented in Winstone and Carless (2019) that demonstrate the affordance of technology in feedback processes. The main aim of the talk is to stimulate the adoption of effective ways of using technology to enable productive feedback processes.

About the Speaker

Dr Naomi Winstone is a cognitive psychologist specialising in learning behaviour and engagement with education, particularly the processing and implementation of feedback. Naomi is a Reader in Higher Education, and Head of the Department of Higher Education at the University of Surrey, UK. Naomi is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a National Teaching Fellow. Her recently published book, co-authored with David Carless, is entitled Designing effective feedback processes in higher education.


HKU staff and invited guests only.

Contact Information
For information, please contact:
Mr. Thomas Lau , CETL
Phone: 3917 4807; Email: kanclau@hku.hk​

Registration

Effective Approaches to Partnering with Students

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Organised by Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL)

Details of the workshop:

Date : 4 October 2019 (Friday)
Time : 12:45pm – 2:00pm pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Dr. Chris Deneen, Senior Lecturer in Higher Education Curriculum and Assessment, University of Melbourne
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU

Abstract

Partnering with students positions them as change agents in their own learning. This approach has potential to produce significant benefits at subject, degree program and institutional levels. Partnering with students, however requires careful planning and consideration. How ready are students to act as change agents? How should we set the scope and focus of the partnership? How can we understand and evaluate the outcomes of our partnerships?

This seminar aims to address these questions through exploring two case studies in student partnership. The first case involves Singaporean PGDE students’ deep engagement with the redevelopment and running of a school leadership subject. The second case examines an ongoing project in University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Business and Economics involving students’ development of rubrics and video exemplars for subject assessment tasks.

The seminar will focus on lessons learned and adoptable approaches. How students as partners approaches integrate within University of Melbourne’s large-scale development initiative, FlexAP will also be discussed.

About the Speaker

Chris is a senior lecturer in higher education curriculum and assessment with The Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education at University of Melbourne. His work focuses on the understanding and provision of effective learning engagements in universities. Chris has held several higher education positions in the culturally diverse contexts of New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia. He is the recipient of multiple awards for innovation and excellence in teaching practice.

Chris’ research focuses on innovative approaches to higher education assessment. He is especially interested in assessment change management and assessment-enabling technologies. He has authored 37 publications on assessment-related topics and has received over 2.5 million AUD in external research funding. His latest, upcoming publication in Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education examines how undergraduates use self- and peer feedback in developing teamwork competencies.


HKU staff and invited guests only.

Contact Information
For information, please contact:
Mr. Thomas Lau , CETL
Phone: 3917 4807; Email: kanclau@hku.hk​

Registration

Teaching Exchange Fellowship Scheme Seminar – Grants for overseas reciprocal visits through ‘Teaching Exchange Fellowship Scheme’

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Organised by Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL)

Details of the workshop:

Date : 17 October, 2019 (Thursday)
Time : 12:00nn – 1:00pm
Venue : Room 321, 3/F, Run Run Shaw Building (Main Campus), HKU
Chairman : Ms Alice Lee, Associate Professor, Department of Law, HKU
Facilitator : Dr. Luke Fryer, Associate Professor, CETL, HKU

Abstract

Grants for overseas reciprocal visits through ‘Teaching Exchange Fellowship Scheme’

To promote HKU staff to bring in new ideas and teaching methods to improve teaching through interaction with overseas university teachers, HKU will award up to $50,000 for reciprocal staff visits. This funding is provided through the “Teaching Exchange Fellowship Scheme”. The seminar provides an overview of this funding scheme and information on the application process. Staff will be guided on how to go about planning exchange visits to enhance the scholarship of teaching at HKU, which is the aim of the scheme. It will explain, and also showcase examples, on how this funding opportunity can be used by HKU teaching staff to share experience and to collaborate on teaching and curriculum development initiatives with overseas reputable universities through reciprocal visits.

The seminar is open to all teaching staff interested in finding out more about this Teaching Exchange Fellowship Scheme. Staff will be provided an overview of the scheme, how to lodge an application, the key objectives, amounts they can apply for, eligibility and advice in preparing an application. Staff who are thinking about applying are strongly encouraged to attend. Staff who attended the last seminar but found they had insufficient time to make overseas contacts, or who are thinking of planning ahead, in time for the next round (having a November 15th, 2019 closing date), would also find the seminar useful. If you are not sure whether this scheme would be relevant to teaching innovations you have in mind, or would simply like to know more about the scheme, you are welcome. The Circular on this scheme can be found at https://intraweb.hku.hk/reserved_2/cdqa/doc/TEFS/TEFS_2019-20.pdf.


HKU staff and invited guests only.

Contact Information
For information, please contact:
Mr. Thomas Lau , CETL
Phone: 3917 4807; Email: kanclau@hku.hk​

Registration

Pedagogical Innovation Seminar Series – Making Learning Fun and Stimulating

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Organised by Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL)

Pedagogical Innovation Seminar Series – Making learning fun and stimulating

If we truly want our students to be innovative and forward-looking, we probably need to take a look at our teaching – have we created (or co-created with our students) a learning experience that is fun, stimulating and intellectually challenging? This pedagogical innovation seminar series aims to explore a number of pedagogical innovations that enhance students’ learning experiences. Participants will learn innovative ideas and practical strategies, and discuss how these might be relevant to their own classroom. The details of the seminars are as follows:

Seminar 1: Supporting students’ motivation to learn: A delicate matter

Details of the workshop:

Date : 12 September 2019 (Thursday)
Time : 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Martijn Leenknecht, HZ University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU

Abstract

According to Self-Determination Theory, a teacher can support students’ autonomous motivation by providing autonomy support, structure, and being involved. By doing so, the teacher is nurturing students’ basic psychological needs of respectively autonomy, competence, and relatedness. However, supporting students’ motivation is not that evident in practice. The three aspects (or dimensions) of a motivating teaching style cannot be applied together very easily in each situation or context. Moreover, students perceive the style of their teacher differently and they seem not to be able to differentiate among the dimensions of the teacher’s style. In this workshop some theoretical issues will be raised and we will explore together the practical implications. Central question of the workshop is: What to do and what not to do as a teacher in order to motivate your students optimally?

About the Speaker

Martijn Leenknecht is working as an educational researcher and policy advisor at HZ University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands. This academic year he is finishing his PhD-project on (de)motivating teaching styles in higher education. Starting from Self-Determination Theory, he tries to untangle students’ perceptions of the dimensions of (de)motivating teaching styles in order to provide teachers at his institute (and beyond) with guidelines on how to optimally support students’ motivation. He is doing his PhD in part-time and he works also for the research group Excellence in Primary Education (HZ University of Applied Sciences), where he transforms his research to primary education and provides workshops for teachers from elementary schools. In his role as policy advisor, his focus is on assessment and he wrote (and is currently rewriting) the assessment policy of his institute. He is founder and coordinator of the Dutch national network “Learning from Assessments”, which is dedicated to calling attention to students’ role in assessment and the learning function of assessment. Topics the network is working on are for instance formative assessment, programmatic assessment, and feedback seeking behaviour of students. Besides research, the network produces practical guidelines and tools for teachers in higher education and organises seminars and symposia.


Seminar 2: Creating communication-rich video-based assessments:
The Narrated Video Project Model

Details of the workshop:

Date : 17 September 2019 (Tuesday)
Time : 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Mr. Patrick Desloge, Ms. Heidy Wong
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU

Abstract

In recent years the use of digital media, especially video, for assessment purposes has become increasingly common as teachers push to create assessment tasks that will reflect the ubiquitous nature of media and technology in the learning environment. While the use of video has the potential to enhance learning and assessment, the introduction of this technology can, if not approached carefully, distract students from their primary task and create logistical burdens for teachers.

This seminar will present a model for using video-based assessment we are labelling as the ‘Narrated Video Project (NVP)’. This model taps the potential of video-based assessment while leading students to produce a product which is:

  • communication-rich,
  • technically contained and not overly complex, and
  • suitable for both informative and reflective assessments.

The central communicative element in the NVP is a refined spoken narration and a technically simple visual track. By parsing out the audio and visual components in the production phase, this technique leads students to maintain a clear focus on the central message of their production. Furthermore, we will explain the pedagogy in such a way as to allow learners to reflect upon and refine their spoken English proficiency and develop visual literacy in ways that are difficult with oral presentations.

We will present and share exemplar work, task descriptions and rubrics of this process-focused production model. This seminar will outline a model which has led to the development of NVP as an assessment tool and present exemplar assessment guidelines and rubrics.

Finally, the participants will engage in a discussion around the type of support from CAES that would be useful moving forward with assessments such as the one outlined in this presentation. As we are currently scaling up our capacity to support colleagues across all faculties, we are looking for teachers already working on related assessments or interested in incorporating this type of project into their own courses. In both cases, we can provide support in forms of staff consultations to discuss the design and operationalisation of digital or spoken assessments, workshops and peer consultations for students.

About the Speaker

Mr. Patrick Desloge is Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of Digital Literacy Communication Support Services in the Centre for Applied English Studies. He has been working in the area of education technology for nearly two decades. In recent years he has taken on two large projects: As the Director of the Nurturing Global Leaders (NGL) programme, he oversees an 8-week international experiential learning project with two digital media-based assessments. This project intersects with his second area of interest, digital literacies, where he is investigating the potential of digital media, specifically Digital Storytelling, as a mechanism to assess experiential learning.

Ms. Heidy Wong is a Lecturer in the Centre for Applied English Studies at HKU where she has developed and coordinated English-in-the-Discipline courses for undergraduate students. Over the years she has developed an interest in e-pedagogy, and has written a number of multimodal blended learning materials to improve students’ academic literacy in different projects. She now coordinates the CAES Speaking Studio and is a trained Digital Storytelling Facilitator.


Seminar 3: Join-the-conversation: Creative use of student-generated contents to enrich learning

Details of the workshop:

Date : 26 September 2019 (Thursday)
Time : 12:15 pm – 1:45 pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Dr. Nicol Pan, Mr. Nikolas Ettel, and Dr. Shuang Wang
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU and Prof. Gray Kochhar-Lindgren, Director of Common Core, HKU

Abstract

Using student-generated contents is a powerful strategy to enrich learning. This join-the-conversation event brings three speakers from different disciplines to share with us their creative use of student-generated contents (e.g. films, narratives, prototypes, digital objects) to make learning personally relevant, engaging, and stimulating. Participants will see practical examples and join the conversation to discuss how they might be relevant or adapted to their own classes.

About the Speaker

Dr. Nicol Pan has been teaching the Common Core course on Virtual Reality (VR) prior to taking up the Associate Directorship of the Common Core Curriculum. She has worked in the field of education with a particular focus on eLearning and its pedagogical applications for many years. In her capacity as an educational researcher and instructional designer, Nicol has worked across academic disciplines at HKU. She has also worked extensively with non-academic institutions and commercial companies in developing VR training programs, including Cathay Pacific and the Police Academy. Nicol is happy to join the Common Core team, and hopes to continue to work with talented people from across the faculties and departments to create innovative and stimulating courses and projects that bring about a positive impact on students’ lives.

Mr. Nikolas Ettel is a lecturer in the Department of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong. Born in Vienna, he holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. In London he received The Bartlett Master’s Scholarship to complete his Master of Arts in Architectural History at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. Nikolas has taught design and architectural theory courses in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo, and was a Visiting Lecturer at University of Saint Joseph Macau. His elective course Architecture & Memory takes a closer look at the art of motion pictures, in which students explore the productive interplay between cinematic productions and architectural discourses. The aim is to focus attention on works of quality in order to create new grounds for architectural discussions while enhancing our understanding of existing ones.

Dr. Shuang Wang is lecturer at the School of Chinese. She has been involved in teaching the Common Core courses since 2015. She is dedicated to using pedagogical innovations to enhance students’ engagement. She is the Principal Investigator of the project entitled “Pilot Project on Student Generated Knowledge: An Oral History Online Archival Database,” which won a Teaching Development Grant in 2018. This project has developed a model of student-generated knowledge database which helps students achieve a deeper level of thinking and engagement.


Seminar 4: Designing games and illustrations for innovative learning

Details of the workshop:

Date : 3 October 2019 (Thursday)
Time : 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Dr. Winnie Law and Mr. Gavin Coates
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU

Abstract

Games and illustrations are increasingly used to make learning fun. It is probably true that most students love games. Meanwhile, we need to ensure that the games and illustrations actually support meaningful learning of the subject rather than simply entertain students. In this seminar, Dr. Winnie Law and Mr. Gavin Coates will share with us how they design games and illustrations to engage students and also support their achievement of the intended learning outcomes. Welcome to join this seminar to discover a fun and meaningful learning experience.

About the Speaker

Dr. Winnie Law is Deputy Director and Principal Lecturer in the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at The University of Hong Kong. Dr Law teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate courses on sustainable development, community planning and environmental management at The University of Hong Kong. She also works with a team of researchers and conducts policy research, action research and knowledge exchange projects on rural revitalization, social innovation, community engagement and corporate sustainability. Dr Law has been a director of the Conservancy Association since 2005 and she currently sits on a number of Hong Kong SAR Government’s advisory committees including Advisory Council for the Environment, Environment and Conservation Fund Committee, Steering Committee for Restored Landfill Revitalisation Funding Scheme, Advisory Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries and Agricultural Products Scholarship Fund Advisory Committee. She was also engaged by the UNEP and EU as social monitoring expert and planning consultant for environmental management projects in Vietnam.


Seminar 5: The potential of Video Vox for enhancing learning

Details of the workshop:

Date : 11 October 2019 (Friday)
Time : 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Prof. Mike Botelho and Ms. Nicole Tavares
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU

Abstract

Video Vox is an innovative video player and learning management system that allows new interaction possibilities with video content, it also allows teachers to house course materials. In particular, it allows the opportunity for the insertion of questions or comments to be timestamped in the video where students or teachers can start an asynchronous dialogue in a discussion board type format. Multiple choice questions can also be embedded in or outside the video for interaction or assessing understanding.

Today we will have feedback from early adopters who have trialed the platform in their teaching.

Nicole Tavares will share with us how she has been experimenting with the use of Video Vox in undergraduate and postgraduate courses to engage students in: professional dialogues, collaborative learning and joint reflections of their own classroom teaching experiences. The impact of using Video Vox in providing formative feedback and in supporting students in a related assessment task will be discussed. Nicole will also be reflecting on how students’ voice guides her practice.

Kennedy Chan will share with us how Video Vox can be used as a formative assessment tool to elicit pre-service science teachers’ initial knowledge bases about teaching and learning and to track their changing knowledge bases through engaging them in progressive reflection on the same video clips.

Michael Botelho will show how he has used the platform for using authentic clinical teaching encounters highlighting expert-student dialogue to support students’ learning.

About the Speaker

Prof. Michael Botelho has been at the University of Hong Kong for over 20 years and has been actively involved in the design, development and implementation of a range of curriculum innovations and reforms in: PBL, e-learning, simulation training and competency assessments. He has published and presented on dental education in journals and at conferences locally and internationally and has conducted workshops on PBL, facilitator training, problem writing and standards descriptors for clinical skills performances. He is actively involved in the scholarship of teaching and learning and has been awarded a number of teaching development grants and a number of teaching and learning prizes including the Hong Kong UGC teaching award.

Miss Nicole Tavares is Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at HKU where she teaches a range of English Language Teaching methodology courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Her expertise lies in using educational technologies and social media in promoting teacher professional development, content and language integrated learning (CLIL) practices, 21st century skills learning, interactive assessment, feedback, mistake-management and collaborative learning – all with a prime focus on student-centredness, learner engagement, teacher-student communication and the student voice. Her 2013 co-authored article published in Computers & Education titled ‘From Moodle to Facebook: Exploring students’ motivation and experiences in online communities’ has achieved 245 citations to date. For her commitment to and innovations in teaching and learning, she was presented with multiple awards by her Faculty: Distinguished Teacher Award (2006), Knowledge Exchange (Team) Award (2010), Teacher Effectiveness Award for the highest average SETL ratings in undergraduate programmes (2011–2014) and Outstanding Teaching Award (2015). She was also an HKU Outstanding Teaching Award winner in 2015. Nicole is dedicated to enhancing students’ learning experiences, never ceases to try out new teaching ideas in class and is delighted to share her insights on how research informs practice.​

Dr. Kennedy Chan is an Assistant Professor in Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). His research area includes teacher professional knowledge and use of video in teacher education. He is an invited participant of the second Pedagogy Content Knowledge (PCK) summit in the Netherlands and an awardee of several teaching awards, including the University Early Career Teaching Award, Student-led Teaching Feedback award and a finalist of the 2019 University Grants Committee (UGC) Teaching Award (Early Career Faculty Members).


Seminar 6: Socialised learning

Details of the workshop:

Date : 18 October 2019 (Friday)
Time : 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Mr. Mathew Pryor and Ms. Hanyuning Lin
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU

Abstract

In this seminar, we will introduce a Socialised Learning (SL) pedagogical model which was generated from inductive content analysis of qualitative data collected from semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students from a flipped-design common core course. As the name implies, the model identifies key social elements in learning design that can facilitate meaningful interactivity and collaboration amongst students, namely: knowledge exchange and integration; co-regulation; socially shared-regulation; peer support; peer pressure; and critical reflection. By adjusting the emphasis of these, SL endeavours to enrich students learning experiences, achieve significant enhancement of engagement (emotional and behavioural) and strengthen learning outcomes (academic gains and general skills). Practical guidance will be offered to help course designers maximise the socialisation in both online and offline learning environments.

About the Speaker

Mr. Mathew Pryor is an Associate Professor (Teaching), Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) in the Faculty of Architecture HKU, and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK). He is engaged in long term pedagogical studies on the use of digital media in the teaching of architecture and the socialisation of online learning within blended learning courses. Mathew is a recipient of a Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (USA) Excellence in Teaching Award (2019), HKU Teaching Excellence Team Award (2018), Faculty of Architecture Outstanding Teaching Award (2017) and HKU Teaching Excellence Award (2012), and has published academic papers and spoken at many conferences and seminars on transdisciplinary and experiential learning, and student engagement.

Ms. Hanyuning Lin is currently a Research Assistant in the Faculty of Architecture, HKU. She achieved a Master degree in Information Technology in Education and an Honour Bachelor degree in Psychology. Her research interest is student socialisation, emotion, engagement, motivation and learning outcomes in the technology-supported collaborative learning environment.


HKU staff and invited guests only.

Contact Information
For information, please contact:
Mr. Thomas Lau , CETL
Phone: 3917 4807; Email: kanclau@hku.hk​

Registration

Pedagogical Innovation Seminar Series – Making Learning Fun and Stimulating

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Organised by Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL)

Pedagogical Innovation Seminar Series – Making learning fun and stimulating

If we truly want our students to be innovative and forward-looking, we probably need to take a look at our teaching – have we created (or co-created with our students) a learning experience that is fun, stimulating and intellectually challenging? This pedagogical innovation seminar series aims to explore a number of pedagogical innovations that enhance students’ learning experiences. Participants will learn innovative ideas and practical strategies, and discuss how these might be relevant to their own classroom. The details of the seminars are as follows:

Seminar 1: Supporting students’ motivation to learn: A delicate matter

Details of the workshop:

Date : 12 September 2019 (Thursday)
Time : 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Martijn Leenknecht, HZ University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU

Abstract

According to Self-Determination Theory, a teacher can support students’ autonomous motivation by providing autonomy support, structure, and being involved. By doing so, the teacher is nurturing students’ basic psychological needs of respectively autonomy, competence, and relatedness. However, supporting students’ motivation is not that evident in practice. The three aspects (or dimensions) of a motivating teaching style cannot be applied together very easily in each situation or context. Moreover, students perceive the style of their teacher differently and they seem not to be able to differentiate among the dimensions of the teacher’s style. In this workshop some theoretical issues will be raised and we will explore together the practical implications. Central question of the workshop is: What to do and what not to do as a teacher in order to motivate your students optimally?

About the Speaker

Martijn Leenknecht is working as an educational researcher and policy advisor at HZ University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands. This academic year he is finishing his PhD-project on (de)motivating teaching styles in higher education. Starting from Self-Determination Theory, he tries to untangle students’ perceptions of the dimensions of (de)motivating teaching styles in order to provide teachers at his institute (and beyond) with guidelines on how to optimally support students’ motivation. He is doing his PhD in part-time and he works also for the research group Excellence in Primary Education (HZ University of Applied Sciences), where he transforms his research to primary education and provides workshops for teachers from elementary schools. In his role as policy advisor, his focus is on assessment and he wrote (and is currently rewriting) the assessment policy of his institute. He is founder and coordinator of the Dutch national network “Learning from Assessments”, which is dedicated to calling attention to students’ role in assessment and the learning function of assessment. Topics the network is working on are for instance formative assessment, programmatic assessment, and feedback seeking behaviour of students. Besides research, the network produces practical guidelines and tools for teachers in higher education and organises seminars and symposia.


Seminar 2: Creating communication-rich video-based assessments:
The Narrated Video Project Model

Details of the workshop:

Date : 17 September 2019 (Tuesday)
Time : 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Mr. Patrick Desloge, Ms. Heidy Wong
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU

Abstract

In recent years the use of digital media, especially video, for assessment purposes has become increasingly common as teachers push to create assessment tasks that will reflect the ubiquitous nature of media and technology in the learning environment. While the use of video has the potential to enhance learning and assessment, the introduction of this technology can, if not approached carefully, distract students from their primary task and create logistical burdens for teachers.

This seminar will present a model for using video-based assessment we are labelling as the ‘Narrated Video Project (NVP)’. This model taps the potential of video-based assessment while leading students to produce a product which is:

  • communication-rich,
  • technically contained and not overly complex, and
  • suitable for both informative and reflective assessments.

The central communicative element in the NVP is a refined spoken narration and a technically simple visual track. By parsing out the audio and visual components in the production phase, this technique leads students to maintain a clear focus on the central message of their production. Furthermore, we will explain the pedagogy in such a way as to allow learners to reflect upon and refine their spoken English proficiency and develop visual literacy in ways that are difficult with oral presentations.

We will present and share exemplar work, task descriptions and rubrics of this process-focused production model. This seminar will outline a model which has led to the development of NVP as an assessment tool and present exemplar assessment guidelines and rubrics.

Finally, the participants will engage in a discussion around the type of support from CAES that would be useful moving forward with assessments such as the one outlined in this presentation. As we are currently scaling up our capacity to support colleagues across all faculties, we are looking for teachers already working on related assessments or interested in incorporating this type of project into their own courses. In both cases, we can provide support in forms of staff consultations to discuss the design and operationalisation of digital or spoken assessments, workshops and peer consultations for students.

About the Speaker

Mr. Patrick Desloge is Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of Digital Literacy Communication Support Services in the Centre for Applied English Studies. He has been working in the area of education technology for nearly two decades. In recent years he has taken on two large projects: As the Director of the Nurturing Global Leaders (NGL) programme, he oversees an 8-week international experiential learning project with two digital media-based assessments. This project intersects with his second area of interest, digital literacies, where he is investigating the potential of digital media, specifically Digital Storytelling, as a mechanism to assess experiential learning.

Ms. Heidy Wong is a Lecturer in the Centre for Applied English Studies at HKU where she has developed and coordinated English-in-the-Discipline courses for undergraduate students. Over the years she has developed an interest in e-pedagogy, and has written a number of multimodal blended learning materials to improve students’ academic literacy in different projects. She now coordinates the CAES Speaking Studio and is a trained Digital Storytelling Facilitator.


Seminar 3: Join-the-conversation: Creative use of student-generated contents to enrich learning

Details of the workshop:

Date : 26 September 2019 (Thursday)
Time : 12:15 pm – 1:45 pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Dr. Nicol Pan, Mr. Nikolas Ettel, and Dr. Shuang Wang
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU and Prof. Gray Kochhar-Lindgren, Director of Common Core, HKU

Abstract

Using student-generated contents is a powerful strategy to enrich learning. This join-the-conversation event brings three speakers from different disciplines to share with us their creative use of student-generated contents (e.g. films, narratives, prototypes, digital objects) to make learning personally relevant, engaging, and stimulating. Participants will see practical examples and join the conversation to discuss how they might be relevant or adapted to their own classes.

About the Speaker

Dr. Nicol Pan has been teaching the Common Core course on Virtual Reality (VR) prior to taking up the Associate Directorship of the Common Core Curriculum. She has worked in the field of education with a particular focus on eLearning and its pedagogical applications for many years. In her capacity as an educational researcher and instructional designer, Nicol has worked across academic disciplines at HKU. She has also worked extensively with non-academic institutions and commercial companies in developing VR training programs, including Cathay Pacific and the Police Academy. Nicol is happy to join the Common Core team, and hopes to continue to work with talented people from across the faculties and departments to create innovative and stimulating courses and projects that bring about a positive impact on students’ lives.

Mr. Nikolas Ettel is a lecturer in the Department of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong. Born in Vienna, he holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. In London he received The Bartlett Master’s Scholarship to complete his Master of Arts in Architectural History at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. Nikolas has taught design and architectural theory courses in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo, and was a Visiting Lecturer at University of Saint Joseph Macau. His elective course Architecture & Memory takes a closer look at the art of motion pictures, in which students explore the productive interplay between cinematic productions and architectural discourses. The aim is to focus attention on works of quality in order to create new grounds for architectural discussions while enhancing our understanding of existing ones.

Dr. Shuang Wang is lecturer at the School of Chinese. She has been involved in teaching the Common Core courses since 2015. She is dedicated to using pedagogical innovations to enhance students’ engagement. She is the Principal Investigator of the project entitled “Pilot Project on Student Generated Knowledge: An Oral History Online Archival Database,” which won a Teaching Development Grant in 2018. This project has developed a model of student-generated knowledge database which helps students achieve a deeper level of thinking and engagement.


Seminar 4: Designing games and illustrations for innovative learning

Details of the workshop:

Date : 3 October 2019 (Thursday)
Time : 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Dr. Winnie Law and Mr. Gavin Coates
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU

Abstract

Games and illustrations are increasingly used to make learning fun. It is probably true that most students love games. Meanwhile, we need to ensure that the games and illustrations actually support meaningful learning of the subject rather than simply entertain students. In this seminar, Dr. Winnie Law and Mr. Gavin Coates will share with us how they design games and illustrations to engage students and also support their achievement of the intended learning outcomes. Welcome to join this seminar to discover a fun and meaningful learning experience.

About the Speaker

Dr. Winnie Law is Deputy Director and Principal Lecturer in the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at The University of Hong Kong. Dr Law teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate courses on sustainable development, community planning and environmental management at The University of Hong Kong. She also works with a team of researchers and conducts policy research, action research and knowledge exchange projects on rural revitalization, social innovation, community engagement and corporate sustainability. Dr Law has been a director of the Conservancy Association since 2005 and she currently sits on a number of Hong Kong SAR Government’s advisory committees including Advisory Council for the Environment, Environment and Conservation Fund Committee, Steering Committee for Restored Landfill Revitalisation Funding Scheme, Advisory Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries and Agricultural Products Scholarship Fund Advisory Committee. She was also engaged by the UNEP and EU as social monitoring expert and planning consultant for environmental management projects in Vietnam.


Seminar 5: The potential of Video Vox for enhancing learning

Details of the workshop:

Date : 11 October 2019 (Friday)
Time : 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Prof. Mike Botelho and Ms. Nicole Tavares
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU

Abstract

Video Vox is an innovative video player and learning management system that allows new interaction possibilities with video content, it also allows teachers to house course materials. In particular, it allows the opportunity for the insertion of questions or comments to be timestamped in the video where students or teachers can start an asynchronous dialogue in a discussion board type format. Multiple choice questions can also be embedded in or outside the video for interaction or assessing understanding.

Today we will have feedback from early adopters who have trialed the platform in their teaching.

Nicole Tavares will share with us how she has been experimenting with the use of Video Vox in undergraduate and postgraduate courses to engage students in: professional dialogues, collaborative learning and joint reflections of their own classroom teaching experiences. The impact of using Video Vox in providing formative feedback and in supporting students in a related assessment task will be discussed. Nicole will also be reflecting on how students’ voice guides her practice.

Kennedy Chan will share with us how Video Vox can be used as a formative assessment tool to elicit pre-service science teachers’ initial knowledge bases about teaching and learning and to track their changing knowledge bases through engaging them in progressive reflection on the same video clips.

Michael Botelho will show how he has used the platform for using authentic clinical teaching encounters highlighting expert-student dialogue to support students’ learning.

About the Speaker

Prof. Michael Botelho has been at the University of Hong Kong for over 20 years and has been actively involved in the design, development and implementation of a range of curriculum innovations and reforms in: PBL, e-learning, simulation training and competency assessments. He has published and presented on dental education in journals and at conferences locally and internationally and has conducted workshops on PBL, facilitator training, problem writing and standards descriptors for clinical skills performances. He is actively involved in the scholarship of teaching and learning and has been awarded a number of teaching development grants and a number of teaching and learning prizes including the Hong Kong UGC teaching award.

Miss Nicole Tavares is Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at HKU where she teaches a range of English Language Teaching methodology courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Her expertise lies in using educational technologies and social media in promoting teacher professional development, content and language integrated learning (CLIL) practices, 21st century skills learning, interactive assessment, feedback, mistake-management and collaborative learning – all with a prime focus on student-centredness, learner engagement, teacher-student communication and the student voice. Her 2013 co-authored article published in Computers & Education titled ‘From Moodle to Facebook: Exploring students’ motivation and experiences in online communities’ has achieved 245 citations to date. For her commitment to and innovations in teaching and learning, she was presented with multiple awards by her Faculty: Distinguished Teacher Award (2006), Knowledge Exchange (Team) Award (2010), Teacher Effectiveness Award for the highest average SETL ratings in undergraduate programmes (2011–2014) and Outstanding Teaching Award (2015). She was also an HKU Outstanding Teaching Award winner in 2015. Nicole is dedicated to enhancing students’ learning experiences, never ceases to try out new teaching ideas in class and is delighted to share her insights on how research informs practice.​

Dr. Kennedy Chan is an Assistant Professor in Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). His research area includes teacher professional knowledge and use of video in teacher education. He is an invited participant of the second Pedagogy Content Knowledge (PCK) summit in the Netherlands and an awardee of several teaching awards, including the University Early Career Teaching Award, Student-led Teaching Feedback award and a finalist of the 2019 University Grants Committee (UGC) Teaching Award (Early Career Faculty Members).


Seminar 6: Socialised learning

Details of the workshop:

Date : 18 October 2019 (Friday)
Time : 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Mr. Mathew Pryor and Ms. Hanyuning Lin
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou, Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU

Abstract

In this seminar, we will introduce a Socialised Learning (SL) pedagogical model which was generated from inductive content analysis of qualitative data collected from semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students from a flipped-design common core course. As the name implies, the model identifies key social elements in learning design that can facilitate meaningful interactivity and collaboration amongst students, namely: knowledge exchange and integration; co-regulation; socially shared-regulation; peer support; peer pressure; and critical reflection. By adjusting the emphasis of these, SL endeavours to enrich students learning experiences, achieve significant enhancement of engagement (emotional and behavioural) and strengthen learning outcomes (academic gains and general skills). Practical guidance will be offered to help course designers maximise the socialisation in both online and offline learning environments.

About the Speaker

Mr. Mathew Pryor is an Associate Professor (Teaching), Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) in the Faculty of Architecture HKU, and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK). He is engaged in long term pedagogical studies on the use of digital media in the teaching of architecture and the socialisation of online learning within blended learning courses. Mathew is a recipient of a Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (USA) Excellence in Teaching Award (2019), HKU Teaching Excellence Team Award (2018), Faculty of Architecture Outstanding Teaching Award (2017) and HKU Teaching Excellence Award (2012), and has published academic papers and spoken at many conferences and seminars on transdisciplinary and experiential learning, and student engagement.

Ms. Hanyuning Lin is currently a Research Assistant in the Faculty of Architecture, HKU. She achieved a Master degree in Information Technology in Education and an Honour Bachelor degree in Psychology. Her research interest is student socialisation, emotion, engagement, motivation and learning outcomes in the technology-supported collaborative learning environment.


HKU staff and invited guests only.

Contact Information
For information, please contact:
Mr. Thomas Lau , CETL
Phone: 3917 4807; Email: kanclau@hku.hk​

Registration

A Teacher’s Journey into Online Education: Taking the Leap, Reflecting in the Process, and Reaping the Rewards

Promoting and Enabling Technology-Enriched Learning: Challenges and StrategiesThis is an event organized by Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative (TELI).

Details of the event:

Date : 30 May, 2018 (Thursday)
Time : 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Venue : CPD-LG.59, Centennial Campus, The University of Hong Kong
Speaker : Ms Charlotte Chang, e-Teacher-in-Residence, The University of Hong Kong
Respondent : Professor Ricky Kwok, Associate Vice-President (Teaching and Learning), The University of Hong Kong

Registration

Abstract
To teachers who are used to the setting and dynamics of a classroom, getting started in online education might seem daunting. After all, creating online courses involves adapting and rewriting course content, reenacting lessons on camera, and reorganizing class structures to enable student interactions in a completely different context—or, in other words, nothing short of overhauling traditional modes of teaching in large part. All this effort, however, is not only manageable with the right support, but also immensely rewarding for any teacher—practically, pedagogically, and intellectually.

In this seminar, Charlotte Chang, TELI’s e-Teacher-in-Residence, will use her own journey into online education as a starting point to reflect on the obvious and not-so-obvious (often even counter-intuitive) opportunities that await teachers who undertake a similar endeavor.

In the first part of the talk, “Taking the Leap”, Charlotte will reflect on the intellectual impulses and practical considerations that led her to create an online course. What ultimately convinced her that this daunting task would be worthwhile?

In the second part, “Reflecting in the Process”, Charlotte will share insights on the many opportunities for professional and intellectual growth that she found, often unexpectedly, throughout the course creation process. In optimizing and refining content and pedagogy for the course, she was motivated to strive for nothing less than the “best of her teaching”. An online course, ultimately, should not just be a repackaging of existing courses in a virtual format; rather, it is an opportunity for the educator to enhance and enrich existing curricula, teaching materials, pedagogical approaches, and student engagement.

In the final part of the talk, “Reaping the Rewards”, Charlotte will elaborate on the benefits of online education that classroom teaching cannot offer. Apart from practical rewards like eliminating the time spent on repeating core content, online education offers many less obvious, perhaps even counter-intuitive benefits to teaching and learning, such as deepening interactions with students with a wide range of learning styles and abilities.

Charlotte’s reflections on her journey as an online teacher should resonate with fellow educators from diverse academic fields who wish to embark on their own explorations of online education and the immense opportunities that it promises.

About the Speaker
Charlotte Chang, TELI’s “e-Teacher-in-Residence” in 2018-19, founded the online English education platform Ms. Charlotte Academy in 2017. After a year of writing a curriculum, developing materials, and filming and editing lessons, Charlotte launched her online course “Core Concepts of English” in late 2018. In the course, which currently enrolls over 200 students, Charlotte uses an analytical framework based in linguistics concepts to teach Hong Kong adults the unchanging rules of English syntax, introducing students to a systematic, structure-based approach to understanding how English works and how it differs from Cantonese/Chinese.

Charlotte’s core belief as a language teacher is that every student with basic analytical skills can gain a “big picture” perspective of how any language works, even if it is as different to their native language as English is to Chinese. Online education, which enables students to absorb and internalize new knowledge at their own pace, is a fitting format that facilitates this type of analytical teaching and learning.

Prior to her career in online education, Charlotte graduated from Harvard University in 2012 and worked as a secondary school teacher from 2012 to 2014. From 2014 to 2017, she experimented with and refined her linguistics-based approach to teaching English before finally writing her own curriculum. Her transformation from “traditional” to “online” teacher gave her much insight into the many benefits that technology can offer education, both in facilitating teaching and enhancing learning.

Registration

Enquiries should be directed to enquiry@teli.hku.hk.

TELI X KEEP: Effective Practices for Student Engagement

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Be flexible, be innovative, and you will discover numerous ways to engage students with technology. HKU TELI and the Knowledge & Education Exchange Platform (KEEP) of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) jointly organized a seminar to share examples of effective teaching strategies, namely flipped classroom, mobile apps, visualization tools and gamification.

KEEP: Flexibility and Visualization

Mr. Eddy Yet, Project Coordinator of KEEP, presents on CUHK’s innovative practices in online teaching.

Mr. Eddy Yet, KEEP’s Project Coordinator, advises teachers to be flexible in teaching and visualizing students’ responses for effective knowledge exchange:

  1. Flexibility: To maximize the potential of flipped classroom, course teachers can adopt various e-learning tools to cater to students of different levels. For example, the instructor of a General Education Course, In Dialogue with Nature, presented the course content in the form of (i) Core Videos (which all students need to watch) and (ii) optional Online Supplementary Materials (for high achievers and those who are interested in further exploring the topic). This method of differentiated instruction allows flexibility in learning. The course team also developed a “Reading Companion” mobile app, which helps students evaluate their own learning from time to time with knowledge checks and a mini-dictionary.
  2. KEEP“Reading Companion” mobile app of a CUHK General Education course (In Dialogue with Nature). [Image credit to KEEP]

  3. Visualization: Often, a popular discussion thread in an online course contains over a thousand elaborated written responses. These responses are not effective if students do not read all of them. One solution is to introduce visualization tools, such as Sharing Board, where students illustrate their ideas with mind maps instead of words, or present data in word clouds. The KEEP team has witnessed successful examples of visualizing the course content and believes that this is an effective way to “summarize the learning content, and make good use of students’ input”.

TELI: Gamifying In-class Activities

Professor Ricky Kwok, Associate Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) of HKU, introduces the course design of his Common Core course (Everyday Computing and the Internet).

Professor Ricky Kwok, Associate Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) of HKU, strives to spend quality time with students during class. Hence, he worked with TELI and designed a board game as an in-class activity of his Common Core course, Everyday Computing and the Internet.

boardProfessor Ricky Kwok (Middle) guides students to play the board game in his class.

The board game’s design is similar to that of poker, but is integrated with the course’s core concepts. To win the game, students need to first develop a good understanding of the course content by watching online explainer videos produced by the course team. The wish to win motivates students to actively participate in the board game, and therefore take greater ownership of their learning.

Having moved the lectures online, Professor Kwok can give more quality time to each student in class to support his/her learning. He jokes that when students are competing in the board game, he becomes a “server”, walking around the classroom and answering students’ questions about the game as well as the course content by asking them, “How can I help you, Sir?” Professor Kwok found that students, in such a way, are more vocal in asking questions, increasing his interaction with students.

At the end of the seminar, Professor Kwok summarizes three success criteria for gamification in education:

  1. Is the game interesting and goal-orientated?
  2. Does the game have a good pace? Do players have to spend much time to make one move?
  3. Is the game connected to the course content?

It is always possible for educators, not just from HKU, but also from the other institutions, to digitalize, visualize, or even gamify their course content. Interested in bringing these ideas into your classroom? Don’t hesitate to contact us!

Watch the full recording of 2019 TELI X KEEP Seminar:

Further Reading

  1. Learning through gamification
  2. Not just for fun: Gamify your class
  3. KEEPing up with learning through gamification

Feedback Workshop Series – Students Feedback Matters

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Organised by Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL)

Details of the workshop:

Date : 21 March, 2019 (Thursday)
Time : 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Venue : Room 321, 3/F, Run Run Shaw Building (Main Campus), HKU
Speaker : Dr. Cecilia Ka Yuk Chan, Head of Professional Development and Associate Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL)

Abstract

Students’ perspectives on Feedback.


About the Speaker

Kwan Yuen-Ying, Connie
Connie Kwan is a student on the BEd/BSc double degree and a member of the editorial team for the International Journal for Students as Partners.

Kwok Kai-Yin, Jonathan
Jonathan Kwok is a student on the BEd/BSc double degree and is researching feedback practices in the Faculty of Engineering.

Tanya Kempston
Tanya Kempston is a lecturer in the Faculty of Education and a winner of a University Outstanding Teaching Award in 2018.

David Carless
David Carless specializes in feedback research and practice, and was a winner of a University Outstanding Teaching Award in 2016.

Registration

For information, please contact:
Mr. Thomas Lau , CETL
Phone: 3917 4807; Email: kanclau@hku.hk​