Join-the-Conversation: Teaching visual literacy in Communication-intensive Courses: A focus on film and drama

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

Details of the workshop:

Date : 26 March 2019 (Tuesday)
Time : 12:45pm – 2:00pm
Venue : CPD 2.75, Chi Wah Learning Commons, Centennial Campus
Speaker : Prof. Gina Marchetti, Ms. Tanya Kempston, Mr. Nikolas Ettel
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou (CETL), Dr. Michelle Raquel (CAES), and Mr. Simon Boynton (CAES)
Organiser : Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, Centre for Applied English Studies, and the Common Core

Abstract

At HKU, we are committed to recognising and developing a number of Communication-intensive (CI) courses that explicitly develop students’ communication knowledge, skills, and attributes. Through the process of working with interested colleagues across HKU, we have found that film and drama can be used as powerful learning tools to create opportunities for students across various disciplines to acquire communication literacies in interactive and analytical settings. To many students, film and drama are fun, motivating, and engaging. In this join-the-conversation event, we are pleased to welcome three course leaders to share with us how their courses develop students’ communication literacies through film and drama. More information about the CI courses can be found here:
https://cics.hku.hk/

About the Speaker

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.

Tanya Kempston a lecturer in Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong, where she teaches in the areas of second language learning in secondary settings, using drama and literary texts in a variety of educational contexts. Before coming to HKU, she was a Curriculum Development Officer in the Hong Kong Education and Manpower NET Section. She is a keen advocate of the use of drama as a medium for enhancing students’ creative, collaborative and communicative skills and abilities, having experienced at first hand the enjoyment and satisfaction students gain from making and appreciating drama on her Common Core course. As part of this course, students work in groups to create their own performance pieces for a real audience of secondary school students, making effective communication essential in the devising and performance stages! Tanya is one of the winners of the HKU Outstanding Teaching Award 2018.

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.

Registration

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

Internationalizing the Humanities Classroom: A Case Study at HKU and Manchester

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

Details of the workshop:

Date : 20 March, 2019 (Wednesday)
Time : 12:00nn – 1:00pm
Venue : Room 321, 3/F, Run Run Shaw Building (Main Campus), HKU
Speaker : Dr. Jessica R. Valdez, Assistant Professor, School of English, HKU
Facilitator : Dr. Luke Fryer, Associate Professor, CETL, HKU

Abstract
Many humanities scholars are discussing methods to internationalize, globalize, and decolonize the classroom. This TEF explored ways to link up classrooms at the University of Hong Kong and the University of Manchester in ways that would encourage international collaboration and decolonize the Victorian literature curriculum. This talk will present our plans to interlink the course, “Global Victorians,” at both HKU and UoM in Spring 2020. Students will work together to analyze nineteenth-century objects at museums in their respective cities, and they will also work on collaborative online annotations of poetry using technology made possible by COVE, The Central Online Victorian Educator, a scholar-driven open-access platform for peer-reviewed Victorian material related to teaching. As part of this collaboration, Dr. Clara Dawson, lecturer at the University of Manchester, visited the School of English in Fall 2018 to collaborate with Dr. Jessica R. Valdez and other staff members.

About the Speaker
Jessica R. Valdez is an assistant professor of English at the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include nineteenth-century British literature and culture, the novel, and literary theory. Her current book project is tentatively titled, Plotting the News: Nation and Newspaper in the Victorian Novel, and she is also working on an article on late-Victorian serialized dystopian novels for a special issue of Journal of Modern Periodical Studies. Her writing has appeared in Studies in the Novel and Victorian Periodicals Review. She received her Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University.

Registration

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

TEFSS – Embedding research knowledge and skills in the undergraduate curriculum – Insights from visiting the University of Essex

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

Details of the workshop:

Date : 6 March, 2019 (Wednesday)
Time : 12:00nn – 1:00pm
Venue : Room 321, 3/F, Run Run Shaw Building (Main Campus), HKU
Speaker : Prof. Maggy Lee, Professor, Department of Sociology, HKU
Facilitator : Dr. Luke Fryer, Associate Professor, CETL, HKU

Abstract
Many world-leading universities have developed innovative strategies to promote excellence in both education and research and to embed research knowledge and the pursuit of a research mindset and skills in the curriculum. The speaker spent over a month as a Teaching Exchange Fellow at the University of Essex, one of the dual intensive universities in the UK which has also won the University of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards 2018. Drawing on her discussions with staff, community partners and students especially in social sciences and in-class observations, the speaker will share her experience and insights gained from the Fellowship. How does the research-based education strategy work at Essex? Does it work? The speaker will draw on two specific examples for illustration – ‘Essex Challenge’ which encouraged students and local community partners to tackle some of the pressing socio-economic issues in the city, and the THINK seminar series which won the Guardian University Award for Student Experience.

About the Speaker
Professor Maggy Lee teaches sociology and criminology and has played a leading role in the review and development of UG and TPG curriculum and experiential learning in the Department of Sociology at The University of Hong Kong. She has served as the Coordinator of the Bachelor of Criminal Justice degree programme and the Convenor of the Teaching and Curriculum Committee in the department, and as an Internal Panel Member on a number of degree programmes at HKU and an External Panel Member for the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications and the HK Research Grants Council. One of her current community-based research and public education projects looks at the experiences of ethnic minorities in Hong Kong through music-making and walking tours.

Registration

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

Feedback Workshop Series – Your Feedback Matters

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

Abstract

Feedback is one of the biggest challenges in teaching and learning that currently many universities are facing around the world. In order to get more familiar with this global challenge, CETL is conducting a series of workshops from the 13th Feb. We are very honored to have Prof. David Carless from the Faculty of Education, a renowned expert in this area to share with us his insights on feedback and feedforward. In addition, our first group of Teaching Feedback Award (TFA) winners will be sharing with us their excellent practices in feedback.

Registration

Workshop 1: Do we know what feedback is?

Date : 13 February (Wednesday) 2019
Time : 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Dr. Cecilia Ka Yuk Chan, Head of Professional Development and Associate Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL)

In this workshop, Dr. Chan will generate conversation on feedback, go in depth with the participants the ideas, challenges and controversies of what feedback can do.

About the Speaker
Dr. Cecilia Chan is the Head of Professional Development and Associate Professor in the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning at the University of Hong Kong. She has conducted research on topics such as the development and assessment of generic competencies, assessment, feedback and engineering, science and business education. Cecilia holds a PhD in Engineering from Trinity College, a postgraduate diploma and a MA in Higher Education. She also held a Fellowship from King’s College London. Dr. Chan has involved in over 40 research projects worldwide and was awarded the HKU Outstanding Researcher Award in 2014. She is the Chair for the Engineering Education Community in Hong Kong and will be the Founding President for the ASIA Society Engineering Education (ASIASee). Dr. Chan is a seasonal keynote and invited speakers for many conferences internationally, she has also chaired a number of international conferences. More information can be found in the Teaching and Learning Enhancement and Research Group (TLERG) website: http://tlerg.cetl.hku.hk/

Workshop 2: Teaching Feedback Award (TFA) Winners – Sharing Excellent Feedback Practices

Date : 19 February (Tuesday) 2019
Time : 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Ms. Alice Lee, Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Academic Affairs), Faculty of Law
Dr Kam Pui Wat, FSA, CERA, FRM, Lecturer, Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science

About the Speaker
Alice Lee
Alice Lee is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Academic Affairs) of the Faculty of Law, a member of the University Teaching and Learning Quality Committee and other teaching-related committees, and chairman of the HKU Teaching Exchange Fellowship Sub-group as well as the Law Faculty Outstanding Teaching Award panel. She specializes in real property and intellectual property (“IP”) education, and co-launched the IP Ambassador Programme with the HKSAR Intellectual Property Department for students to connect with the industry and reach out to the public. She has received two University-level teaching awards and a student-led Teaching Feedback Award, and has been practising and promoting the core values of the UK Higher Education Academy (“HEA”) since she became an HEA Senior Fellow in 2017.

Dr Kam Pui Wat
Dr Wat received his BSc(ActuarSc) and PhD in Actuarial Science from The University of Hong Kong. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst and a certified Financial Risk Manager. He teaches courses mainly targeting Risk Management and Statistics students from the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, aspiring to demonstrate to students the rigor and usefulness of quantitative analysis from theory to practice.

In an attempt to enhance academic progress and performance of students by providing valuable feedback, Dr. Wat tried to reach out to each student individually where possible, or students in small group meetings. Interaction and views exchange would be more feasible on these occasions and students generally feel more comfortable in raising their concerns in such an environment. In this way, effective response and helpful feedback can be given to individuals in order to address their specific needs.

Workshop 3: Teaching Feedback Award (TFA) Winners – Sharing Excellent Feedback Practices

Date : 26 February (Tuesday) 2019
Time : 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Professor Ian Thynne, Department of Politics and Public Administration
Dr. Cecilia Ka Yuk Chan, Head of Professional Development and Associate Professor, CETL

About the Speaker
Professor Ian Thynne
Visiting Professor; Adjunct Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University; Honorary Associate Fellow, Centre for Civil Society and Governance, University of Hong Kong.
Taught and researched public governance, policy, administration and management in New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Co-editor of the Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration and Public Administration and Development.

Dr. Cecilia Chan
Dr. Cecilia Chan is the Head of Professional Development and Associate Professor in the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning at the University of Hong Kong. She has conducted research on topics such as the development and assessment of generic competencies, assessment, feedback and engineering, science and business education. Cecilia holds a PhD in Engineering from Trinity College, a postgraduate diploma and a MA in Higher Education. She also held a Fellowship from King’s College London. Dr. Chan has involved in over 40 research projects worldwide and was awarded the HKU Outstanding Researcher Award in 2014. She is the Chair for the Engineering Education Community in Hong Kong and will be the Founding President for the ASIA Society Engineering Education (ASIASee). Dr. Chan is a seasonal keynote and invited speakers for many conferences internationally, she has also chaired a number of international conferences. More information can be found in the Teaching and Learning Enhancement and Research Group (TLERG) website: http://tlerg.cetl.hku.hk/

Workshop 4: Teaching Feedback Award (TFA) Winners – Sharing Excellent Feedback Practices

Date : 5 March (Tuesday) 2019
Time : 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Dr. Olivia Leung, Assistant Dean (Undergraduate), Faculty of Business and Economics
Dr. Prasanna Neelakantan, Clinical Assistant Professor of Endodontology, Faculty of Dentistry

About the Speaker
Dr. Prasanna Neelakantan
Dr. Prasanna Neelakantan is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Endodontology at the Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong. He also serves as the Assistant Dean for Research and Innovation in the Faculty. He graduated from India and also completed his specialty training in conservative dentistry and endodontics from India. He went on to complete a doctorate from ACTA, University of Amsterdam. With more than 90 scientific publications in high impact peer reviewed journals, Dr. Prasanna’s h-index now stands at 21. His papers have been cited about 1500 times. He has delivered more than 50 international invited/keynote lectures and mentors research groups in several parts of the world. He has also won highly reputed research awards from the International Association for Dental Research. He is very passionate about teaching and creating optimal learning environments for students to engage in active learning. With a very strong belief of “Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”, he is committed to mentoring his students for lifelong learning and self-development. He has won teaching excellence awards in India as well as in Hong Kong, where he was one of the first recipients of the Teaching Feedback Award in 2018.

Workshop 5: The Feedback Expert

Date : 12 March (Tuesday) 2019
Time : 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Prof. David Carless, Faculty of Education

About the Speaker
Professor David Carless
Professor David Carless from the Faculty of Education is a specialist in feedback research and practice in higher education. His signature publication is the book Excellence in University Assessment: Learning from Award-winning Practice (2015, Routledge). His next book comes out in July 2019: Winstone, N. & Carless, D. (in press). Designing for student uptake of feedback in higher education (Routledge). His current research focuses on teacher and student feedback literacy to enhance the impact of feedback processes. He is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He was the winner of a University Outstanding Teaching Award in 2016. Further details of his work are on his website: https://davidcarless.edu.hku.hk/

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

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

TELI X KEEP: Enhancing Engagement in Teaching and Learning with Technology

TELI X KEEP: Enhancing Engagement in Teaching and Learning with Technology(This event is jointly organized by Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative, HKU and Knowledge and Education Exchange Platform, CUHK.)

Details of the event:

Date : 30 January, 2019 (Wednesday)
Time : 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Venue : CPD-LG.34, Centennial Campus, The University of Hong Kong
Speakers :

  • Mr Eddy Yet, Project Coordinator, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
  • Professor Ricky Kwok, Associate Vice-President (Teaching and Learning), The University of Hong Kong

Abstract

New technologies have been changing the way we teach and learn. While we are presented with numerous innovative pedagogies and tools, there are common practices that can be adopted to enhance engagement and teaching effectiveness. In the first part of this seminar, the Knowledge and Education Exchange Platform (KEEP) will present local examples of flipped classroom, online supplementary modules and content visualization in higher education, and discuss why more teachers are adopting these practices.

The second part of the seminar will focus on HKU’s gamified flipped classroom practices. The University’s Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative (TELI) has been trying to bring students a new dimension of immersive learning. In this presentation, Professor Ricky Kwok will introduce good practices in gamification in the classroom, and present TELI’s work in this area to-date. The talk will address the challenges and strategies of balancing entertainment and education, driving competition in game-based learning to inspire achievement of learning outcomes, and creating a gaming space that brings learners closer.

About the Speakers

Mr. Eddy Yet, Project Coordinator
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Working with teachers, instructional designers and developers among local universities, Mr. Eddy Yet, the Project Coordinator, participates in the development of the Knowledge and Education Exchange Platform (KEEP) to build a one-stop educational platform that facilitates teaching and learning.

Professor Ricky Kwok, Associate Vice-President (Teaching and Learning)
The University of Hong Kong
Professor Ricky Kwok assists the Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) in HKU’s endeavors related to e-learning (e.g., MOOCs, SPOCs, blended learning, research, EdTech etc.). He leads the Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative (TELI) team, which consists of e-learning technologists, instructional designers, researchers in learning analytics, specialists in system development, and multimedia talents in developing e-learning solutions in HKU.

Registration

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

HKU hosts Yidan Prize Conference Series: Asia-Pacific

Two professors from American universities, Larry Hedges from Northwestern University (NWU) and Anant Agarwal from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) won the 2018 First Yidan Prize.

The Yidan Prize Conference Series: Asia-Pacific was held at HKU on 11 Dec to honour the two Yidan Prize laureates. This is the first time the Department of Education at HKU partners with the Yidan foundation to host the Yidan Prize Conference. HKU TELI livestreamed the event for hundreds of viewers to watch this real-time.

HKU hosts Yidan Prize Conference Series: Asia-Pacific – (From left to right) Professor Xiang Zhang (President and Vice Chancellor of HKU), Professor Anant Agarwal (Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate 2018), Dr. Charles Chen (Founder of the Yidan Prize Foundation), Professor Larry Hedges (Yidan Prize for Education Research Laureate 2018), Professor Lin Goodwin (Dean of Education at HKU)

The Yidan Prize is one of the world’s leading educational award, and some compare it to a Nobel Prize in Education. The Yidan prize was founded in 2016 by Dr. Charles Chen, the co-founder of Tencent. Every year, the prize is awarded to two individuals or organizations in recognition of their distinguished contributions to education research and education development and in particular, their forward-looking innovations that create profound impact on education for a better future.

Professor Xiang Zhang, President and Vice Chancellor of HKU addressed the mission of the Yidan Prize is to create a better world through education, “there are many pressing issues that we will be facing in the 21st century, what the world needs is a big idea, what the world needs more is a bright mind that creates many big ideas.” Professor Zhang said, we at HKU share with the Yidan Prize foundation in creation of a better world with education.

Professor Xiang Zhang (President and Vice Chancellor of HKU) addressed the mission of the Yidan Prize.

Make Education More Scientific

Professor Larry Hedges (Yidan Prize for Education Research Laureate 2018) said at the beginning of his keynote speech that, “I was particularly happy to receive the Yidan Prize as I am a living example of the consequences of education, that the power of education has that changed lives,” he said, “the award shines a bright light on the life’s work that I have chosen, in trying to develop a more scientific basis for education policy making and educational practice and trying to develop a field of evidence-based education research.”

Professor Hedges said, “We know practically any students can learn practically anything that the best students do, we just don’t know how to make this a reality for all students.”

Professor Larry Hedges (Yidan Prize for Education Research Laureate 2018) talked about the importance of scientific evidence in education practice and policy making.

Professor Hedges explained that, “what was done in education in the past was fundamentally based on educators’ experience of what worked and one applied those experience on places where we have no experience with. This is compared to a ‘craftman’s endeavor’ based on experience and apprenticeship, and decision-making in education based on tradition, or politics, or individual experience.”

He said, “in a society of rapid changes today, the craftmen’s experience adapts too slowly to be of use to what our society needs and that the future of education is to rely on evidence that proves what works.”

“To understand education, we have to pay attention to the system and all its interlocking features and we have to apply the best available scientific methods.” He suggested education and the future system will be enhanced by a culture of scientific research evidence in education embraced by policy makers, teachers, investigators and administrators.

Technology Transforms Education

The Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate 2018, Anant Agarwal, Professor at MIT and the Founder and CEO of edX, said in his keynote speech that, “few would argue about the statement: Education is a human right and all should have access to it.” And true to his statement, he founded edX, an online platform that provided free learning and is serving 19+ million learners around the world today.

edX partners with the world’s 140 leading institution partners, among many others, the University of Hong Kong, in offering 2400+ higher education courses to global learners. Apart from the edX platform, edX also offers an open-source platform Open edX and HK MOOCs to thousands of education institutions in the world. Professor Agarwal has an ambitious goal of reaching 1 billion learners in the future.

Professor Anant Agarwal (Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate 2018) mentioned edX partners with the world’s 140 leading institution partners, including HKU to provide global online courses.

Witnessing how education of this sort has transformed the lives of students living in developed and developing countries, remote villages and in refugee programs, Professor Agarwal who continuously strived to make education more democratized and more accessible said, “he would like to dream a little bit to what education could look like in the future through technology.”

He said, “only we start talking about innovation as part of the whole process, that learners need to be lifelong learners as technology transform our work, and people need to learn throughout life, we are creating new credentials along with university partners so learners can benefit from them without necessarily having to come to university.”

Professor Agarwal also highlighted some distinguished programs that made use of innovation and technology to provide continuous learning and professional development, among others, HKU’s FinTech Professional Certificate Program. He gave a shoutout that, “In fact, HKU has an amazing professional certificate program on edX in FinTech, it’s a Blockbuster!”

Watch the short clip of the speech:
Week 1 Teaser

What does Professor Agarwal think the future of education will look like? He showed the audience five ‘Reimagine Education Goals for 2022’ and challenged all partnering institutions to achieve those goals with edX.

The five ‘Reimagine Education Goals for 2022’ that Professor Agarwal presented at his keynote speech.

Watch the 2018 Yidan Prize Conference livestream (full version):
Week 1 Teaser

Rethinking Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate Capstone Projects and Dissertations

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

Details of the workshop:

Date : 17 December 2018 (Monday)
Time : 12:30pm – 2:30pm
Venue : RR321, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus
Speaker : Prof. Mick Healey, Emeritus Professor, University of Gloucestershire

Light refreshments will be provided.

Staff and invited guests only.

Abstract

Capstone projects and dissertations are a topic of interest in many countries. For many students, it provides a transformative experience, yet for others the experience is less inspiring and sometimes quite negative. The traditional project has come under pressure for reform as student participation in higher education has increased, there has been a growth in professional disciplines, and staff-student ratios have deteriorated. This interactive presentation will explore ways in which we can rethink capstone projects and dissertations, while at the same time retaining a significant element of research and inquiry and deliver key graduate attributes. Our argument is that a more flexible approach is needed in the form, function and assessment of capstone projects and dissertations to meet the needs of all students. These may include group, work-oriented and community-based projects. There can also be novel ways of disseminating the findings – via exhibitions, research conferences and other forms of public engagement. The argument will be illustrated with examples of undergraduate and postgraduate capstone projects and dissertations from a wide range of disciplines and countries.

About the Speaker

Prof. Mick Healey
Prof. Mick Healey is an HE Consultant and Researcher and Emeritus Professor at the University of Gloucestershire, UK. Until 2010 he was Director of the Centre for Active Learning, a nationally funded Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. He is currently The Humboldt Distinguished Scholar in Research-Based Learning at McMaster University, Canada. He has previously held visiting professorships at several universities, including Macquarie, Queensland and UCL. He was one of the first people in the UK to be awarded a National Teaching Fellowship and to be made a Principal Fellow of the HE Academy. He received a SEDA@20 Legacy Award for Disciplinary Development in 2013 and in 2015 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Mick is an experienced presenter. Since 1995 he has given over 500 educational presentations in 25 different countries. He has written and edited over 200 papers, chapters, books and guides on various aspects of teaching and learning in HE, and has over 5,500 citations. He was co-editor of the International Journal for Academic Development (2010-13) and is currently Inaugural Senior Editor International Journal for Students as Partners. He is often asked to act as an advisor to projects, universities and governments on aspects of teaching and learning, including the Canadian Federal Government and the League of European Research Universities. Mick has previously given workshops and keynotes at HKU, HKUST and EdUHK. More information can be found here: https://www.mickhealey.co.uk/

Note
The workshop is open to the registrants of the Co-Constructing Excellence Conference (https://www.cetl.hku.hk/conf2018/) and staff members in the University of Hong Kong on a first-come, first-served basis. For HKU staff members, it is free of charge. The quota is 48.

Registration

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

Join-the-Conversation: Communication-intensive Courses in the Making: Insights from Pioneers at HKU

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

Details of the workshop:

Date : 4 December 2018 (Tuesday)
Time : 12:45pm – 2:00pm
Venue : CPD 2.75, Centennial Campus, HKU
Speaker : Mr. David Lee (Faculty of Business and Economics), Dr. Evan Pickett (Faculty of Science), and Dr. Angela Yuen (Faculty of Science)
Facilitator : Dr. Tracy Zou (CETL), Dr. Michelle Raquel (CAES), and Mr. Simon Boynton (CAES)
Organiser : Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, Centre for Applied English Studies, and the Common Core

Staff and invited guests only.

Abstract

The ability to communicate effectively has become increasingly important to our graduates in the knowledge economy. At HKU, we are committed to recognize and develop a number of Communication-intensive (CI) courses that explicitly develop students’ communication-related knowledge (understanding of communication as it relates to human interaction), skills (skills in communicating effectively with others, using language and/or other means) and attributes (the attributes of effective communicators). A number of course leaders have already started the journey towards attaining the CI certification. In this join-the-conversation event, we are pleased to have three course leaders to share with us how their courses develop students’ communication literacies (for example, oral, written, visual, and digital) as well as the experiences and insights associated with CI badging.

About the Speaker

David S. Lee is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Business and Economics where he teaches broadly in the areas of ethics, law, governance, and topics related to fintech, including co-teaching a new MOOC titled Fintech Ethics and Risks. Prior to joining HKU, David worked in investment management and also has experience in investment banks and as a lawyer. David regularly participates in teaching improvement initiatives and has received a number of teaching awards and a teaching development grant. He is especially focused on improving active learning in the classroom through the use and development of case studies, the creation of flipped classroom materials, and incorporating technology to foster discussion and participation. David is heavily involved in student career development and also remains actively engaged with industry. His undergraduate business ethics course will be the first course in the Faculty of Business and Economics to be badged a Communication-intensive Course.

Evan Pickett is a Lecturer within the Faculty of Science at the University of Hong Kong. He studied wildlife demography on frogs for his PhD in Australia (University of Newcastle), and applied this this to birds in Hong Kong as a postdoc. He then shifted to a teaching role within the Faculty of Science, where he teaches ecology, statistics and mathematics. Evan co-created the Common Core course ‘War, Peace and the Natural World’ in 2016, which uses history to teach basic concepts of conservation biology. As a major component of conservation is education of the public, this course requires students to explain historical and conservation concepts to a lay-audience through short, educational videos.

Angela Yuen is a Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, HKU. She completed her PhD degree in Chemistry at HKU on nanomaterials and optoelectronics materials. Before returning to her alma mater, Angela was working as a research officer in the Department of Health and teaching at the Open University of Hong Kong. Angela is dedicated to promoting science literacy. She has a firm belief that science knowledge cannot be taught merely through lecturing and that science teaching should not be confined to the classroom. She has received two teaching development grants and a teaching innovation grant in the area of chemistry education. With the aim of engaging science and non-science major students in their learning, Angela has created a common core course entitled The Science and Lore of Culinary Culture, aiming to illustrate the scientific principles behind daily culinary experiences. From her teaching experience, she has observed that science students tend to overuse technical jargon when they communicate. Through working toward badging this course as communication-intensive, she is creating the opportunities for students to communicate science concepts in a clear and lucid manner to different audiences including the general public.

More information about CI courses can be found here: https://cics.hku.hk/what-are-ci-badged-courses/.

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

Registration

Introducing HKU’s New FinTech Interdisciplinary MOOCs

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On HKU FinTech Day, Professor Douglas Arner from HKU Law Faculty announced the milestone of the Introduction to FinTech course and the HKU FinTech Professional Certificate comprising three interdisciplinary courses from three different faculties at HKU.

The first course, Introduction to FinTech was launched by the Faculty of Law in May 2018, and the upcoming two courses FinTech Ethics and Risks and Blockchain and FinTech are currently under development by the Faculty of Business and Economics and the Faculty of Engineering, respectively.

Introduction to FinTech MOOC Milestone
Professor Arner said it has been an exciting year for Introduction to FinTech MOOC. Today, the course has over 32,000 enrolled learners from 198 countries, which means there are learners from literally every country in the world. The course has a far and wide reach to learners, bridging the gaps in fundamental knowledge of FinTech for practitioners in financial services, legal and technology industries, students, and interested learners across various disciplines.
We anticipate that the two new MOOCs will continue to bring exciting news when released in 2019.

The short video of Professor Arner’s talk

Meet the Instructors of the Two New FinTech MOOCs
fintechProfessor Arner tells the audience about the upcoming new MOOCs

Professor Douglas Arner introduced the two new MOOCs, FinTech Ethics and Risks and Blockchain and FinTech, and the chief course instructors of the two courses, Dr David Bishop and Dr David Lee from the Faculty of Business and Economics, and Dr SM Yiu from the Department of Computer Science of Faculty of Engineering, respectively.

FinTech Ethics and Risks MOOC
Dr David Bishop and Dr David Lee presented the official course trailer of the FinTech Ethics and Risks course and talked about the ideas behind putting together the world’s first course in FinTech ethics.


The Chief Instructors of FinTech Ethics and Risks MOOC, Dr David Bishop and Dr David Lee from the Faculty of Business and Economics.

Click here to view the official course trailer

David Bishop mentioned that some people perceive this MOOC as neither “Fin” nor “Tech” and stressed that “the way the course is going to be is to focus on the WHY; we have experts in the technology side and the legal side who will focus on the HOW, and explain the process, the nature and implementation of the FinTech technologies.”

David Bishop said that he and David Lee approached the course not from the standpoint of experts: “This course for us is as much an intellectual journey as it is for those who have come along this ride with us. We will correspond with and put ourselves in the room with the experts and try to ask them really hard questions.”

He supplemented that as far as he knew, “there isn’t a website or a course in the world that focuses on FinTech ethics. In this course, we will ask the tough questions to ensure that they have a proper sense of morality, ethics, legislation and enforcement in place, so that we are able to unleash those tools in the most efficient and effective way possible while simultaneously reaching the goals that we have.”

“The objective of the course is not to bring us to a specific set of knowledge but instead to carry a simultaneous journey together. Learners join us as we consider these tough questions that help shape our collective future,” said David Bishop.

The short video of Dr David Bishop’s talk about the new MOOC.

Blockchain and FinTech MOOC

Currently, Dr SM Yiu from the Department of Computer Science of the Faculty of Engineering is also driving efforts for putting together HKU’s first Blockchain and FinTech MOOC.

Dr SM Yiu gave the audience 9 questions to decide whether they should join HKU’s upcoming Blockchain and FinTech MOOC, which will be released later in 2019.
Let’s try these 9 questions now and see whether the MOOC is for you too!

Dr SM Yiu gave 9 questions to the audience to test their knowledge on blockchain

  • Q1: Blockchain = bitcoin (or cyber currencies)
  • Q2: A cyber currency exchange is necessary for blockchain to work correctly
  • Q3: What is the role of each cryptographic operation (e.g. hash)?
  • Q4: Why we want to chain the transactions together?
  • Q5: Who are miners and why we need miners?
  • Q6: Blockchain is very secure and can 100% protect your privacy?
  • Q7: Given an application, judge if it is best-fit for blockchain?
  • Q8: Do you know how bitcoin is used by criminals (the “evil” side)?
  • Q9: The differences between different blockchain platforms?

If you do not know the answers to any of the questions, you will find the answers in the 6 modules of the Blockchain and FinTech MOOC. You will also learn about blockchain design and architecture, industrial applications, as well as the new opportunities, security issues, and illegal activities.

Module 1: Blockchain Technology: Why, What and How
– Why we need blockchain and design issues: security, privacy, integrity

Module 2: Technological & Cryptographic Elements in Blockchain
– Introduce the technical components (suitable for layman)

Module 3: Blockchain Platforms
– The pros and cons of these platforms

Module 4: Blockchain Applications
– Characteristics of best-fit applications in the real case studies

Module 5: Limitations of Blockchain
– Uncover the limitations of blockchain

Module 6: The “Evil” Sides of Blockchain
– Examples of how criminals use blockchain in illegal activities

The short video of Dr SM Yiu’s introduction of the new MOOC

Embedding Research-Based Education at UCL

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

Details of the workshop:

Date : 28 Nov 2018 (Monday)
Time : 12:45pm – 2:00pm
Venue : Room 321, 3/F, Run Run Shaw Building (Main Campus), HKU
Presenter : Prof. Anthony Smith, UCL Vice-Provost | Education and Student Affairs
Facilitator : Dr. Cecilia Chan, Head of Professional Development, Associate Professor, HKU

Abstract
Through its 20-year strategy, UCL2034, UCL has made a strategic commitment to bring its students closer to its world-leading research to increase the intellectual stretch and challenge of their studies and to prepare them better for employment and the next step in their careers. As part of this strategy, we have committed to our students that they will be full partners in the future of UCL and we have committed to staff that we will have a system of reward and recognition that properly reflects their contribution to education leadership. The concept of the Connected Curriculum will be described which is re-framing faculty discussions about embedding research-based education. The UCL Changemakers programme of student-led research projects will also be described and how these contributed to UCL’s submission to the government’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) introduced in 2017. Finally, UCL’s new Academic Careers Framework will be presented.

About the Speaker
Anthony Smith was appointed Vice Provost (Education and Student Affairs) at University College London (UCL) in 2012 where he takes the strategic lead for all matters related to education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He is also Vice Provost responsible for UCL’s School of Laws, Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (4 faculties, 20 departments, 1100 staff, 9000 students and £170 million turnover). He is also responsible for Student and Registry Services, UCL Careers and UCL Culture.

Prior to his appointment at UCL he was Principal and Dean of the School of Pharmacy, University of London for six years from 2006. The School of Pharmacy merged with UCL in January 2012. He graduated in pharmacy with first class honours from the University of Bath in 1983 and continued at Bath studying for his PhD on photoenzymatic repair of DNA damage in Escherichia coli. He developed his research interests in human –pathogen interactions on his move to Aston University in 1987 and continued on his return to the University of Bath in 1993.

At UCL, he is leading on re-framing the role of education within a research-institution through curricular reform, engaging students as partners and reforming recognition and reward for staff.

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/teaching-learning/education-strategy
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/teaching-learning/education-initiatives/connected-curriculum
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/changemakers
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/docs/proms/UCL-Academic-Careers-Framework171017.pdf

He is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
He is Chair of Trustees at Pharmacy Research-UK and a Governor of the Capital City Colleges Group.

Registration

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