The fourth in a series of roundtables on Experiential Learning was held on November 25, 2010. Similar to the previous three roundtables, teachers from a number of Faculties shared their experiences and exchanged their ideas during the session. Three short presentations were made by the following staff members on the assessment of Experiential Learning. More details about these presentations will be available on the CETL website in due course.
Dr. Mike Botelho, Faculty of Dentistry: Assessment of Experiential Learning – Experiences from the Faculty of Dentistry
Dr. Debbie Lam and Ms. Julia Lam, Department of Social Work and Social Administration: Methods for Assessing Experiential Learning
Dr. Cecilia Chan, CETL: Methods for Assessing Experiential Learning
Orientation to University Learning and Teaching at HKU
Date: Dec 7, 8, 9, 2010 Tue, Wed, Thur
Time: 9:30am-4:00pm
Venue: Rm 321, Run Run Shaw Building
This workshop is recommended for all faculty whether new to HKU or experienced in teaching at HKU but interested in curriculum renewal and learning more about applying an outcomes-based approach to student learning (OBASL).
Past participant comments:
“I feel like I am leaving with my course started and the tools to finish it.” (Oct. 2008)
“I enjoyed the sharing of experiences with colleagues, working on my course goals and learned many new ideas that I will apply in my teaching.” (June 2009).
“The facilitators have done a superb job to make this workshop useful, inspiring and thought provoking. Well organized sessions, open discussion; this is a good course to understand the 2010 reform.” (October 2009)
Enrollment is limited and early registration is recommended. For course details and online registration, please go to http://www.cetl.hku.hk/orientation1012
Any enquiries, please contact Ms Eva Poon by phone 2859 8996 by email evapoon@hku.hk.
Organized by Teaching and Learning Quality Committee, The University of Hong Kong
Speaker
Professor Michael Worton
Vice-Provost (Academic and International)
University College London (UCL)
Date
10 December, 2009 (Thur)
Time
12:30 – 2:00 pm
Venue
Theatre 5, 1/F, Meng Wah Complex, The University of Hong Kong
Summary
In this seminar, Professor Worton spoke about the challenges faced by UCL as a research-intensive university in promoting and recognizing teaching excellence. He outlined the strategies undertaken by UCL to meet these challenges and gave a vivid account of how teaching awards at UCL started many years ago with less than satisfactory responses but eventually emerged as a successful way to promote teaching excellence. Professor Worton also talked about UCL’s revision of promotion criteria for academic staff in order to emphasize the importance of teaching contribution. The seminar concluded with Professor Worton speaking on UCL’s vision for internationalizing the university, with particular reference to the challenges involved in internationalizing the curriculum.
About the Speaker
Professor Worton is Vice-Provost of UCL, who oversees the implementation of UCL’s Learning and Teaching strategy and is responsible for matters relating to quality assurance and T&L. He contributes significantly to the development of higher education in the UK and Europe and holds various important national and international appointments outside UCL. He was Chair of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)/Arts and Humanities Research Council Expert Group on Research Metrics, and is a member of the joint Steering Group of Universities UK, Standing Conference of Principals and HEFCE on Measuring and Recording Student Achievement. He has spoken widely in the UK and continental Europe on the internationalization of higher education. He has just undertaken a personal review for HEFCE and the UK Government of language provision in UK higher education. His research focuses on 20th and 21st century literature and on aspects of critical theory, feminism, gender politics, and painting and photography. He has published 9 books and more than 70 articles and chapters in books.
Co-organized by
Steering Committee of 4-Year Undergraduate Curriculum and Centre for the Advancement of University Teaching (CAUT)
Speaker
Professor Harry Lewis
Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Harvard University
Date
14 May, 2009 (Thu)
Time
11:30am – 12:30pm
Venue
LG-06, Hui Oi Chow Science Building, The University of Hong Kong
Abstract
A central challenge in teaching science to non-science students is deciding what to count as success. Set the bar too low and success is achievable but unsatisfying to the teacher; set it too high and success is frustrating to all concerned; set it at the right level but in the wrong place and students may succeed but wind up both unsatisfied and frustrated. Most teaching in this genre aims at one or more of three goals: aesthetic (e.g. so students understand Newton’s Laws as a human intellectual creation like a great work of literature), or trust-building (e.g. so students understand that medical research can be expected to produce useful results in the future as it has in the past), or pragmatic (e.g. so students can make rational choices about installing solar panels). The speaker will argue for another justification: to enable students to fulfill their civic responsibilities, by understanding the moral and ethical implications of advances in science and engineering. A decision to pursue that goal has consequences: it biases the subjects taught toward applied science, and forces the teacher to grapple with normative and moral issues in which most scientists have no professional training. He will draw on teaching going on at Harvard to illustrate his argument.
About the Speaker
Harry Lewis is Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences of Harvard University. His undergraduate and PhD degrees are from Harvard, and he has taught there since 1974. He is the senior member of the Undergraduate Admissions Committee, and from 1995 to 2003 he served as Dean of Harvard College. In addition to his special field of theoretical computer science, he also teaches an innovative general education course about principles of digital information technology and the societal dilemmas it is creating. His recent writings include two acclaimed books, Excellence Without a Soul: Does Liberal Education Have a Future?, which has been translated into Chinese, and Blown to Bits: Your Life, Liberty, and Happiness After the Digital Explosion.
Co-organized by
Steering Committee of 4-Year Undergraduate Curriculum and Centre for the Advancement of University Teaching (CAUT)
Speaker
Professor Harry Lewis
Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Harvard University
Date
13 May, 2009 (Wed)
Time
5:30pm – 7:00pm
Venue
Wang Gungwu Theatre, Graduate House, The University of Hong Kong
Abstract
Wherever we go … whatever we say, write, photograph, or buy … whatever prescriptions we take, or ATM withdrawals we make … we are generating information. That information can be captured, digitized, retrieved, and copied – anywhere on earth, instantly. Sophisticated computers can increasingly uncover meaning in those digital traces – understanding, anticipating, and influencing us as never before. Social networking seduces us into giving up yet more information, and phones with global positioning systems can help anyone we call a "friend" to track our every movement.
Digital technologies enable unprecedented social interconnection and dissemination of learning. But technologies are morally neutral: Google Earth, for example, has been used both to discover new rain forests in Mozambique and to plan terrorist attacks in Mumbai. We review instances in which social institutions have responded inappropriately to perceived technological threats, and ask whether the liberating force of the technology can withstand the fears it arouses.
About the Speaker
Harry Lewis is Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences of Harvard University. His undergraduate and PhD degrees are from Harvard, and he has taught there since 1974. He is the senior member of the Undergraduate Admissions Committee, and from 1995 to 2003 he served as Dean of Harvard College. In addition to his special field of theoretical computer science, he also teaches an innovative general education course about principles of digital information technology and the societal dilemmas it is creating. His recent writings include two acclaimed books, Excellence Without a Soul: Does Liberal Education Have a Future?, which has been translated into Chinese, and Blown to Bits: Your Life, Liberty, and Happiness After the Digital Explosion.
