The Steering Committee on 4-year Undergraduate Curriculum held its 5th Curriculum Reform Retreat on June 2, 2011. This year approximately 160 participants, consisting of Faculty Deans, Associate and Assistant Deans overseeing undergraduate teaching and learning, programme directors and members of the teaching and learning related committees, joined the Retreat to deliberate on issues relating to student admissions under the new Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSEE), and the honours classification system.
The first session was an overview of HKU’s Curriculum Reform progress. In the first part of this session, Professor Roland T.H. Chin, Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Provost, presented the risk assessment exercise recently completed by the University’s Risk Assessment Panel. The aim of the exercise was to assess the comprehensiveness and effectiveness of the University’s planning and the readiness and capacity of the University’s implementation of the 4-year curriculum structure. In the second part, Professor Amy B.M. Tsui, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning), and Mr Gwyn Edwards, Director of Common Core Curriculum, presented the progress and plans with respect to the implementation of the new undergraduate curriculum.
In 2012 the first cohort of students under Hong Kong’s new three-year secondary education system will sit for the first HKDSEE. In the second session of the Retreat, issues surrounding student recruitment and selection under the HKDSEE were outlined by Professor John A. Spinks, Director of UG Admissions and International Student Exchange. Participants’ concerns and questions were addressed jointly by Professor Spinks and Mr Henry Wai, the Registrar.
The final session of the Retreat was on the honours classification system. Professor Amy B.M. Tsui and Professor Esmonde F. Corbet, member of Working Group on Honours Award and Classification, first gave an overview on honours award and classification, including the current practices at HKU. Subsequently Professor David R. Kember, Professor in Research on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, introduced some possible models in determining honours, including a profiling approach that provides more information about the strengths of graduates.
Overall responses from the participants were very positive. Please see below for more details about the Retreat.
Programme rundown and materials
| 9:00 am – 10:45 am | Overview of Curriculum Reform Progress Video – section 1 |
|---|---|
|
9:00 am – 9:10 am
|
Opening Remarks – Professor Amy B.M. Tsui (Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning)) & |
| 9:10 am – 10:30 am |
Risk Assessment on University’s Readiness for the Transition and Contingency Plans – Professor T.H. Roland Chin (Deputy Vice-Chancellor & Provost)
|
|
Implementation of the New Curriculum: Progress and Plans – Professor Amy B.M. Tsui & |
|
| 10:30 am – 10:45 am | Break |
| 10:45 am – 1:30 pm | Admissions – Session Facilitator: Professor Becky P.Y. Loo Video – section 2 |
|
10:45 am – 12:00 pm |
Student Recruitment and Selection under the HKDSEE – Professor John A. Spinks (Director of UG Admissions and International Student Exchange) & |
| 12:00 pm – 12:45 pm | Group Discussion: Concerns and Issues for Clarification |
| 12:45 pm – 1:30 pm | Report Back |
| 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm | Lunch |
| 2:30 pm – 5:15 pm | Honours Award and Classification – Session Facilitators: Mr John C.H. Lin & Dr David M. Pomfret Video – section 3 |
|
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm |
An Overview on Honours Award and Classification – Professor Amy B.M. Tsui & Possible Models in Determining Honours – Professor David R. Kember (Professor in Research in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education) |
| 3:15 pm – 4:30 pm | Group Discussion |
| 4:30 pm – 5:15 pm | Report Back |
| 5:15 pm – 5:30 pm | Conclusion |
Feedback report
Coming soon.
Photo gallery
