Abstract

• The General Education Foundation (GEF) Programme, with its two interdisciplinary courses In Dialogue with Humanity (UGFH) and In Dialogue with Nature (UGFN), is designed with the vision of shaping students into better global citizens by cultivating their knowledge, attitudes, and values through reading classics.
• The intended learning outcomes of both GEF courses state the vision of fostering response to the contemporary human condition and informed personal judgment-in personal life, society, and scientific inquiries and applications. Many of the issues addressed in GEF are closely related to the United Nations’ (UN) purported Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• However, students with no direct experience of related contexts tend not to appreciate the ideas, problems, and dilemmas presented in the classics, and hence their relevance to contemporary global issues such as sustainability.
• Based on the successful attempt to introduce activities that promote experiential-learning through farming in UGFH/UGFN, and inspired by the University’s leadership in promoting SDGs in Hong Kong, we propose to design new schemes of SDGs-connected experiential-learning for the GEF Program in the contexts of permaculture, aquaculture, and meditation.
• Our ultimate goal is to deepen students’ understanding of the classics by positing their ideas in meaningful, modem contexts, and to foster reflection on how efforts in permaculture, aquaculture, and meditation may serve the SDGs. To this end, we propose three concrete objectives as follows:
  1. to produce micro-modules and upgrade e-learning instruments for experiential-learning through permaculture, aquaculture, and meditation in the GEF courses;
  2. to implement experiential-learning that enriches teaching and learning in the foundation courses and supports the SDGs concerned; and
  3. to develop viable experiential-learning schemes for the GEF Programme.

Brief write-up

Project objectives

This project has three objectives: (i) to produce micro-modules and upgrade eLearning instruments for experiential learning through permaculture, aquaculture, and meditation in the General Education Foundation (GEF) courses, namely In Dialogue with Humanity and In Dialogue with Nature; (ii) to implement experiential learning that enriches teaching and learning in the foundation courses and supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) concerned; and (iii) to develop viable experiential-learning schemes for the GEF Programme.

Activities, process and outcomes

In Phase I, three micro-modules with eight videos were developed to support a total of twelve online and face-to-face experiential-learning activities, which benefited 558 students in Phase II. The experience of developing experiential learning schemes was consolidated in an Experiential Learning Handbook and shared in an online GE seminar in Phase III. This project enhanced students’ understanding of the course texts, and fostered their reflection on real-life situations and contemporary issues related to SDGs.

Deliverables and evaluation

The bilingual “Experiencing Classics” (EC) web platform was developed to integrate the three new micro-modules, activity records, and high-quality students’ essays. A farming companion mobile App “Growing Edible 101” (GE101) was improved. This project also generated nine presentations in seven local and international seminars and conferences. The project was evaluated by questionnaire surveys, focus group studies, and students’ reflective essays.

Dissemination, diffusion, impact and sharing of good practices

The experience, good practices, eLearning instruments, and students’ reflections were documented and disseminated in the EC web platform, which is publicly accessible. A student article was published in UGE News to promote the pedagogical approach to experiential learning. We also exchanged ideas with other educators in local and international seminars and conferences. An online seminar was organized in June 2022 to further exchange ideas on experiential learning schemes.

Impact on teaching and learning

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Video Report

Please click the following link for viewing the report.
https://cuhk.ap.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=59cdf81d-5724-4ec6-8cad-b12200b1f980