Abstract
In comparison with classroom teaching many CUHK students perceive online learning to be ‘lower standard education’. Is this simply because they view their teachers as putting so much attention on the need for face-to-face/classroom-based learning, is it because their teachers are inexperienced at using online tools, and so e-activities are poorly designed, or are there other reasons? In what ways, thus, can quality online education at CUHK be received by students?
Given such a backdrop this project intends to analyze why students hold such perceptions of online teaching and learning within the context of the CUHK History curriculum, i.e. a curriculum that has long promoted students (at undergraduate and postgraduate levels) to develop knowledge (facts and skills) via weekly lectures and in-class exercises. In consequence the project seeks to devise new means to expand the synchronous and asynchronous modes of online teaching within the History program in order to, for instance, diminish the discrepancy between students’ learning perceptions and actual teaching realizations. Accordingly, the project will aid History faculty to give even more effective online teaching, e.g. with Zoom, and, in conjunction, more ably support the development of flipped classrooms with platforms such as Panopto when times necessitate classroom teaching to be impossible.
Brief write-up
Project objectives
1. To analyze why students hold particular perceptions of online teaching and learning within the context of the CUHK History curriculum; and
2. To develop learner knowledge (facts and skills) by devising new means to expand the synchronous and asynchronous modes of online teaching within the History program.
Activities, process and outcomes
In terms of project findings, a number of prominent matters were identified: History students felt teacher-student communication was vital to successful online pedagogy; assessment practices usable in the classroom needed to be amended so as to be ‘fair’ in the online setting; in accordance the overall grading system for courses needed adapting for the ‘new normal’; and, many students had problems with concentration when working at home. This affected their ability to develop knowledge given the practices used by teachers on Zoom. A conclusion of the study too was successful classroom teaching did not necessary translate into successful online teaching. Where possible teachers encouraged student social interaction online, the learners very much enjoyed such activity.
Deliverables and evaluation
What became apparent from questioning both teachers and students was similarities in how Zoom offered a good potentially platform for teaching, but also acted as a hindrance under certain learning conditions. Given this common standpoint, students were asked as to how teachers could more effectively use Zoom. In effect the response was that Zoom works best when some teaching and learning activities are applied in conjunction with other software. However, such operation of using Zoom alongside other eLearning platforms could not detract students from their view that learning sometimes during 2020 was not as deep as in the classroom, and they were losing out thanks to the lack of opportunities to visit archives and undertake fieldtrips.
Dissemination, diffusion, impact and sharing of good practices
The sharing of data is broadly discussed here. First, efforts were made to liaise with the Arts Faculty Office and in this regard the Associate Dean of Education took an interest in the inquiry and an email was sent out to gather staff together as a Community of Practice. Second, meetings were held with colleagues in and outside the PI’s Department to discuss teaching practices that worked well. Thirdly, to ensure dissemination of good practices was evident, efforts was made by the PI to connect with colleagues, to discuss their perceptions of student learning in an online context, and to share ideas as to practices that worked and didn’t. In doing this new discourse was established for staff in the History Department to apply for Courseware Development Grant (CDG) and TDLEG grants, thereby solidifying blended learning approaches already established.
Impact on teaching and learning
The project has supplied three principal impacts upon pedagogical practice in and beyond the Department of History:
1. It has permitted the PI to accrue new knowledge of students’ online learning perceptions, and this knowledge has been shared with colleagues, especially younger ones who have experienced a number of pedagogical challenges in adjusting to the Zoom context, and in addition project findings have been distributed to all departmental colleagues at Board Meetings so that they can (re)think their practices as to what ‘successful online teaching and learning’ is;
2. To encourage dissemination of findings within the Arts Faculty the PI has held meetings with the Associate Dean of Education, and also spoken less formally with peers in other Departments as well as presented at the
15th eLearning Forum Asia in late-2020. Project findings also fed into a presentation given at a CLEAR (Centre for Learning Enhancement And Research) workshop in Term 2, 2020-21;
3. Outside of the CUHK context, so as to impact upon teaching and learning, a short paper was written and published in the early-2021 (vol. 43, no. 1) edition of the Australian education journal,
HERDSA-Connect.
