Programme

GE Posters

Global Citizenship
1 pdf Activating Global Citizenship: Varieties of Institutionality in the Common Core@HKU
LAM Man Ho Adrian
(Common Core University Curriculum, HKU)
Abstract
2 pdf Global Citizenship Education - Lecture on Global Challenges: Piloting an Alternative University General Education Pathway
LEUNG Mei Yee, LEUNG Yuen Kei Yvonne
(Office of University General Education, CUHK)
Abstract
3 pdf 書院大學生成為全球公民的舉措(The College Student’s Methods of The Global Citizenship)
劉雅賢、張旭峰
(蘇州科技大學教育與公管學院)
Abstract
4 pdf From Chinese Classical Humanities General Education to Global Citizenship: Taking the Educational Philosophy and Practice of Nan Huai-Chin as an example
LAI He Ping
(Graduate School of Education, Peking U)
Abstract
5 pdf Ping Che Evolving: Understanding Its Community in Response to “City Development”
CHAN Yin Ha, WONG Ka Po
(Independent Learning Centre, CUHK)
Abstract


GE Pedagogy
6 pdf Acquire Active Learning Through Virtual Reality (VR) Contents Production
IM Tarloff, LI Lin, FAN Frankie, CHEUNG Long Chai Marjorie, LEUNG Chan Hong, CHAN Chi Keung
(CityU HK)
Abstract
7 pdf Explanation of Difficult Concepts in Science Classics Using Virtual Reality (VR) Technology
LO Chun Yeung, CHEUNG Hang Cheong, Derek, LI Ming Kenneth, NG Ka Leong Andy, SZETO Wai Man
(Office of University General Education, CUHK)
Abstract
8 pdf Mobile eLearning and Manipulating for Making the Students’ First Robot
HAN Dong Kun, LEUNG Yun Yee Martin
(Dept. of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, CUHK)
Abstract
9 pdf Enhancing Teaching and Learning Experience in General Education through an Online Ecotourism Scenario Game
CHAN Chung Shing, CHAN Yat Hang
(Dept. of Geography and Resource Management, CUHK)
FONG Tsz Heung Agnes
(Centre for Learning Enhancement and Research, CUHK)
Abstract
10 pdf Development of Whiteboard Animations for the GEF Programme
LI Ming Kenneth, LAI Chi Wai Kevin, SZETO Wai Man, WONG Bon Wah Baldwin
(Office of University General Education, CUHK)
Abstract
11 pdf 經典動起來
HO Wai Ming, CHENG Wai Pang, CHIU Chu Lee Julie, CHOY Tsz Chun
(Office of University General Education, CUHK)
Abstract
12 pdf Science at Peace with Religion? –Creating a Dialogue between the Dialogues
PANG Kam Moon, CHIU Chu Lee Julie, CHOY Tze Chun, HO Wai Ming, WONG Wing Hung
(Office of University General Education, CUHK)
Abstract
13 pdf Be An Active Learner: Through Reflective Journal and Self-learning Courseware
CHOW Cheung Ming, CHENG Carman
(School of Life Sciences, CUHK)
Abstract


GE beyond the Classroom
14 pdf Experiencing Classics in the GEF Programme through Farming
LI Ming Kenneth, CHENG Wai Pang, CHIU Chu Lee Julie, LAM To Kam, LAU Hoi Lung, LUI Wing Sing, WONG Wing Yu Esther
(Office of University General Education, CUHK)
Abstract
15 pdf Developing a Vegetable Garden/Orchard in the Lingnan University Campus
AU YEUNG Lai Seung, LAU Kin Chi
(Department of Cultural Studies, Lingnan U)
LAM Lai Ki Joy
(Office of Service-Learning, Lingnan U)
Abstract
16 pdf A Gateway Education Laboratory to Support Student Innovations
CHIU Patrio, CHUNG Wing Lam, LAI Ho Wang Owen, LIU Yee Lam Karey, WONG Ming Yan
(CityU HK)
Abstract
17 pdf Uniting the College through Reading: The Morning side One Book Programme
HUSS Ann, MARK Maytal, REID Madison, WONG Nicole
(Morningside College, CUHK)
Abstract
18 pdf Close Reading Together: PASS as Reading Workshops in the General Education Foundation Programme
SZETO Wai Man, WONG Ka Tai Isaac, LI Ming Kenneth, WU Jun Vivian, YIP Lo Ming Amber, LAI Ka Yu Ann, YU Chi Chung Andy, LEUNG Mei Yee
(Office of University General Education, CUHK)
Abstract
19 pdf 沒有絕對 也沒有永恆 董卓恩及陳華姿藝術作品展
TUNG Cheuk Yan
(Dept. of Fine Arts, CUHK)
Abstract


GE Assessment
20 pdf Criterion Referencing in GEFP: Practice, Review, and Vision
PANG Kam Moon, CHEUNG Hang Cheong Derek, CHIU Chu Lee Julie, GAO Xin, LIAO Liang, WONG Bon Wah, Baldwin, WONG Wing Hung
(Office of University General Education, CUHK)
Abstract
21 pdf Cognitive and Affective Influences on Science Anxiety in a Science Core-Text General Education Course in Hong Kong
HOI Wan Heng Sandy, WONG Wing Hung, PANG Kam Moon
(Office of University General Education, CUHK)
NG Vitrierat Sophia
(School of General Education and Languages, THEi HK)
Abstract
22 pdf Synergies between Micro-modules and Online Discussion Forum
NG Ka Leon Andy, CHEUNG Hang Cheong Derek, KIANG Kai Ming, WONG Ka Tai Isaac
(Office of University General Education, CUHK)
Abstract

Abstracts

Global Citizenship

1. Activating Global Citizenship: Varieties of Institutionality in the Common Core@HKU

LAM Man Ho Adrian (Common Core University Curriculum, HKU)
Poster

In the interconnected and interdependent globalised era, higher education institutions are prominent in offering an open and an interactive platform to facilitate ongoing democratisation of knowledge and engagement among stakeholders. The idea of ‘‘global citizenship’’ is well incorporated into the liberal arts curriculum, including specific dimensions like recognition, emotion, motivation, and participation, which aims to cultivate and strengthen undergraduate students’ roles and responsibilities in relation to the wider global community. The introduction of liberal arts curriculum or general education in undergraduate study in Hong Kong is hence an important move in realising cross-disciplinary teaching and learning. This exploratory qualitative study focuses on the Common Core at the University of Hong Kong, particularly on the Area of Inquiry of Global Issues. This area aims to enable students to think globally and live as informed and active members of a global community. Therefore, the author is interested in investigating how the concept of ‘‘global citizenship’’ is reflected by and incorporated into this wide range of courses based on their content and structure. Meanwhile, the author plans to solicit views from students to evaluate how successful are these designs in reflecting and shaping global citizenship among them. It is hoped that this study can reveal some potential alignments between top-down designs and bottom-up responses with regard to global citizenship in university general education. Meanwhile, the possible limitations can shed light on how future courses could be designed to better cater to the diverse perspectives and interests among these students as the future global citizens.


2. Global Citizenship Education - Lecture on Global Challenges: Piloting an Alternative University General Education Pathway

Leung Mei Yee, Leung Yuen Kei Yvonne (Office of University General Education, CUHK)
pdf Poster

In the 21st Century, global challenges are expanding and changing faster than ever before. Understanding some of the biggest social, environmental and economic challenges facing the world is integral to tackling them. This course aims at enhancing students’ global awareness and fostering global citizenship by introducing some pressing challenges that the world is facing today. Students will learning to identify global issues, analyze the complexity of these challenges, reflect on their responsibilities of being global citizens, and discuss with their peers to formulate possible solutions to make the world a better place.


3. 書院大學生成為全球公民的舉措(The College Student’s Methods of The Global Citizenship)

劉雅賢、張旭峰 (蘇州科技大學教育與公管學院)
pdf Poster

隨著全球化趨勢不斷加劇,人類社會和民族國家的發展不斷突破原有邊界,很多問題蔓延全球範圍。全球共治由最初的理論設想成為當下操作和未來熱點。然而解決全球問題的根源在于人。只有形成具備全球責任和人類命運共同意識的人群,才能根治人類共同問題。因此,時代呼喚全球公民誕生,培養全球公民成為各國教育者的共同責任。各國大學生作為改變未來世界的重要力量,首當其衝應成為全球公民的主體。只有具備強烈的世界責任感、公平正義觀、尊重多元化和強大思辨力的大學生才有資格成為全球公民。

本海報是一名書院大學生從自我認知和自我培養的角度去思考如何成為一名全球公民。內容分為三部分:一是在制定學習計畫上,交流類課程和思想類課程是學生的首選。交流類課程有利於與不同民族、不同種族的人進行交流和溝通;思想類課程是對經典理論的學習,這有利於學生對自我和對社會的認知,在學會思辨的同時,能主動對現實有所回應。二是如何通過實際行動努力讓自己成為一名全球公民,即成為全球公民的舉措。首先,進行體驗性學習;其次,掌握一門外語;復次,關注世界,不做冷漠的旁觀者;最後,到國外交流學習。三是自我培養的效果。學生通過上述的自我選擇和自我實踐,最後形成有世界責任、有客觀公平心、有包容跨文化、有冷靜思辨力的全球公民。


4. From Chinese Classical Humanities General Education to Global Citizenship: Taking the Educational Philosophy and Practice of Nan Huai-Chin as an example

Lai He Ping (Graduate School of Education, Peking U)
pdf Poster

.About 50 years Chinese classical humanities general education practices

.Directly affects hundreds of thousands of people

.Indirectly influences more than 20 million people to date

.Creatively inherits the Chinese classical humanities education goal:

.Starts from correcting our own mind, body, and behavior, then becomes leaders in different fields to gradually promote the transformation of global ideology, culture, politics and economy

.Establishes a general education institution: East-West Essence Society

.Takes four major forms of practices:

Confucian style studying classics

Taoist style cultivating body

Chinese Ch'an(Zen) style cultivating mind

Nan's seminar-style dinner

Exploration methods: collecting and analyzing of almost all the first-hand literature and audiovisual materials about Prof. Nan, interviewing near one hundred of his students at home and abroad


5. Ping Che Evolving: Understanding Its Community in Response to “City Development”

CHAN Yin Ha, WONG Ka Po (Independent Learning Centre, CUHK)
pdf Poster

Ping Che (坪輋), a rural area consists of six villages, was brought into the spotlight when the North East New Territories New Development Areas Planning (新界東北發展計劃) was announced and resisted by the non-indigenous inhabitants. Though the government shelved the Planning in 2013, the threat of land redemption remains. Since then, several locals and social activists have been organizing community engagement activities there, including community tours, art festivals, and the establishment of Ping Che Mural Village. These not only revitalize the rural cultures and empower the villagers with strong identity, but also unite the participants as a growing resistance to the Planning.

The stories of Ping Che are worth our attention to rethink “city development”. Starting from September 2018, 22 CUHK students of the Teaching Development and Language Enhancement Grant project “CUHK in Communities” led by independent curator and urbanist Dr. Sampson Wong participate in the festive events and community activities there. It is hoped that, through the eight-month participatory learning and doings, students will have firsthand experiences and understanding of the community building progress and how it changes people’s lives. In return, students may also be able to reflect on their own lifestyles and values.

The experience of Ping Che, a typical rural area of Hong Kong where its residents always face the threats posed by city development, inspires us to rethink the legitimacy of the global trend of urbanization. It is not a binary opposition of rural vs urban, or nature vs culture, but the many intertwined facets of living and histories of the people there. The evolution of Ping Che community is timely in line with the global calls for land justice, community-initiated development, and equal participation in a civil society.


GE Pedagogy

6. Acquire Active Learning Through Virtual Reality (VR) Contents Production

IM Tarloff, LI Lin, FAN Frankie, CHEUNG Long Chai Marjorie, LEUNG Chan Hong, CHAN Chi Keung (CityU HK)
pdf Poster

Virtual Reality (VR) projects in education are easily found in various disciplines, as researchers find that VR contents can trigger the learners’ engagement in the learning process effectively. With more and more VR production gears providing user-friendly workflows for creating VR contents, educators are now able to design active learning activities through VR contents production.

This project reports a General Education (GE) module - Architecture and Space in Chinese Culture, offered by Department of Chinese and History was selected to design active learning activities to enhance the learning experiences of undergraduate studies in Arts and Humanities GE area, during the Shanxi field trip to the thousand-year-old and 67-meter-high Yingxian Wooden Pagoda. In general, participants report that the active learning approaches have stimulated their interests to investigate more knowledge related to Chinese architecture. In addition, they are pleased with the way of implementing VR technologies to support the GE module.


7. Explanation of Difficult Concepts in Science Classics Using Virtual Reality (VR) Technology

LO Chun Yeung, CHEUNG Hang Cheong, Derek, LI Ming Kenneth, NG Ka Leong Andy, SZETO Wai Man (Office of University General Education, CUHK)
pdf Poster

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) technologies have been widely implemented in educational settings. Furthermore, advancement in mobile technologies has also made VR much more accessible to students than before. A VR mobile application has been developed to assist students’ learning in the General Education Foundation Programme – “In Dialogue with Nature” (UGFN1000). It aims to provide immersive visual experiences that help students understand abstract concepts present in the classics. In UGFN1000, the cosmological model of Aristotle and Newtonian mechanics are two of the more difficult concepts in the course. Therefore four modules have been developed to enhance students’ understanding of these concepts. In the first two modules, students can visualize the relationship between the empirical observations of heavenly bodies from the earth and the cosmological model proposed by Aristotle. This enables students to appreciate the credibility of Aristotle’s idea and the significance of the emergence of the modern sun-centered model. In the remaining two modules, students can observe the trajectories of cannonballs shot vertically upward from both a moving train and a stationary train. This helps them understand better Newton’s Laws of Motion and appreciate the conceptual change in the explanation of projectile motion from Aristotle to Newton. This VR app was used in tutorial classes, where students learnt the concerned concepts together under the guidance of the teacher, followed by discussions on relevant concepts. In this poster presentation, we focus on the process of development and the actual implementation of this VR mobile app.


8. Mobile eLearning and Manipulating for Making the Students’ First Robot

HAN Dong Kun, LEUNG Yun Yee Martin (Dept. of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, CUHK)
pdf Poster

This project is expected to develop a wireless wheeled robot, and a mobile application for helping the students with no background in technology to make and test their first robot in a flexible way. This project is based on the teaching and learning experience of general education course UGEB2303: “Robots in Action”. Previously, this course was taught by lectures and followed by lab sessions, where students could only write their codes on desktops in the lab. Via the new wireless robot and mobile application, students could cherish the benefits that fundamental knowledge and tutorial of robots can be learned by mobile phones or tablets, and programming becomes an easy thing that coding and compiling can be done by simply using the proposed mobile application. To the best knowledge of presenters, it is the first attempt to develop a mobile application of teaching purpose for programming, and coding in wireless robot control.

TThe whole process of the project development can be generally divided into two parts: The first part focuses on the development of hardware, while the second part is concerned with software development. For the first part, key technology and skills include Arduino board selection and compatibility checking, designing skills for the interface Printed Circuit Board for microcontroller, assembling skills for VEX mechanical hardware, assembling skills for robotic arms, assembling skills for interface printed circuit board, knowledge of robotics & Mechatronics, designing skills for the controller housing and other mechanical parts, 3D printing technology for the holder of robotic arms and controller housing. For the second part, key technology and skills include Arduino software development for robotic arms, wheels, and wireless communication and control, Android studio-based software development for tablet application, knowledge of robotics & Mechatronics.


9. Enhancing Teaching and Learning Experience in General Education through an Online Ecotourism Scenario Game

CHAN Chung Shing, CHAN Yat Hang (Dept. of Geography and Resource Management, CUHK)
pdf Poster

This research introduces an Ecotourism Scenario Game, which is an educational platform simulating an indigenous community in the Amazon rainforest in Peru. This game creates a process of ecotourism development with characters and a storyline that provide scenarios for decision-making by student learners. This study aims to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of this game, and to (2) compare inter-group ecotourism knowledge enrichment, attitudinal changes and usability of the game platform rated by the users.

A comparative study between the ecotourism game sessions and the discussion sessions will be conducted by inviting full-time undergraduate students as volunteers. The participants will be instructed to complete surveys to compare the ratings on various aspects of learning experiences respectively before and after each session. Focus group interviews will be held after each research session in order to capture the qualitative data of students’ satisfaction towards the designed platform and the overall learning experience.

This ecotourism scenario game is expected to expand students’ learning interests to global issues more than acting as a substitute for traditional lecturing. Game-based learning in this ecotourism platform has the potential to lead to attitudinal changes by simulating and presenting real-world environments, for example, how tourism may cause negative environmental impacts on a destination as well as appreciating the cultural difference between indigenous and urban citizens. Given an arguably lack of clear pattern of the learning enhancement, it is critical that game-based teaching should still be incorporated with other instructional classroom activities to deliver effective knowledge transfer.


10. Development of Whiteboard Animations for the GEF Programme

LI Ming Kenneth, LAI Chi Wai Kevin, SZETO Wai Man, WONG Bon Wah Baldwin (Office of University General Education, CUHK)
pdf Poster

The two foundation courses, namely “In Dialogue with Humanity” (UGFH), and “In Dialogue with Nature” (UGFN), in the General Education Foundation (GEF) Programme require all undergraduates from different disciplines to read and discuss the classics in sciences and humanities. Although students are interested in discussing the classics, they find it very challenging to have an in-depth reflection, especially when the concepts are abstract and pre-requisite knowledge is inadequate. Much valuable time in the interactive tutorials is spent to explain the knowledge and clarify the concepts. Given this, our team has been producing engaging whiteboard animations to flip the classrooms in the GEF courses since 2015/16. Whiteboard animations are short animated clips showing step-by-step illustrations with voice-over narration to explain complicated and abstract ideas in an attractive and enjoyable way. A total of twelve short whiteboard animations have been tailor-made for the GEF Programme, including two new animations on Newton’s mathematical worldview, one on Plato’s form, and one on Jesus and Paul in history. This poster presentation gives an overview of the production and use of whiteboard animations for teaching and learning in the GEF Programme.


11. 經典動起來

HO Wai Ming, CHENG Wai Pang, CHIU Chu Lee Julie, CHOY Tsz Chun (Office of University General Education, CUHK)
pdf Poste

The syllabus of the course “In Dialogue with Humanity” covers a wide range of classics from the Western and Eastern traditions. Naturally, we expect students to have difficulties in understanding Western classics. But experience tells us that they also have difficulties with texts from the East.

The courseware we have developed addresses the above problems and attempts to enhance students’ understanding of the classics by providing supplementary historical and conceptual contexts of the classics. It makes clear the historical background of Confucius. When put in contrast with Mozi (墨子), Confucius’ concerns and insistences become clearer. The courseware also illustrates the concept of emptiness in the Heart Sutra to open students’ eyes to a new insight into self and life.

With this poster, we wish to introduce our courseware to fellow teachers and students, sharing the working procedure and experience we have gained, as well as some of the final products–the video clips produced and the recorded PowerPoint presentations


12. Science at Peace with Religion? –Creating a Dialogue between the Dialogues

PANG Kam Moon, CHIU Chu Lee Julie, CHOY Tze Chun, HO Wai Ming, WONG Wing Hung (Office of University General Education, CUHK)
pdf Poster

The “More In-depth Reading” (MOIRE) platform for the General Education Foundation Programme (GEFP) has various interactive features, including micro-modules and online discussion questions. It aims to establish a connection between the two compulsory courses of GEFP, “In Dialogue with Nature” and “In Dialogue with Humanity”, so that students’ learning of the two courses becomes a truly integrative, inter-disciplinary experience. Specifically, the project offers the opportunity for in-depth reflection on the compatibility between science and religion from the perspectives of four different groups of people, namely, “giants” in Western science, contemporary religious leaders, Judeo-Christian theologians, and Chinese and German philosophers. Four themes will be addressed: “God’s Existence in a Clockwork Universe”, “Evolutionism or Creationism?”, “Creation in the Judeo-Christian Tradition”, and “The Need of Morality-from Kant to Confucius”. This poster presentation will demonstrate how the above-named interactive features can be used for a flipped-classroom mode of teaching to inspire in-depth reflection on the issues in question.


13. Be An Active Learner: Through Reflective Journal and Self-learning Courseware

CHOW Cheung Ming, CHENG Carman (School of Life Sciences, CUHK)
pdf Poster

Learning science in a dim lecture room sounds pretty boring while arranging lab sessions for 60 UGEB students is practically difficult. In order to promote active learning and encourage students to appraise, integrate and apply scientific knowledge on daily life issues, students of UGEB2350 “Plants for Treasure & Pleasure” have been asked to write their reflective journals and participate in various self-learning activities supported by 2 coursewares and a new learning platform:

  1. Interactive Virtual Plant Dissection Lab, a website for learning floral anatomy and dissection
  2. PlantWalk@CUHK, a smart phone-compatible website for observing and learning plants on campus
  3. Visual Narrative, integrated learning platform for the eight University General Education courses offered by the School of Life Sciences

In this poster presentation, in addition to introducing the learning tools mentioned above, we will also discuss how a marking scheme is set to encourage students to integrate their knowledge and record their self-learning process.


GE Beyond the Classroom

14. Experiencing Classics in the GEF Programme through Farming

LI Ming Kenneth, CHENG Wai Pang, CHIU Chu Lee Julie, LAM To Kam, LAU Hoi Lung, LUI Wing Sing, WONG Wing Yu Esther (Office of University General Education, CUHK)
pdf Poster

General Education Foundation (GEF) Programme is a common core programme which aims at shaping students into better global citizens by cultivating students’ knowledge, attitudes, and values through reading classics. Expanded from successful attempts since 2015/16 of incorporating rooftop farming into one of the GEF courses, “In Dialogue with Nature”, to enhance students’ appreciation of science-related classics and their relevance to contemporary life, the project “Experiential Learning through Farming” is introduced in 2018/19 as a new endeavor to enhance student reflection in the GEF Programme. Through field-trips to farmlands and hands-on practices, students are expected to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the classics, and to reflect on their personal lifestyles, social system, and the ethics behind food production. A series of short lecture videos are produced and uploaded for student viewing prior to visits to a local farm and a village. Students are guided to reflect on issues including the environmental impact of agricultural technology, justice and land use, the influence of capitalism on consumption, and the attitude and ways of living with nature. This poster aims to review the experience and feedback gained from the trial run of the project.


15. Developing a Vegetable Garden/Orchard in the Lingnan University Campus

AU YEUNG Lai Seung, LAU Kin Chi (Department of Cultural Studies, Lingnan U);
LAM Lai Ki Joy (Office of Service-Learning, Lingnan U)
pdf Poster

Technology brings us more convenience, but at the same time less physical contact with the world we live in. Lingnan Gardeners helps people slow down, enjoy life and build connections through shared work and crops. An organic vegetable garden/orchard has been developed by staff and students on campus since September 2014, growing over 100 varieties of vegetables, grains and fruits. By putting farming into the undergraduate courses, it is found that through farming students are able to reconstruct what the act means to them. For example, instead of seeing farming as an inferior job, they can reflect on consumerism and modern lifestyles. This pedagogical effort to make some difference in students’ lifestyle and outlook is also a demonstration of Lingnan’s efforts towards a transition campus, building local resilience to global warming and food insecurity. It proved that teaching is not only rational and knowledgeable, but also perceptual. Along with student participation, Lingnan Gardeners has included residents and elderly people living nearby to let them experience and enjoy the fun of campus farming.


16. A Gateway Education Laboratory to Support Student Innovations

CHIU Patrio, CHUNG Wing Lam, LAI Ho Wang Owen, LIU Yee Lam Karey, WONG Ming Yan (CityU HK)
pdf Poster

At City University of Hong Kong, the aim of Gateway Education (GE) programme is to augment and round out the specialised training students receive in their majors by enabling them to achieve a breadth of knowledge through exposure to multiple disciplines. GE is the glue that holds disciplines together. Aligned with the mission, a technology-enriched active learning space, named Gateway Education Laboratory (GE Lab), was setup in 2012 for supporting active and collaborative learning. It allows students from different disciplines to work together under the GE umbrella. GE lab consists of an active learning classroom (ALC) and a prototyping area. The ALC is highly configurable with movable tables, equipped with running water facility and ventilation which are suitable for different types of active learning activities. The prototyping area housed key equipment to support student innovation, such as professional grade 3D printers, laser cutter/engraver, virtual reality equipment…etc. Over the years, GE lab has been consistently praised by teachers for facilitating student learning. Student innovations supported by the GE.


17. Uniting the College through Reading: The Morningside One Book Programme

HUSS Ann, MARK Maytal, REID Madison, WONG Nicole (Morningside College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
pdf Poster

In September 2018, Morningside College launched the “One Book Programme”. The programme gifts each incoming first-year student with a copy of a pre-selected book with the aim of encouraging students to read and discuss a text as a community. The book copy is accompanied by a letter describing the goals of the programme. The book chosen for the inaugural programme is Without You, There Is No Us by Suki Kim. Kim’s memoir complicates readers’ understanding of North Korea by describing the daily life of its elite students, weaving personal stories into the conventional narrative of geopolitical conflict. As part of the “One Book Programme”, students will discuss the text via a moderated roundtable discussion in October. They will also speak directly with Suki Kim when she is on campus in November. The College expects that the questions that arise during these conversations will prompt students to think about what it means to be part of a global community while living under radically diverse circumstances. The poster presentation will illustrate how one book can lead to multiple conversations and how those conversations complicate and deepen a community.

Lab has received local and international recognition and is repeatedly reported by the media.


18. Close Reading Together: PASS as Reading Workshops in the General Education Foundation Programme

SZETO Wai Man, WONG Ka Tai Isaac, LI Ming Kenneth, WU Jun Vivian, YIP Lo Ming Amber, LAI Ka Yu Ann, YU Chi Chung Andy, LEUNG Mei Yee (Office of University General Education, CUHK)
pdf Poster

The General Education Foundation Programme (GEFP), a common core programme in the Chinese University of Hong Kong, offers students opportunities to engage in the classics in the humanities and sciences. After attending the lecture on the background and the key ideas of the selected classic text of the week, students read the text on their own prior to taking part in the seminar discussion. However, even with the help of the lecture, reading and discussing classic texts are still challenging for many students–they are unfamiliar with the content, language and context of these texts, and lack the reading skills to decipher them. This poster will present how Peer Assisted Study Session (PASS), a well-established peer learning model, has been adapted as reading workshops in GEFP to help students meet these challenges under a supportive and collaborative learning environment. The reading workshops are one-hour and weekly voluntary study sessions facilitated by PASS Leaders, who are students previously excelled in the same course and who have completed accredited PASS Leader Training. PASS Leaders select important passages from a text for students to learn and practice close reading together and discuss the text during the workshop. The Leaders also demonstrate the reading strategies to equip students with the ability to read the rest of the text. Feedback from the students has been positive and many find the workshops improve their understanding of classic texts, connect the ideas from the lecture with the text, adopt appropriate reading strategies and foster confidence in seminar discussions.


19. 沒有絕對 也沒有永恆 董卓恩及陳華姿藝術作品展

TUNG Cheuk Yan (Dept. of Fine Arts, CUHK)
pdf Poster

雖然我們的身份受限制,身體必然走向衰敗,命運不由自主,但我們至少能讓心靈自由。

展覽主要圍繞莊子「價值相對」的概念,提出人人的價值觀不同,善惡問題上沒有絕對的對錯之分。承認自己未必全對,別人亦未必全錯,遇到衝突時,能夠較客觀地看事情。

沒有事物是永恆不變的,只有變化才是永恆。願我們能夠拋開偏見固執,以開放的態度,回應急劇變化的時代。

光憑文字可說明道理和概念,但讀者感受未必夠深刻;而藝術作品使人直接感受,有情感上的影響。道家道理也強調不能純粹用理性和邏輯,需配合感受,才能領悟。


GE Assessment

20. Criterion Referencing in GEFP: Practice, Review, and Vision

PANG Kam Moon, CHEUNG Hang Cheong Derek, CHIU Chu Lee Julie, GAO Xin, LIAO Liang, WONG Bon Wah, Baldwin, WONG Wing Hung (Office of University General Education, CUHK)
pdf Poster

Criterion-referenced assessment means to measure students’ performance against a set of prescribed criteria and standards, which are the sole considerations in grading (i.e., not subject to subsequent grade-distribution adjustment) and made known to students well in advance. Ideally, this provides clear goals for student achievement in a course of studies—what knowledge, skills, and attitudes to achieve (criteria prescribed); where each stands in achieving them (standards met); and how one may move up the “ladder” of achievements.

General Education Foundation Programme (GEFP) comprises two compulsory, seminar-based, reading-intensive courses, “In Dialogue with Humanity” and “In Dialogue with Nature”. Assessment in both courses involves the evaluation of students’ ability to read classics, to discuss with classmates issues of timely and timeless concerns, to collate intricate information, and to reflect and covey personal views on good life, good society, and humans’ place in nature in academic papers. In other words, GEFP demands students of a wide range of capabilities, spelt out as five intended learning outcomes (ILOs) for each of the two courses. To incorporate the ILOs into the grade descriptors of the course, and further to translate them into criteria and standards in the rubric for each assessment component, pose a big challenge. Added to it is the vexation of converting grades obtained from various assessment components into the final course grade.

This poster presents ideas gained from reviewing the design and implementation of criterion-referencing in GEFP, newly launched in September 2018, touching on the difficulties encountered and foreseen, and possible ways to address them.


21. Cognitive and Affective Influences on Science Anxiety in a Science Core-Text General Education Course in Hong Kong

HOI Wan Heng Sandy, WONG Wing Hung, PANG Kam Moon (Office of University General Education, CUHK)
NG Vitrierat Sophia (School of General Education and Languages, THEi HK)
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Science anxiety hinders students from effective scientific literacy and confident application of scientific knowledge to solve problems in life and academic situations. Science anxiety commonly arises when students take science or science-related general education courses. “In Dialogue with Nature” is a compulsory general education course for undergraduates of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. It encourages students to engage in reading science classics and discussion about science-related issues, aiming at building up confidence in seeing things from scientific perspectives.

Individuals’ cognitive competencies and perceptual sets could both affect the information to which they attend. Teachers should thus pay as much attention to students’ perception of competence as to actual competence. Their perception of competence may more accurately predict students’ motivation and future academic choices.

A tailor-made questionnaire named “Science Anxiety, Nature of Science & Course Self-efficacy Questionnaire” (SANCE) was developed to evaluate how science anxiety is related to students’ understanding of Nature of Science (NOS) (cognitive) and their self-efficacy towards this course (affective). The preliminary results of pre- and post- course surveys showed that students’ understanding of NOS and their self-efficacy towards the course increased significantly after taking the course, while their anxiety towards science had no significant change. In addition, regression analysis revealed that students’ science anxiety is correlated to course self-efficacy and their number of science courses studied in secondary school, but not correlated to understanding of NOS. This study thus provides insights into an effective teaching and learning strategy in general education courses.


22. Synergies between Micro-modules and Online Discussion Forum

NG Ka Leon Andy, CHEUNG Hang Cheong Derek, KIANG Kai Ming, WONG Ka Tai Isaac (Office of University General Education, CUHK)
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Both micro-modules and online discussion forums are commonly adopted online pedagogical tools that aim to enhance students’ learning. It is of our interest to know whether these e-Learning elements give a synergetic effect when they are implemented in a coupled manner. The question was addressed in a compulsory general education course, “In Dialogue with Nature”, in The Chinese University of Hong Kong. In 2017-18 Term 1, we administrated the coupled setting that students were asked to watch the suggested micro-modules before participating in an online discussion forum. On the contrary, in other semesters, watching the micro-modules was not a prerequisite for responding to the online discussion forum. In both terms of 2017-18, content analysis was conducted on each entry in the discussion forum, based on two coding schemes: quality of intended learning outcomes attainment and cognitive presence as in the Community of Inquiry framework. Online surveys were also administered to collect students’ perception towards micro-modules. Both survey and content analysis suggested the benefits of the coupled setting. Content analysis indicated that students could display better attainment in the intended learning outcomes and a more advanced cognitive stage. From the survey, more students thought that micro-modules aided their study in the course regarding textual understanding, reflection on the issues concerned and performance in assessment items.