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Title
Teaching and Learning
Category
general
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https://tl.hku.hk/tl/
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Teaching and Learning

Source: https://tl.hku.hk/tl/ Parent: https://tl.hku.hk/plagiarism/

Teaching and Learning

The University of Hong Kong

Teaching and Learning

Governance and Planning

Teaching and learning is central to the University’s Mission, which together with the University’s Vision and Role statements articulate HKU’s position as an English-medium, research intensive institution, committed to providing a campus-based education in a comprehensive range of academic disciplines for outstanding students by world-class academics.

Our academic pursuits, benchmarked against leading institutions across the world, are globally competitive and regionally engaged, committed to producing well-rounded graduates with lifelong abilities to provide leadership within the societies they serve.

In the past decade, HKU witnessed a historic reform in its undergraduate education. The new undergraduate curriculum was successfully implemented in September 2012. HKU took full advantage of this opportunity to re-envision our curriculum as a ‘total learning experience’. We have introduced new and innovative forms of learning, upgraded our infrastructure and extended learning into all corners of university life.

In July 2021, the University has published its Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Strategy 2021-28 – Delivering for Our Students.

The University's annual report

Educational Aims and Institutional Learning Outcomes for Ug Curricula

Benchmarked against the highest international standards, the 4-year undergraduate curriculum at HKU is designed to enable our students to develop their capabilities in:

Aim 1:   Pursuit of academic/professional excellence, critical intellectual inquiry and life-long learning

Aim 2:   Tackling novel situations and ill-defined problems

Aim 3:   Critical self-reflection, greater understanding of others, and upholding personal and professional ethics

Aim 4:  Intercultural communication, and global citizenship

Aim 5:   Communication and collaboration

Aim 6:   Leadership and advocacy for the improvement of the human condition

Educational Aims and Institutional Learning Outcomes for TPg Curricula

Benchmarked against the highest international standards, the taught postgraduate curricula at HKU are designed to enable our students to develop their capabilities in:

Aim 1:   Critical intellectual enquiry and acquiring up-to-date knowledge and research skills in a discipline/profession

Aim 2:   Application of knowledge and research skills to practice or theoretical exploration, demonstrating originality and creativity

Aim 3:   Tackling novel situations and ill-defined problems

Aim 4:   Collaboration and communication of disciplinary knowledge to specialists and the general public

Aim 5:   Awareness of and adherence to personal and professional ethics

Aim 6:   Enhancement of leadership and advocacy skills in a profession

(This educational aim applies only to professional curricula.)

Forms of Learning

Experiential Learning

The incorporation of experiential and ‘out of classroom’ learning into the formal curriculum is standard practice in professional programmes and is increasingly being formalized in non-professional programmes at HKU. This bottom-up initiative has been made one of the common learning experiences in the 4-year curriculum.

Other experiential learning is also organised at University level. The HKU Worldwide Student Exchange Programme administers reciprocal academic student exchanges with over 280 partner institutions in 37 countries. Incoming exchange students contribute to internationalising the campus while outgoing undergraduates invariably return as more mature and resourceful individuals after having acquired a rich learning experience in a different educational, social and cultural environment.

Introducing\ Experiential Learning @ HKU

Outcome-based Approach to Student Learning (OBASL)

Embedded in the plans for implementing the 4-year curriculum are strategies for making curriculum objectives and pedagogical concerns a more explicit focus. This is achieved through incorporating OBASL as an integral part of Curriculum Reform to ensure that the educational aims are achieved in students’ learning experiences rather than as a separate initiative in response to the University Grants Committee’s call. OBASL entails a shift in focus from teaching to learning. The ultimate goal is to engage students in deep understanding (deep learning) rather than a surface factual recall (surface learning) which teaching and learning research indicates is achieved through clear understanding and appreciation of the Learning Outcomes.

Problem-based Learning

The University adopts problem-based and student-centred learning to stimulate active learning among students. Authentic problems or situations are used as a way of stimulating students to discover and explore the key concepts and skills of the discipline in class, while teachers act as facilitators and guides in the process. This new learning method helps students to reason their way through problems, to think critically, and to learn to become self-directed lifelong learners.

Co-curricular Learning

The Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS) is the main provider of co-curricular non-credit-bearing learning activities at HKU. Students also engage in community service or advocacy projects which typically entail a process of training, service and reflection. CEDARS liaises with Faculties on how to better integrate service learning with the formal curriculum.

Quality Assurance and Quality Enhancement

Quality Assurance and Quality Enhancement Processes All taught programmes, at both the University’s undergraduate (Ug) and taught postgraduate (TPg) levels, undergo similar quality assurance and quality enhancement processes. Details are set out in the University’s .

Quality Assurance Council Audit, 2023

Quality Assurance Council Audit, 2015

Quality Assurance Council Audit, 2009

Teaching Excellence Awards (TEAS)

The Teaching Excellence Award Scheme (TEAS) aims to recognise, reward and promote excellence in teaching at the University.  Under TEAS, there are four awards, viz. the University Distinguished Teaching Award (UDTA), Outstanding Teaching Award (OTA), Teaching Innovation Award (TIA) and Early Career Teaching Award (ECTA). In addition to individual awards, both OTA and TIA grant team awards to recognise and encourage collaborative effort and achievement in enhancing T&L. All staff members and students are encouraged to nominate teachers who have made outstanding T&L contributions for these awards. All Faculties also have their own teaching award schemes.

The University nominates TEA winners for the UGC Teaching Award which was launched in 2011 to signal the importance placed by the UGC on quality T&L in the higher education sector. The UGC Teaching Award Scheme comprises three categories, viz. General Faculty Members, Early Career Faculty Members, and Collaborative Teams.

Teaching Excellence Award Scheme 2025 / 2024 / 2023 / 2022 / 2021 / 2020 / 2019 / 2018 / 2017 / 2016 / 2015 / / / /  / /

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is an innovative pedagogical approach that connects, through online technology, teachers and students from different geographical and linguacultural regions to enable them to engage in discussions, collaborative projects and other virtual exchanges, with a view to providing a transformative, cross-cultural and transnational learning experience.  The University’s COIL Guidelines and associated forms for undergraduate and taught postgraduate courses are available below:

Awards and Scholarships for Students

Student scholarship and bursary information is available by linking from the University Home Page to the University’s Student pages.

Students who perform well in their studies may be awarded scholarships for overseas exchanges. The University has about 2,400 scholarships and prizes available for undergraduate students.

Scholarships and prizes are awarded on both academic merit and/or other specific conditions stipulated by the donors.

Undergraduates can apply directly for scholarships advertised on the Faculty notice-boards and on the Student Intranet. The Registry also advertises scholarships and prizes for students as they become available throughout the year.

Students are advised to periodically check the notices on the Faculty notice-boards and the e-notices on the University Intranet system via the HKU Portal for details of how to apply for the various scholarships during the year.

Teaching Development Grant (TDG)

The TDG Scheme underlines the University’s commitment to furthering its mission in Teaching and Learning. The TDGs are intended to support projects and activities that will have an impact on the strategic development and promotion of Teaching and Learning. To view completed TDG projects (awarded from 2005-2006 onwards), please click here. For HKU staff members who are interested in submitting TDG applications, please access News for Staff.