Five Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) professors and their teaching teams were honored today(11 December) with Teaching Innovation Awards for successfully introducing new ideas, techniques and practices in teaching.
HKUST President, Prof Paul Chu, presented the awards at the third Teaching and Learning Symposium, a biennial event to promote novel teaching and learning at the University.
The five winners are:
Prof Jogesh K R Muppala, Department of Computer Science and Engineering
His innovative use of Web 2.0 technologies, like Blogs and Podcasting, provides a useful mechanism for instructors in higher education to enhance their course content, by offering additional channels for information delivery to their students and enhancing collaborative and cooperative learning. For example, a blog can be used for delivering additional information like course announcements, links to interesting websites and articles relevant to the course. Podcasting is a means of delivering online recorded audio of classroom lectures to enhance the course materials.
Prof David P Rossiter & Team, Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Prof Rossiter employs a web-based voice tool, the Gong system designed primarily for use in education, especially language learning. This system allows people to communicate using text and voice over the Internet. Students and teachers can participate in different discussion boards in the system. Inside these boards they can leave text and voice messages and they can also listen to and reply to messages from other people on the boards. It offers great assistance to language learners worldwide.
Prof Mike K P So , Department of Information and Systems Management
Prof So has developed an innovative teaching methodology—Problem-based Learning with Constructive Alignment (PBL/CA) that maps learning objectives and teaching activities to learning outcomes. It demonstrates an excellent implemention of outcome-based education.
Under this new teaching method, students are able to search suitable materials to solve problems by themselves and learn new things through sharing and discussion.
Prof Philip I K Sou & Team of the Department of Physics
Prof Sou has introduced a two-way learning method to nurture young researchers. He selected UG students to develop cutting–edge science and technology based on recent developments or inventions by faculty members. The research outcomes are used as teaching kits in existing courses and presented to secondary school students. Thus, students are advised by faculty and faculty are in turn inspired by students.
Mr Sean W J McMinn, Language Centre
Mr McMinn has fostered active learning with podcasting technology, providing a platform for students to practice English writing, listening and reading skills in a real life situation. Students and staff from all departments are invited to contribute stories, notices or comments to each podcast, to create an English-speaking community on campus.
The Teaching Innovation Awards is a biennial event that promotes novel teaching and learning at the University. At the Symposium, President Paul Chu presented the awards to the winners. The keynote speaker Prof Karl A. Smith, the Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching professor at the University of Minnesota, gave the keynote address on ” Designing Innovative Higher Education Programs : Insights from Research and Practice” to share his experiences of how to design courses and programs to ensure that they lead to enhanced student learning . Prof Karl A. Smith is a distinguished educator. He has been at the University of Minnesota since 1972 and is in phased retirement as Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor.
The Teaching and Learning Symposium was co-organized by HKUST’s Senate Committee on Teaching and Learning and the Center for Enhanced Learning and Teaching (http://celt.ust.hk/). To coincide with the Symposium, an exhibition on teaching and learning initiatives is being held on HKUST campus from 5 to 15 December 2007.
For media enquiries, please feel free to contact :
Luk Kam Wing
Tel: 2358 6306
Email: kluk@ust.hk
