innovative
pedagogy
CEI NEWSletter
Issue 3/ March 2024
Contents
Navigating the Future with
Innovative Pedagogy
Seeing AI through the Human Lens
Fostering an Active Classroom Through Innovative Pedagogy: A Conversation with Professor James Ka Lei Wong
Making Use of Online Platforms to Get More out of our Teaching
Microsoft 365 Copilot First Impression
Announcements
Collective Vision
Navigating the Future with Innovative Pedagogy
Welcome back to "Collective Vision," where we collectively explore and shape the evolving narrative of education at HKUST. Your insights are always crucial as we strive for educational excellence in our community.
In our previous edition focused on creativity, we asked you to define what creativity means in the realm of education. The diversity of your responses illuminated creativity as a multifaceted gem, integral to fostering innovative thinking and problem-solving skills in our students.
This issue seeks to expand our dialogue by exploring the dynamic approaches that constitute innovative teaching and learning. Active learning stands as a key component of this exploration, representing a synergy between the creative engagement of students and the adoption of non-traditional, interactive educational methods.
As we delve into the rich landscape of innovative pedagogy, we invite your reflections on active learning: "What does active learning mean to you?"
Faculty Frontiers
Seeing AI through the Human Lens
There's no doubt that AI literacy has become one of the most critical skills for anyone to survive in the future world. Yet, given its broad scope and complex nature, how can it be taught effectively and meaningfully? At HKUST, Prof. Joon Nak Choi (Adjunct Associate Professor of the Department of Management) and Dr. Sean McMinn (Director of the Center for Education Innovation)have co-developed and launched the common core course AI and Society: Ethics, Cognition, and Critical Analysis. Through the well-designed learning tasks, the course enables students to understand the fundamentals of AI, explore its power and limitations, and most importantly, reflect upon the unique thinking and learning process of human being in the AI era.
We were excited to have the opportunity to sit down with Prof. Choi, and two Year 1 Business major students, Muhammad Hashir Nisar and Lawrence Lai, to discuss this ongoing innovative learning journey. Most amazingly, we heard insightful reflections from Lawrence and Hashir about their extensive interaction with AI through many hands-on activities in the course.
Lawrence Lai, Year 1, Business Student
It (ChatPT) was mysterious but it was powerful. It was like some sort of Eldritch God…But the more you study it,
even if you learn how magic works, it's still magic.
Play the video to know more about their sharing!
Faculty Frontiers
Fostering an Active Classroom Through Innovative Pedagogy:
A Conversation with Prof. James Ka Lei Wong
Professor James Ka Lei Wong (Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences / Assistant Professor of Social Science Education) has been committed to utilizing innovative pedagogy to foster an active and engaging classroom. Through CEI-funded projects, he has experimented with implementing blended learning, utilizing case studies, and harnessing generative-AI for teaching and learning.
Professor Wong sat down with us to discuss how he has utilized innovative approaches, the effects this has had on students’ learning, and recommendations for faculty members who are thinking about utilizing innovative pedagogy.
Teaching and learning are not separated.
We are in one collaborative community. Teachers are there to facilitate rather than to impose what they know on the students.
AEE Fellowship Spotlight
Making Use of Online Platforms to Get More out of our Teaching
Prof. Yi Wang, one of our esteemed fellows, is the Associate Professor at the Department of Physics, specializing in theoretical high energy physics and cosmology. He has been a Stephen Hawking Fellow at Cambridge before joining HKUST.
By studying elementary particles from cosmological observations, he delves into the connection between the smallest and largest objects known to mankind. His research focuses on the study of inflation in quantum field theory, along with observational clues from the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure. He has also published two popular science books, and his popular science videos and live broadcasts were viewed more than 100 million times.
The online component that Prof. Wang added to a graduate-level physics course at HKUST was successful, which received over 84k replay views, exceeding his expectations. Hence, Prof. Wang plans to convert the course to a MOOC to benefit a broader community. He believed that the success of this online component has demonstrated the potential for incorporating technology in higher education to enhance learning opportunities for students and expand the reach of educational institutions.
Watch the video below to learn more about Prof. Wang’s sharing.
CEI Sharing
Microsoft 365 Copilot First Impression
by Ken Yu (Learning Designer, CEI)
Microsoft has just unveiled Microsoft Copilot Pro for Microsoft 365, their new AI subscription designed to transform how we work. With early access to its organizational features, I've explored its integration into everyday tools, showcasing its seamless blend into our digital environment. Although it doesn't surpass ChatGPT 4.0 Turbo in capability, the progress is significant. Discover in Ken’s review why its integration and improvements make it a must-try for educational innovation.
Announcements
HKUST joins Digital Education Council for AI and Higher Education Innovation
CEI is proud to announce that HKUST is a founding member of the Digital Education Council (DEC). Initiated by over a dozen high-profile universities worldwide, DEC is a global alliance that unites universities and corporates to drive sustainable innovation and AI adoption in higher education and workforce development. Through this partnership, the university is committed to exploring and implementing technologies and innovative pedagogies that enhance our educational offerings and prepare our students for an ever-changing world and the future workplace.
As a founding member, HKUST will have access to DEC Executive Briefings, a monthly guide to global trends in higher education and the future of work and skills. These briefings shall provide valuable insights into technological advancements, new pedagogical models, and startup innovations.
Members of the university can access DEC Executive Briefings here.
For more information about the Digital Education Council, please visit here.
Announcements
CEI-Hosted
Professional Development Workshops
In March, the CEI ran two professional development workshops to support faculty members in their teaching and learning practices.
“Utilizing Generative AI in Assessment Design”
- Miranda Fung (Language Educator & Course Developer, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Metropolitan University)
In this workshop, Ms. Fung drew on case studies from top universities worldwide to recommend strategies on how to implement Gen-AI in assessment to foster student empowerment. You can find the link to this workshop here.
“Engaging Students: Leveraging on
competition and collaboration”
-Professor Jeevan Jaisingh (Associate Professor, Business Education, HKUST)
Professor Jaisingh, one of our Academy of Education Excellence (AEE) fellows, shared how to leverage competition and collaboration in teaching and learning to foster student engagement and participation. You can find the link to this workshop here.
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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
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