Teaching exchange can be an effective mechanism for exploring different approaches to the teaching of contemporary issues across programme curricula and at the institutional level, and to gain new perspectives and insights on student learning. In this upcoming seminar, Prof. Mathew Pryor will share the experience of his 100-day teaching exchange (Spring 2024) with the Landscape Department at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Sweden, looking at their multi-disciplinary exploration of urban biodiversity issues, and discusses the changes it has had on his own teaching and pedagogical research.

Grants for overseas reciprocal visits through ‘Teaching Exchange Fellowship Scheme’

To encourage HKU staff to introduce new ideas and innovative teaching methods by engaging with teachers from overseas universities, HKU has established the “Teaching Exchange Fellowship Scheme”. Under this scheme, HKU will provide funding up to $50,000 for reciprocal staff visits and a teaching relief grant of up to $60,000 may also be awarded to successful applicant’s department.

A seminar will be organized, open to all teaching staff, to offer a comprehensive overview of this funding scheme. The seminar aims to provide information on key objective, funding amounts, eligibility and application process. Additionally, it will offer valuable advice on preparing a successful application and guide participants on planning exchange visits to enhance the scholarship of teaching at HKU, which is the aim of the scheme. The seminar will also showcase examples, on how this funding opportunity can be used by HKU teaching staff to share experience and to collaborate on teaching and curriculum development initiatives with overseas reputable universities through reciprocal visits.

We highly recommend that staff who are considering applying for the scheme to attend the seminar. It will be beneficial for staff who attended the last seminar but didn’t have sufficient time to establish overseas connections, as well as those who are planning ahead for next application cycle (having a Thursday, October 31, 2024 closing date), would also find the seminar useful. If you are unsure whether the scheme align with your teaching innovations, or if you simply want to learn more about it, you are welcome to attend. For further information, please refer to the Circular on this scheme available at https://tl.hku.hk/staff/tefs/.

Enquiry-based learning describes a method of teaching and learning based on self-directed enquiry by the student, it has the potential to be applied to a variety of courses and programs. In this upcoming seminar, Ms. Jody Chu will be sharing her experience and insights gained from University of Queensland, with a particular focus on the application of enquiry-based learning as part of a curriculum revamp. Furthermore, Jody will discuss the importance of considering a suitable balance between in-person and e-learning under the umbrella of enquiry-based learning. By incorporating UQ’s expertise and understanding the challenges during their execution of enquiry-based learning during curriculum revamp, this seminar offers an opportunity for discussion of how self-directed learning can be encouraged and facilitated in our curriculum for higher education.

The Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) program at HKU has recently undergone a significant curriculum revamp which impacted on the course organisation and assessment. To enhance this transformation, the Teaching Exchange Fellowship (TEF) offered a remarkable opportunity for knowledge exchange with University College London (UCL), which is currently ranked number 4 in QS for Pharmacology and Pharmacy. In this upcoming seminar, Ms. Eliza Tam will be sharing valuable insights gained from UCL, with a particular focus on authentic learning and assessment methods such as Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Furthermore, she will discuss the importance of developing a curriculum that aligns with the evolving professional needs of the field. By incorporating UCL’s expertise and understanding the challenges during their execution, the aim is to bring in the best practice to suit our local context. This seminar offers insight and practical knowledge on how lessons learned can be transformed into practice and the value of authentic learning and assessment for 21^st century learners.