Director’s message

Welcome to HKU’s new Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre (TALIC). We at the centre are ready to support your teaching and learning needs. TALIC will begin operations on the 1st of July, 2023, serving as an amalgamation of three existing units: the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL), focused on pedagogical support; the Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative (TeLi), which provides technological support; and the Teaching and Learning Evaluation and Measurement Unit (T&LEMU), with a focus on evaluation. TALIC reports to the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Teaching and Learning.

Starting from July 2023, TALIC will act as the prime unit in the University that promotes best practices in pedagogy, assessment, e-learning, and feedback. It will also play a key role in supporting the implementation of University policies in relation to teaching and learning. It will continue the active engagement with Faculties that the team has undertaken for many years, and will also promote the scholarship of teaching and learning. The unification of the three units will streamline operations, as the areas of support often need to collaborate interchangeably with teachers to provide optimal solutions in teaching and learning.

TALIC’s mandate is divided into four pillars: Professional Programmes, Edtech & Learning Design, Data & Analytics, and Enhancement & Research. Each pillar has its own specific goals, but the overarching aim is to support teachers in fostering an engaging and stimulating learning environment and experience for students. This may be achieved through offering programmes like the PCAP or Certificate, exploring tech solutions like SPOCs and other teaching apps, conducting surveys and analytics for actionable insights, or researching and responding to emerging technologies and trends such as GenAI. Our team, which includes e-learning technologists, academics, and educational developers, will often work together with the teachers to provide a solution.

The world is changing and has been catalysed by both the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of GenAI. In education, we are proactively working alongside our colleagues to refine and reassess our pedagogical methods for the future. The landscape of university education is evolving at a breakneck pace, prompting us to deeply reassess the familiar, the overlooked, and even the traditional aspects that we may have been resistant to change. Have we, for instance, fully leveraged tools like our Learning Management System? With the integration of GenAI, do our assessment methodologies continue to serve their purpose effectively? Moreover, we need to ensure that our teaching strategies truly equip our students to be productive members of society, but how can we verify this? Have we been successful in aiding our students to hone the generic skills outlined in our educational aims? These questions deserve thorough examination as we navigate this exciting era of rapid change in education.

As Director, I will lead our team across the four pillars to support our teachers. HKU’s research is among the best in Asia and in the world. I aim to lead the centre to similarly high levels of recognition in teaching and learning, showcasing our teachers’ work with the support of Faculties and Senior Management. My knowledge, experience, and research in the teaching and learning landscape at HKU, across Asia, and globally, gathered from years of engagement and research at different levels, provide a solid foundation for my leadership role.

I look forward to working and collaborating with you all.

Prof. Cecilia K Y Chan

Director, HKU Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre