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Monday 7 October 2024
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Experiential Learning Seminar Series

Experiential Learning Seminar Series
Organised by Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL)

Series Abstract
Practicing Experiential Learning is not the same after the pandemic. Are you inspired to see how other international leaders are engaging in online Experiential Learning? HKU CETL invites you to join us for an interactive Experiential Learning seminar series. We will have a dialogue with international speakers who will share with us how they engage students, embed theory into practice, overcome challenges, and identify opportunities for experiential learning. Please join us in this exciting series. All are welcome.

[12 May 2022] Seminar 1: How to embed experiential learning as a pedagogical practice and a form of assessment
Seminar 1 - How to embed experiential learning as a pedagogical practice and a form of assessment

Date : 12 May 2022 (Thur)
Time : 1:00pm – 2:00pm (HKT, UTC+8)
Venue : Zoom
Speakers :

  • Dr. Louise Jenkins, Director of Student Engagement, Senior Lecturer, School of Curriculum, Teaching and Inclusive Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University
  • Prof. Gray A Williams, Director, The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong
  • Abstract
    Experiential Learning in Initial Teacher Education courses: connecting the university learning to the professional space – by Dr. Louise Jenkins
    The provision of an impactful educational experience for students which engages them positively in their learning, are two important goals for educators in school and university classrooms. Globally, universities also have an imperative to support the development of graduates who will be successful in gaining employment and in the navigation of their professional careers. To enable these outcomes, universities need to develop appropriate professional skills and understanding in their students to prepare them well for their chosen profession. Experiential Learning provides an opportunity to achieve all the above while engaging students in meaningful and positive learning.

    This presentation discusses Experiential Learning as an inclusion in university Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses to support the development of crucial professional skills and understanding for the students. Experiential Learning enables strong links to be drawn between theory and practice to develop students’ readiness for the professional space. Given the educational landscape has recently been significantly affected by the global pandemic, educators now need to consider flexible approaches which cater for sudden and unexpected changes to the way they may be required to teach.

    An example of how to embed Experiential Learning as a pedagogical practice and form of assessment in an ITE music method classroom will be discussed, including how this was achieved as an online offering when the pandemic unexpectedly impacted ‘face-to-face’ learning. The benefits for the ITE students’ professional development will be outlined, as well as how this learning extended positively into the professional school environment for graduates.

    About the speakers

    Dr. Louise Jenkins is the Director of Student Engagement in the Faculty of Education at Monash University, Australia. In this leadership capacity Louise focuses on the development of a positive and engaging academic and personal experience for faculty students. Dr Jenkins is also a pre-service teacher educator whose research and teaching focus on Experiential Learning, Blended Learning, Team Teaching, Music Education and Inclusive Education Practices.

    Dr Jenkins’ strong teacher practitioner focus and emphasis on teacher-led research underpin all of her professional endeavours. She uses Action Research and Experiential Learning in her pre-service teacher classes to drive flexible and contemporary teaching practice and to enhance positive educational outcomes for all her students. In particular, she uses Experiential Learning as a form of assessment in her pre-service teacher music method classes to increase learner engagement, develop strong and contemporary pedagogical practice for her students and enhance professional skills and understanding.

    Additionally, Dr Jenkins has researched in the areas of educational inclusion for migrant and refugee youth and pre-service teachers’ skills in relation to working with LGBTIQ+ school students. She has also devised and implemented Professional Development programs for classroom music teachers about effective ways to work with music students with disabilities.

    Prof. Gray A Williams is an intertidal ecologist and much of his teaching involves residential, field-based experiences. He has been involved in experiential fieldcourses to the US, Canada, Malaysia and for >10 years has co-coordinated a multi-university ‘living laboratory’ course investigating the coastal ecosystems of the eastern cape of South Africa.
    [19 May 2022] Seminar 2: Transdisciplinary Experiential Learning
    Seminar 2 - Transdisciplinary Experiential Learning

    Date : 19 May 2022 (Thur)
    Time : 1:00pm – 2:00pm (HKT, UTC+8)
    Venue : Zoom
    Speakers :

  • Prof. Louise McWhinnie, Emeritus Professor, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Adjunct Professor: TD School (UTS)
  • Prof. Blair Kuys, Professor, School of Design and Architecture at Swinburne University of Technology
  • Abstract
    Transdisciplinary Experiential Learning… not just Student Learning – by Prof. Louise McWhinnie
    This presentation explores the design and impact of experiential student learning within a transdisciplinary environment, and additionally considers how experiential learning and its benefits are not only for students.

    Engaging students in experiential learning – Design-driven entrepreneurship in industrial design – by Prof. Blair Kuys
    This presentation will provide context on connectivist learning theory and how that can be used to benefit industrial design and its inherent link with manufacturing. Creativity and innovation stem from a connectivist learning theory generating knowledge exchange between design and manufacturing. From an industrial design perspective, creativity pedagogy needs to address current issues in order to overcome creativity barriers for improving creativity in industrial design education. Facilitating staff development, providing creativity in training to students, encouraging group work and building a creative learning environment are all discussed. All of this will come if connectivism as a model is promoted to help wider the thinking of industrial design students, staff and course leaders.

    Examples of how this approach is used for real-world projects is shown. Too often good ideas just stay ideas because it is expensive to develop new products. By linking manufacturing capabilities to these ideas, there is a greater chance of advancing them into commercial reality. Connecting designers and manufacturers creates conditions for a mutually beneficial partnership; manufacturers can expand their offering and designers can launch new products into the world. This mutually beneficial engagement between designers and manufacturers creates a platform for entrepreneurship and innovation to flourish.

    About the speakers

    Emeritus Professor Louise McWhinnie is an Emeritus Professor, previously the inaugural Dean of the Faculty of Transdisciplinary Innovation at The University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and prior to that the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building. She has lived and worked as an academic in three continents (Europe, Asia and Australia), with her research conducted predominantly within a fourth (North America).

    With UTS’s transdisciplinary vision, Louise was one of a small team of academics who designed and launched Australia’s first undergraduate transdisciplinary programme. The Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation (BCII) double degree quickly grew to be amongst the university’s most sought after programs. With its significant integration of industry, staff and students work with industry partners to address wicked, complex and connected problems beyond the boundaries of singular disciplines. Such educational innovation has resulted in numerous awards, including in what are known as the ‘oscars of education’.

    Louise’s own research and its integration into teaching has also resulted in national and university awards and citations. She has undertaken radio, TV interviews and keynotes in Australia, and delivered keynotes, masterclasses and workshops in Auckland, London, Singapore, Istanbul, Washington DC, Chicago and Boston.

    Professor Blair Kuys is a Professor of Design at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. He is currently the Associate Dean Research in the School of Design and Architecture and is an active researcher who is instrumental in embedding industrial design research, theories and practice in traditional manufacturing fields to sustain and grow productivity. More recently he has expanded his work in Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Korea and India and has 22 products go to market. He has been awarded over AU$8M of research income and won three consecutive Good Design Awards for his products with Atlite Skylights (2018, 2019 and 2020). He is also the recipient of seven Vice-Chancellor’s Awards which is the highest accolade at Swinburne University of Technology.
    [25 May 2022] Seminar 3: Reflecting on Experiential Learning: Employability Development in Virtual Spaces
    Seminar 3 - Reflecting on Experiential Learning: Employability Development in Virtual Spaces

    Date : 25 May 2022 (Wed)
    Time : 1:30pm – 2:30pm (HKT, UTC+8)
    Venue : Zoom
    Speakers :

  • Dr Willox, Director, Student Enrichment and Employability Development (SEED), Principal Fellow of AdvanceHE, The University of Queensland
  • Anna Richards, Senior Manager – Learning Partnerships for Student Enrichment and Employability Development at The University of Queensland, and an Associate Fellow of AdvanceHE
  • Dr. Lucy P. JORDAN, M.S.W., PhD., Associate Professor, Department of Social Work and Social Administration
  • Abstract
    Focussing on self-reflective practice for enhancing employability, this presentation looks at how the SEAL method of self-reflection was applied in virtual extracurricular spaces during the last few years. We explore how technology was leveraged to create a cohort and build community online, and focus on the key success factors. We consider how this approach may, or may not, work for different virtual experiences and cohorts, suggesting a pragmatic approach to virtual experiential learning and community creation.

    About the speakers

    Dr. Dino Willox is Director, Student Employability, at The University of Queensland and a Principal Fellow of AdvanceHE. They are responsible for the strategic direction, framework, and services that assist students to become game-changing graduates. Working in partnership with internal and external stakeholders, Dino’s work spans professional, academic, curricular, and extracurricular spaces, taking a multidimensional strategic approach to embedding employability. Dino is also Chair of the UQ Ally Action Committee where they work with colleagues to ensure that diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality are recognised as vital for creativity and innovation.

    Outside UQ, Dino is Chair of the Employability Group and a member of the Student Experience Group for Universitas 21 (U21), a global network of research-intensive universities, and a member of the organising committee for the Australian International Education Conference. In a former life, they represented Wales, Great Britain, and Australia as a field hockey umpire in tournaments worldwide.

    Ms. Anna Richards is the Senior Manager – Learning Partnerships for Student Enrichment and Employability Development at The University of Queensland, and an Associate Fellow of AdvanceHE. Anna works in partnership with staff across the university to embed employability development and work integrated learning within courses and programs, and manages a team that coordinates a range of employability and enrichment initiatives for students, including Student Research programs, the Student-Staff Partnership Program, and the Employability Award. Anna is also the co-author and course director for the Massive Open Online Course, EMPLOY101x – Unlocking your employability.
    Dr. Lucy P. JORDAN is Associate Dean for Undergraduates and Teaching & Learning in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Since 2019 in this role she has supported colleagues and students to continuously adapt to unprecedented and unpredictable times locally and globally. The HKU-FOSS Experiential Learning team is the experiential learning hub for Social Innovation and Global Citizenship (SIGC) collaborating with teachers, students and community partners and has delivered innovative solutions including Global Citizenship at Home (GC@Home), Community Engaged Research Internship (CERI) among other diverse offerings during the past three years. Of particular relevance to the topic of today’s session, the newly established E-Learning Team has been working closely with EL department to offer new approaches to experiential learning as well as translation of skills from EL to career development.
    [02 Jun 2022] Seminar 4: Future of learning and SDGs: From disciplinary to experiential learning
    Seminar 4 - Future of learning and SDGs: From disciplinary to experiential learning

    Date : 02 Jun 2022 (Thur)
    Time : 3:00pm – 4:00pm (HKT, UTC+8)
    Venue : Zoom
    Speakers :

  • Prof. Olga Kokshagina, Associate Professor in Innovation & Entrepreneurship
  • Dr. Martin Henz, Associate Professor of Computer Science, the National University of Singapore (NUS)
  • Abstract
    Future of learning and SDGs: From disciplinary to experiential learning – by Prof. Olga Kokshagina
    Addressing global challenges or Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) require the involvement of the high education institutions (HEI). Recently many adopted initiatives such as challenge-based learning (CBL) fostering student transversal competencies, knowledge of sociotechnical problems, and collaboration with different stakeholders. Yet, the initiatives remain fragmented, HEI’s capacity in contributing to them remains unclear. In this research, we argue that CBL implementation within HEI might be enhanced through experiential learning. Based on a review of the academic and grey literature and qualitative study with 130 different stakeholders involved in HEIs, we first explore how different stakeholders within the HEI understand and deal with the transition to SDGs. Second, based on the requirements and insights we develop a framework for SDG transition based on experiential learning. This research supports future work and implementation of CBL by extending this concept to the experiential learning framework.

    Meaningful online learning experiences with Source Academy – by Dr. Martin Henz
    Motivation and a sense of belonging are crucial for a student’s learning journey in a computer science undergraduate programme, and well-staffed physical universities are uniquely positioned to meet this need. The COVID pandemic drastically reduced physical interaction among students and between students and educators with severe consequences for student motivation, sense of belonging, and general well-being. For facilitating learning activities, educators resorted to general-purpose online tools that typically lack the subject-specific depth and richness of human interaction required for effective first-year introductory courses. Starting in 2018, students and instructors of the Computer Science department at the National University of Singapore have built the Source Academy, an immersive online experiential environment for learning programming. This presentation describes how the Source Academy managed to overcome the challenges posed by the COVID pandemic, using a graphic-novel-style game, advanced collaborative features, and extensive support for online student-instructor interaction. Software demonstrations highlight the features that enabled effective experiential online learning of programming using computer graphics, sound processing, and robotics. The presentation concludes with an assessment of the improvements in student motivation and sense of belonging arising from the development of the Source Academy by senior students striving to improve the learning experiences of their juniors.

    About the speakers

    Prof. Olga Kokshagina is an Associate Professor of innovation and entrepreneurship at the EDHEC Business School. She contributes to the EDHEC chair on “Foresight, Innovation and Transformation” and the Mines ParisTech’s industrial chair on “Theory and Methods for innovative design”. She is a recipient of the 2018 vice chancellor research fellowship at the RMIT University and the 2021 RMIT research award on research impact in design. Her research focuses on the areas of strategic management of design, open & radical innovation and the role of digital technologies in transforming the nature of work. She holds a PhD in management science from Mines ParisTech PSL Research University. Olga has delivered training and consulted a variety of organizations such as Danone, Airbus, Society Generale, Schneider Electric, Technip FMC, Accenture. She is a member of the French Digital Council (CNNUM) and co-author of Radical Innovation Playbook and Envisioning the future of learning for creativity, innovation books published by De Gruyteur.
    Dr. Martin Henz is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He obtained a doctorate from Saarland University in Germany and a Masters of Science from Stony Brook University in the US, both in Computer Science. The guiding motivation for his current work is the scalability of experiential learning. With his NUS colleagues, he scaled the experiential introductory computer science course CS1101S from 48 students in 2012 to 670 students in 2021. This work led to the textbook Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, JavaScript Edition, by Harold Abelson and Gerald J. Sussman, adapted to JavaScript by Martin Henz and Tobias Wrigstad, and motivated the development of the Source Academy, an online experiential environment for learning programming. Martin co-founded the software company Workforce Optimizer Pte Ltd with Alan Sevugan, and supervised Rahul Singhal’s PhD, which led to the formation of the education company Cerebry. He initiated several experiential learning activities at NUS, including the NUS Seafarers, a programme for maritime exploration that was active 2017-2020; FrogWorks, a prototyping studio at the NUS Engineering Design & Innovation Centre that was active 2011-2016; and The Physics of Sailing, a collaboration with NUS physics professors that was active 2011-2017.

    For information, please contact:
    Ms. Lavina Luk, CETL
    Phone: 3917 5272; Email: ytluk89@hku.hk