HKU Bulletin September 2007 (Vol. 9 No. 1)

19 Every year the University recognizes teaching excellence by honouring outstanding educators. This year four teachers were selected for their contributions to teaching and learning. What it Takes to be Good Teacher D r Carol Chan Kwai Kuen, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education , said she was most honoured to be awarded with the University Teaching Fellowship. “It affirms my belief in the pursuit of excellence in teaching and research. University teaching is a complex phenomenon,” she said. “I believe quality teaching goes beyond obtaining high scores in student evaluation. It involves teachers having visions, ideas or ‘theories’ about what we want students to accomplish, and pursuing these ideas using different strategies, inquiring, testing and refining them in the same way we do in research, and sharing the discoveries with others.” Her classrooms, Chan said, “were laboratories for me and my students to examine and improve the theory and design of learning. I also share my ideas with the scholarly community through publication. “Over the years, I have had the good fortune of having taught many wonderful students and have continued to work with them long after they have graduated. It is gratifying to see them try out innovative ideas in their own work settings, influencing and inspiring others.” Her former student Mr Eddy Lee said Chan’s teaching excellence comes from her research knowledge in learning and her dedication to helping students learn. “Unlike many university lecturers who only preach theories, she is able to make research and teaching go together, and excels in both areas. She is internationally recognized for her work in knowledge building, and has a number of important awards to her credit. “I first met Dr Chan in my MEd course in 1998. She helped me see what I am good at and inspired me so much that I applied what I learned from her in my school after graduation. I also worked with her as a PhD student, and under her tuition I was fortunate enough to obtain two international awards. “Dr Chan is an excellent teacher who practices what she preaches. She strives for excellence in classroom teaching and I admire her use of inquiry-based learning, learning portfolios and computer-based learning. These strategies are strongly advocated by governments worldwide, and are now beginning to take root in Hong Kong. Of course, Dr Chan knows the theory behind these innovations, but it is her deep passion for learning that enables her to put them so successfully into practice. She is an unusual teacher who takes risks and goes beyond the norm. Not surprisingly, many of Hong Kong’s most courageous and innovative teachers are former students of hers,” he said. Chan’s teaching has had a lasting impact on her students. Lee said that she often continues to collaborate with her graduates in trying out new ideas and pedagogy. “Learning and novel insights gained in our schools are brought back to Dr Chan’s university classroom as one of her many teaching resources. Past graduates are invited from time to time to share how they have applied the theories they learnt from Dr Chan in their classrooms. “Her approach to her vocation is best summed up by the motto on her office door: ‘Learning has no limit’. Those of us who have learned so much from her can only hope that we can inspire our own students as she has inspired us,” he added. Outstanding achievement on the part of the University’s teachers and researchers was recognized at the Award Presentation Ceremony for Excellence in Teaching and Research 2006, held in the Rayson Huang Theatre. During the ceremony four University Teaching Fellowships were awarded and four Outstanding Research Student Supervisor Awards, three Outstanding Researcher Awards and eight Outstanding Young Researcher Awards were made. Under a new Faculty-based award scheme, ten Research Output Prizes were also presented in recognition of outstanding individual publications. Speaking at this sixth annual ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor Professor Lap-Chee Tsui reminded his audience that outstanding achievement in both research and teaching lay at the heart of the University’s reputation. He noted that the University could boast the highest number of peer-reviewed publications per researcher in the region, and continued to win the largest share of funding in the Research Grants Council’s (RGC) annual Competitive Earmarked Research Grant exercise. It also pursued a successful and internationally-respected teaching philosophy, which focused on student-centred learning and whole-person development and employed a challenging, problem- based learning approach. The Vice-Chancellor said that the high quality of its teachers and researchers had consistently attracted top students to join the University. He noted that the University’s students did better in critical examinations than their counterparts at other local tertiary institutions, and that the University’s levels of English proficiency were also the highest of any UGC-funded (University Grant Committee) institution. Dr the Honourable David Li Kwok Po, the University’s Pro-Chancellor (pictured below) , was the Guest of Honour at the ceremony and gave a concluding address. He reminded his audience of the strenuous efforts made by each of the award winners, and praised the University’s commitment to excellence. “The high quality of the work recognized today is also a tribute to the unremitting efforts of the University’s management teams at university, faculty and departmental levels to encourage innovation and the pursuit of excellence in the areas of research and teaching respectively.” This year’s Bulletin includes features on the 2005-06 Teaching Fellows and the winners of the Outstanding Research Student Supervisor, Outstanding Young Researcher and Outstanding Researcher Awards. It is intended to feature a number of articles on the winners of the Research Output Awards in the next few issues of the Bulletin . Further information about the recipients of the research awards and their areas of research can be obtained from the website or email address provided after each article. Excellence in Teaching and Research, 2005-06 18