HKU Bulletin May 2008 (Vol. 9 No. 2)

19 D r Duncan Macfarlane, Associate Professor of the Institute of Human Performance (IHP) , said: “I base my teaching philosophy around the premise that to teach well, you need to have an innate passion, and gain a deep sense of satisfaction from seeing students learning successfully. Good teachers generally need a wide repertoire of skills: they need to be inventive and creative in order to engineer student learning to be an active, challenging and rewarding experience, one that is also a fun and interesting part of a research-led environment. Without these components students will rapidly find the teaching dull and they struggle to learn. “It therefore helps to also think and react like a student by reflecting on what teaching strategies are most likely to succeed. It is important to facilitate students to become critical and independent learners, who believe their learning is relevant, as today’s students are highly pragmatic – they typically only learn knowledge that is relevant in achieving their goals. “Although most of the rewards from good teaching are intrinsic, it is very gratifying that HKU recognizes the importance of excellence in teaching (and research), by providing tangible rewards to good teachers via the Performance Review and Development (PRD) process, and ultimately in the form of a University Teaching Fellowship (UTF). Obtaining a UTF is indeed an honour and it serves to validate my commitment to teaching at this world-class University. His PhD student, Anson Chan, added: “We all know that the basic responsibility of a teacher is to facilitate student learning but how can we define an excellent teacher and how can we distinguish one? It is not simple but I have come up with some elements: they are dedication, uniqueness, neutrality, consideration, appreciation, and a never-ceasing spirit. “Being dedicated is undoubtedly the most important element for a teacher while an excellent teacher should also have his or her own unique style. Dr Macfarlane teaches in a truly interactive way, not only asking students questions, but also inviting students to prepare teaching topics and present them in class – as well as making the learning fun, often by making jokes that reinforce learning concepts. This fun and interactive teaching style enhances students’ attitude to learning and helps break the ice between the teacher and students. “Being neutral means being fair and a good teacher should remain neutral when teaching or assessing a student’s performance. Dr Macfarlane rewards good effort but equally penalizes poor effort. When some fellow staff members enrolled in his anthropometry course, he did not show any favouritism for his colleagues. If any of them were absent from the lab, he deducted their marks as he would for any student. We respected his neutrality. “Being considerate is also very important and Dr Macfarlane tries his best to be familiar with his students’ needs, by regularly staying behind after class to talk with them. “Being appreciat ive is another key. Dr Macfar lane appreciates students not only when they do well, but even when they make mistakes, because he believes we learn from our mistakes. “The last element is a never-ceasing spirit. Some teachers begin their career with a lot of enthusiasm but slowly their good teaching begins to decline. Dr Macfarlane has been teaching at HKU for more than 12 years, yet he has always maintained an excellent teaching reputation and has shown strong leadership within the IHP, and his never-ceasing spirit makes him a role- model for both students and staff.” 18 TEACHING AND RESEARCH D r Yoshiko Nakano, Assistant Professor of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures , said: “I have always believed that teaching doesn’t have to be confined to the classroom. So, after joining the Department of Japanese Studies in 2000, I began to search for ways in which we might cooperate wi th Hong Kong’s 25,000-strong Japanese communi ty, and subsequently initiated a number of experiential – and experimental – learning programmes. These included cultural workshops, summer internships, and a project-based course in Japanese business. “I run the project-based course in cooperation with two Japanese companies in Hong Kong: an airline and an entertainment business consultancy. One of the tasks has involved developing a J-pop soundtrack for a Japanese restaurant chain called Watami. By dealing with the various music labels and acting as a liaison between the restaurant chain and the consultancy, students learn to operate effectively in a Japanese business environment. “Experiential learning programmes tend to be high-risk and high-maintenance. No one can predict whether a project will succeed or fail, or what problems may arise along the way. Nevertheless, I believe that both students and teachers can benefit greatly from these experiences and, for me, this Fellowship is an endorsement to keep moving forward and I hope to build many more bridges between HKU and the international community.” Nakano’s third year student, Joyce Leung, added: “Dr Nakano is one of the greatest teachers I have ever met in my life. When I knew that she was to be awarded the University Teaching Fellowship, I thought it was a great recognition of her contribution and effort in teaching and creating learning opportunities for students. “She is an inspiring teacher, who is now responsible for teaching three undergraduate courses and for three postgraduate students. In class she actively initiates interactive discussions and guides students to think and express their opinion. Thanks to her advice I have been encouraged to think in a logical and critical way, and to write in a more precise manner. “In addition to academic study, Dr Nakano also offers much valuable guidance to students in their future career choices. Thanks to her extensive network within the Japanese community, and her hard work in establishing a platform to bring the Japanese and HKU students together, a win-win situation has been achieved. “The internship programme ini t iated by Dr Nakano has also benefited students in terms of career exposure and exploration. During the internship period I gained many ideas and received good advice for my future career. Thanks to Dr Nakano’s effort the internship programme has proven to be a strong off-campus learning platform that contributes enormously to students’ development. “Furthermore, Dr Nakano has pioneered a new one-year course, entitled A Project in Japanese Business . Although she faced setbacks while administering the course, she did not give up, rather, she has worked hard to run the programme, making it a great success. The opportunities and challenges that Dr Nakano has created have increased my interpersonal and communication skills – crucial elements for success in a real-life working environment. Dr Nakano is a great teacher and a valuable bridge between the Japanese community and HKU students.”