THE REVIEW2020 TEACHING AND LEARNING Universities around the world have been tested by the restrictions on in-person teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but at HKU our challenges started earlier, in November 2019. Political protests led us to move classes and assessment online, in what turned out to be a trial run for 2020. Fortunately, we were not caught unprepared. Shortly before the November closure, we completed a scheduled review of e-learning at HKU, which revealed most courses were already connecting to students online. Our Information Technology Services (ITS) had also developed e-learning infrastructure with great potential for expansion. The missing piece was assessment, which was quickly addressed with OLEX, the HKU Online Examination System developed by ITS and our Examinations Office in just two weeks. The solutions were not perfect, but they enabled the semester to be completed as scheduled. Importantly, lessons were learned that we were able to apply in 2020 when, apart from just one week of face-toface teaching and a few weeks in summer, classes remained online until late September. Drawing on Experience: One key lesson was that teachers needed more support. When COVID-19 hit, more than 70 how-to videos and webinars for online teaching and learning were developed by our Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative using simple technologies and a system set up to provide assistance to individual teachers (see page 13). To support the pivot to re-designing courses for online and hybrid learning, the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) organised the Education 4.0 seminar series where international curriculum leaders shared experiences with more than 1,700 participants from more than 20 countries; the Summer Sandbox series that helped more than 100 HKU course coordinators re-design for online learning from the outset; and the ‘Dual Mode’ seminars to share good teaching practices across the University. The boost to CETL’s online resources following these initiatives attracted 1.5 million visits to its website from August to November 2020. All classrooms operate at a maximum 50% capacity to maintain social distance. Spatial separation of seating arrangement was adopted in Loke Yew Hall and other examination venues. The Centre of Development and Resources for Students moved many activities online. The International Virtual Forum in Teaching and Learning: Students-as-Partners in Online Learning – Voices from HKU gathered students, teachers, and senior leaders to discuss online learning in the current challenging time and its impact on higher education in the coming years . Some examinations still needed to be held in person, particularly clinical assessments that were needed to fulfil professional requirements. The Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine developed stringent infection control protocols such as requiring students and staff to submit health declaration forms, separating candidates’ seats by a two-metre radius, and arranging COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for all participants in clinical examinations involving physical contact. These examinations proceeded smoothly. New Normal: The rest of the campus, meanwhile, was being prepared for safe face-to-face classes, which became an option for many courses from September 22. Classrooms operate at a maximum 50% capacity to maintain social distance, and mask-wearing is compulsory. Ventilation, cleansing and other measures have been enhanced. Clinical training has also resumed – for instance, the Faculty of Dentistry has heightened infection control measures and introduced regular testing of staff and students and other protocols. All classes also continue to be offered online. This is especially important for non-local students who cannot yet travel to Hong Kong. The annual Inauguration Ceremony for New Students was held online on August 31 to ensure students everywhere could be part of this important ritual of entry to HKU. Opportunities have also been developed to enrich the university experience as far as the online environment can allow. The Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS) moved many of its activities online, such as a virtual career fair, counselling, orientation for international students and volunteering in the community (see page 11). The Common Core published Unforeseen Circumstances, its first online ‘journal + exhibit space’, which was edited and written by students; live-streamed its Student Learning Festival; and launched workshops on skills relevant to the post-COVID economy through its Passion Project: Creating Work You Love, Critical Zones: Gender, Cities and Well-Being, and through its engagement with the U21 RISE (Real Impact on Society and Environment) Video Competition. These activities cannot fully replicate all the opportunities that arise from being on campus in person. It is hoped a continued return to campus teaching – and a resumption of student exchanges and internships in 2021 if possible – will further enrich the student experience. Excellence Sustained: The disruptions did not dent HKU’s reputation for excellence. Teaching excellence received external recognition (see page 14) and top students continued to choose HKU, including three of the five top scorers of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination. We also admitted more than 700 students from Mainland China and overseas, including two provincial top scorers in the Gaokaoexaminations, 16 top scorers in the global International Baccalaureate exams and 24 top scorers in the GCE A-level exams. Students from 38 nationalities were admitted. To support students in what was a difficult year, we launched new scholarships in 2020, including the HKU REACH (Recognition of Achievements) Awards for local students in Nursing, Education and Social Work, the HKU Aspiration Scholarships for outstanding students to explore Arts and Social Sciences options, and the HKU FLY (Future Leaders of the Year) Scholarships for outstanding first-year students in the Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (BASc) programmes. Three new programmes were also announced: the HKUCambridge Undergraduate Recruitment Scheme (Natural Sciences) and the HKU and UC Berkeley dual degree programme in Arts and Social Sciences, through which top students can acquire degrees from two universities, and the Global Engineering and Business Programme at HKU, offered jointly by the Business and Engineering Faculties. These degrees, which cross disciplinary and national borders, will prepare graduates to deal with the very complex challenges facing today’s world. Students from Mainland China and overseas 700+ Admission and application levels remained strong. Nationalities 38 Students came from places as diverse as Israel, Turkey, Belarus, Ghana and Mexico. HKDSE top scorers 3of5 Three of the five students who scored 5** in seven subjects chose HKU and were admitted through the JUPAS system. 08 | 09
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