Undergraduate curriculum reform of universities in Hong Kong, is it for local student development in future?

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan-yi Chan
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Undergraduate Curriculum ◽  
Local Student

Nurturing Future Engineers

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-206
Author(s):  
Tracy X. P. Zou
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Engineering Curriculum ◽  
University Management ◽  
Broad Perspective ◽  
The Impact

Engineering education in Hong Kong is experiencing significant changes in response to several major forces: (1) an increasing demand for future engineers who possess technical competencies, professional skills, and knowledge of ethical awareness and responsibilities; (2) accreditation requirements; and (3) the system-wide education reform in the region. Curriculum changes have taken place in several universities in Hong Kong with engineering majors but there are few conceptual articles providing in-depth discussions about the impact of the changes. This article aims to provide insights into the engineering curriculum reform in a broader context for university management, program leaders, and coordinators who are involved in curriculum design and implementation. Using a newly revamped engineering curriculum in one of the research-intensive universities in Hong Kong as an example, this article highlights the features of the new four-year engineering curriculum and discusses how it may contribute to the nurturing of future engineers. While clear progress has been made in providing students with a broad perspective and support, the influences of the prevailing culture of teaching and learning, the local perceptions of the engineering profession, and the decision making patterns of Hong Kong Chinese students cast a complicated picture. To fully achieve the goals of the new curriculum, universities should proactively address the challenges by the following actions: acting consistently to the commitment of holistic education, supporting students’ personal and value development, establishing reward mechanisms for faculty members’ contributions in student development, and investing in pedagogical development and innovations.

General university requirements and holistic development in university students in Hong Kong

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T.L. Shek ◽  
Lu Yu
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Undergraduate Curriculum ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Holistic Development ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Static Group ◽  
Better Than

Abstract The General University Requirements (GUR) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is an integral part of the new 4-year undergraduate curriculum which attempts to promote holistic student development. To evaluate the effectiveness of the GUR, a study adopting a static group comparison design was conducted, with a sample of Year 3 PolyU students studied in the 4-year undergraduate degree program (n=566) compared with a control Year 3 sample recruited from a comparable university in Hong Kong (n=285). The students in both samples responded to measures on empathy, positive youth development, and engagement in university study. Results showed that although both groups basically did not differ in the major background demographic variables, PolyU students performed better than did the students of the control group on measures of holistic development. Bearing in mind the intrinsic problems of the static comparison group design, the present findings provide support for the effectiveness of the GUR at PolyU.

Whose History?: The Americas and Music Curricula in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 457-460
Author(s):  
M. Leslie Santana
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Undergraduate Curriculum ◽  
The United States ◽  
Concert Music ◽  
Music Department ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Western European ◽  
Teaching Music

One moment from the much-discussed 2017 curriculum reform in the Music Department at Harvard University has stuck with me and transformed the way I approach teaching music in higher education. In one of the meetings leading up to the revision, graduate students in the department led an activity in which attendees—who included undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty alike—got into small groups and discussed the relative merits of three hypothetical models for the new undergraduate curriculum. Each of the models involved decentering to some extent the existing curriculum's emphasis on the history of Western European music and dominant music theoretical approaches to it. After a short while, we all gathered back together and one person from each group shared a bit about what had transpired. From the circle of desks nearest the door, an undergraduate student rose to speak and expressed enthusiasm for a broadening of curricular coverages. But, they said, their group also had some reservations about jettisoning the overall focus on Western European concert music altogether. “We still need to learn about our history,” they said, while a faculty member nodded behind them.

scholarly journals School Culture and Its Effect on Extracurricular Participation in Hong Kong

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Wu
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
High School Students ◽  
School Culture ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Extracurricular Participation ◽  
School Students ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Local Schools ◽  
Qualitative Research Design

Abstract Extracurricular participation has displayed positive effects on student development; it is, therefore, worthwhile to investigate the factors that influence students’ willingness and ability to participate in extracurricular activities held by the school. Through a qualitative research design, this study hopes to reveal how school culture and other factors influence extracurricular participation among local high school students in Hong Kong. Focus groups were conducted with students from three local schools, and teachers and administrative staff were interviewed when available. The study focused on four main themes: school and student profile, participation requirements, activity availability, and school mission and academic emphasis. Hand coding and data analysis suggest that principal and school attitudes influenced the activities available, while timing and activity arrangement significantly affected student participation. Overall, there were mixed opinions toward extracurricular activities.

Comparing perceived learning experiences of two concurrent cohorts under curriculum reform in Hong Kong

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 270-286
Author(s):  
Yue Zhao ◽  
Jenny M.Y. Huen ◽  
Michael Prosser
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Perceived Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Latent Mean Differences ◽  
Mean Differences ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Student Learning Experiences

Purpose Hong Kong has undergone extensive curriculum reform and shifted from a three-year to a four-year university system. With a nuanced look at the impact of the curriculum reform, the purpose of the present study was to compare two concurrent cohorts by examining the extent to which the students in each cohort perceived their learning environment and learning outcomes differently and to what extent their perceptions differed. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 3,102 first-year students enrolled at a Hong Kong university responded to the student learning experience questionnaire (SLEQ). The perceived learning experiences between the two cohorts were tapped through several latent factors and validated through tests of measurement invariance. Latent mean differences were then compared. A multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis approach was used. Findings The findings suggested that measurement invariance of the scales of the SLEQ was established and that the two cohorts of students perceived largely similar learning experiences. The latent mean differences were statistically significant on the scales of feedback from teacher, clear goals and standards, personal integrity and ethics, intercultural competence, global perspective and civic commitment. Practical implications The results facilitate the understanding of perceived student learning experiences with evidence-based implications for enhancing student learning experiences and refining the four-year curriculum under the new curriculum reform conditions. Originality/value This is the first institution-wide study that compares student learning experiences of two concurrent cohorts under curriculum reform initiatives of Hong Kong. It provides a meaningful and pertinent example for educators and researchers worldwide to analyze the impact of curriculum reform from the perspective of students’ perceived learning experiences. Similar studies adopting rigorous approaches in the measurement of students’ perceived learning experiences are relatively rare in higher education. Such efforts are encouraged for accountability and quality improvement purposes.

Managing a Major Curriculum Reform Effort in a Large Research University

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip S. Schmidt ◽  
Joseph J. Beaman
Keyword(s):  
Program Evaluation ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Research University ◽  
Undergraduate Curriculum ◽  
Reform Effort ◽  
University Of Texas ◽  
Engineering Theory ◽  
The University ◽  
Large Research ◽  
Management Issues

This paper describes a substantive undergraduate curriculum reform effort being undertaken over a five year period at the University of Texas at Austin, with special consideration to the management issues that are being addressed. The initiative, called Project PROCEED (for Project-Centered Education), grew out of a desire to strengthen our student’s understanding of fundamental engineering theory by continuously tying it to tangible objects and systems, to strengthen our Department’s connections with its industrial stakeholders by actively involving them in the development and delivery of curriculum content, and to provide our students with a broad range of team-based experiences which will better prepare them for growth and leadership in the corporate and professional world. The rationale for PROCEED and key program elements are described. Management issues, such as logistics, promoting faculty and student buy-in, financing, industrial interaction, and program evaluation are discussed.

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