Re-imagining Undergraduate Education Amy B M Tsui Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Vice President The University of Hong Kong

Outline International Higher Education Landscape 334 Education Reform: Nurturing 21st century graduates at HKU Goal-setting: aims of UG education Operationalization and Implementation Challenges Personal Reflections

Information Age Knowledge Economy

Reviews of Higher Education Worldwide China: 1993, 211 project (21st century; 100 universities) ; 1998, 985 project (May 1998 – 9 universities) → 34 in 2009 ; 2009, formal establishment of C9 – Chinese Ivy League ; 2010, (Medium and Long Term Educational Reform blueprint 2020) UK: 1997 (Dearing Report); 2003 (The Future of HE); Scotland 2002-2004 (3 Phases of Higher Education Review); 2007 (Burgess Report); 2011 (HE White Paper) Europe: 1998 (Bologna Process); 2010 (EHEA); 2010 (Impact of BP) US: 1998 (Boyer Report), 2002 (Review of Boyer); 2005 (LEAP); 2008 (national report on HE) HK: 1996 (Review of HE); 2002 (Sutherland Report); 2010 Australia: 1998 (West Review), 2003 (Backing Aust’s Future); 2008 (Bradley Report) Reviews of Higher Education Worldwide

International HE Reform Initiatives : refocusing on UG Education Curriculum Structure: standardization & portability of credits; flexibility for student choice, career change; recognition of prior experience Curriculum content: broadening; early specialization questioned Emphasis on generic skills and life-long learning Breaking down barriers: vocational vs university training; university vs community International HE Reform Initiatives : refocusing on UG Education International experience: global outlook

Knowledge Economy  Conceptual Economy “The growth of the conceptual component of output has brought with it accelerating demands for workers who are equipped not simply with technical know-how, but with the ability to create, analyze, and transform information and to interact effectively with others.” Alan Greenspan, 1997, speech at U. of Connecticut

Conceptual Age “The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind—creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers.” Daniel Pink, 2005, A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers will Rule the Future (Riverhead Books); translated into 34 languages.

Innovation: crossing boundaries “…technology alone is not enough. It is technology married with liberal arts, married with humanities, that yields us the result that makes our hearts sing.” (Steve Jobs, CEO, Apple Computer and Pixar Animation)

It is no longer sufficient to teach skills or even meta-skills (e. g It is no longer sufficient to teach skills or even meta-skills (e.g. learning how to learn). Skills are important but so are mind sets and dispositions. … passion, imagination, and “arc of life” learning: activities in our daily lives which keep us learning, growing and exploring. Thomas, Douglas & Brown, John Seely (2011), Lexington, Ky: CreateSpace

334 Education Reform (2009 - ) in Hong Kong Secondary education (2009 - ) 5 (100%) +2 (40%) → 3 +3 (100%) New senior secondary curriculum: S4-S6 New exam system: HKALE (NRA) → HKDSE (SRA) Undergraduate education (2012 - ) 3 → 4 years

New Senior Secondary Curriculum (S4-6) 4 Core Subjects Chinese Language English Language Mathematics Liberal Studies 2 or 3 Elective Subjects Chosen from: 20 elective subjects Applied Learning courses Other Languages Other Learning Experiences Moral and Civic Education Community Service Aesthetic Development Physical Development Career-related Experiences Literacy + numeracy Critical thinking Broad knowledge base and diverse interests Positive values and attitudes, and whole-person development Source: EDB (2005) New Academic Structure for Senor Secondary Education and Higher Education – Action Plan for the Future. HK Govt. Printers

Professors’ Responses to 4-year UG Curriculum Reform I want to give students remedial math so that they can follow our syllabus. I want my students to specialize more ! I want my students to have a more solid grounding in Chemistry!

Professors’ Responses to 4-year UG Curriculum Reform I want my students to treat patients as human beings ! I want thinking architects ! I want my students to stop asking me what is the right answer !

Employers’ Responses I want graduates who can work outside their comfort zone ! I want graduates who can identify what the problem is, not just solve problems ! I want graduates who can tell me an interesting novel they have read !

Undergraduate Curriculum Reform at HKU

Goal-Setting: Educational Aims Six Educational Aims for UG Education: Academic excellence and critical intellectual inquiry tackling novel situations and ill-defined problems personal and professional ethics intercultural understanding and global citizenship communication and collaboration leadership and advocacy for the improvement of the human condition

Operationalization and Implementation Questions from teachers These aims are motherhood and apple pie. How do we achieve them? How can they be realized in the curriculum? How do we teach them? How can we assess values and dispositions? Response What do we need to do to generate university-wide discussion? What are the key ideas and concepts in this reform process ? Do we have a common language to explore them? How do we know whether things are working?

A Conceptual Framework for New Curriculum Global & Local Environments University Community Conception of Knowledge Theory of Learning Educational Aims Conception of the Curriculum Goal & Principles of Curriculum Design Pedagogy Assessment Content CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

Common Conception of Curriculum Classroom Learning (Formal curriculum) Extra-/Co-curricular activities (Informal curriculum) Systematic Organized Explicit Decontextualized Assessed Teacher driven Non-systematic Incidental Tacit Contextualized and situated Not assessed Student driven

Reconceptualization of Curriculum Curriculum = Total learning experience Extra / Co-curricular Learning Classroom Learning

Learning Environment : Learning Commons - Synergy between physical, virtual and social environments

Learning Commons: Collaborative learning

Learning Commons: Collaborative learning

Learning Commons : Chilling out after class

Learning Environment : Collaborative classrooms

Learning Environment: Flexible classrooms

Library

Library: discussion corners

Enabling Curriculum Structure Learning environment : Curriculum structure Enabling Curriculum Structure

Learning Environment: Curriculum Structure Curriculum structure: enabling & flexible Learning Environment: Curriculum Structure Major Minor Physics (Science) Music (Arts) Computer Science (Engineering) Finance (Business and Econ) Global Studies (Social Sciences) Astronomy (Science) Philosophy (Arts) Information Management (Education) Economics (Business and Econ) Psychology (Social Sciences) Electives Compulsory Electives 1 Electives 2 Electives 3 Common Core English Chinese

Learning Environment: Curriculum Structure Curriculum structure: enabling & flexible Learning Environment: Curriculum Structure Major Minor Physics (Science) Music (Arts) Computer Science (Engineering) Finance (Business and Econ) Global Studies (Social Sciences) Astronomy (Science) Philosophy (Arts) Information Management (Education) Economics (Business and Econ) Psychology (Social Sciences) Electives Compulsory Electives 1 Electives 2 Electives 3 Common Core English Chinese

Learning Environment: Curriculum Structure Curriculum structure: enabling & flexible Learning Environment: Curriculum Structure Major Minor Physics (Science) Music (Arts) Computer Science (Engineering) Finance (Business and Econ) Global Studies (Social Sciences) Astronomy (Science) Philosophy (Arts) Information Management (Education) Economics (Business and Econ) Psychology (Social Sciences) Electives Compulsory Electives 1 Electives 2 Electives 3 Common Core English Chinese

Learning Environment: Curriculum Structure Curriculum structure: enabling & flexible Learning Environment: Curriculum Structure Major Minor Physics (Science) Music (Arts) Computer Science (Engineering) Finance (Business and Econ) Global Studies (Social Sciences) Astronomy (Science) Philosophy (Arts) Information Management (Education) Economics (Business and Econ) Psychology (Social Sciences) Electives Compulsory Electives 1 Electives 2 Electives 3 Common Core English Chinese

Learning Journey: Academic advising Goals: Transitioning to university education Setting academic and personal goals Selecting courses and programmes Maximizing learning opportunities Approach: Advising Redundancy Academic advisor for each student (mandatory) Peer advisor (optional) Residential advisor (all residential halls)

Induction into University Learning To ask questions instead of looking for right or wrong answers To see things from different perspectives To see things as connected The student who can begin early in life to think of things as connected … has begun the life of learning.” (Mark van Doren, 1943, Liberal Education, p. 115) Mark van Doren (1894-1972) American poet, writer, critic; winner of Politzer prize for poetry (1940)

Common Core Curriculum: Framework Addresses issues of deeply profound significance to humankind core intellectual skills that all undergraduates should acquire core values that they should uphold

HKU Common Core 核心課程 Scientific & Technological Literacy Humanities Global Issues China: Culture, State and Society “Only connect….” E.M. Forster (1910), Howards End.

Theme 1 Science, technology and society – Key issues Can science and scientific discoveries be value-free? How are scientific findings shaped by beliefs and value systems? Can science be error-free? What are the possibilities and consequences of the misuse of science? What are the benefits of technological innovations and what kind of unwelcome and unanticipated side effects could they bring? What are the moral and ethical dilemmas created by scientific discoveries and new technologies? …. How can we formulate our position and plan appropriate action as we face these dilemmas?

Feeding the World "I want students to think about where the food they eat comes from and the human and environmental costs of providing food. They find out very quickly that the key issue is not biotechnology, it's much more to do with economics and politics. Social science departments may teach some of this, but they tend to skate over the technological issues. But if it were taught purely as a food science course, students wouldn't learn about the bigger issues." Dr Harold Corke, Assoc Professor in the School of Biological Sciences, teaches “Feeding the World”

Common Core : Faculty Participation Architecture Social Sciences Arts Science Business & Economics Medicine Dentistry Law Education Engineering 2012-2013: 151 courses on offer

Common Core : Profile of teachers Teaching Consultant/ Fellow 9 (7%) Chair Professor & full Professor 21 (17%) Assistant Professor 41 (34%) Associate Professor 50 (42%)

Experiential Learning: from peripheral to central Investigation of issues in real-life contexts

Dialectics of Knowing and Doing “When you know something but don’t act on it, your knowledge of it is still superficial. After you’ve personally experienced it, your knowledge of it will be much clearer and its significance will be different from what it used to be.” Zhu Xi, 朱熹 philosopher, Song Dynasty, 1130-1200)

Dialectics of Learning and Doing “Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results.” John Dewey (1895-1952) Learning as social participation: learning is not just a cognitive process, it is fundamentally social and experiential(Jean Lave, 1988; Lave and Wenger 1991; Wenger 1998).

Experiential Learning: Embodiment of knowledge, skills, disposition and values Characteristics of real-life working environments: Situations are often unfamiliar Problems are not well-defined Contextual factors are crucial No perfect solution – learning to live with dilemmas Skills and disposition cultivated: Adaptability; thinking on one’s feet Empathy; passion Resourcefulness; imagination; creativity Communication, collaboration, negotiation Decision-making: making informed decisions driven by core values

Sichuan Post-earthquake Kindergarten Reconstruction (2008- 2011) Engineering Faculty: Sichuan Post-earthquake Kindergarten Reconstruction (2008- 2011)

Sichuan Kindergarten Construction Completed

Main Entrance of Sichuan Kindergarten

Construction Projects in Guangxi, PRC Mingde Lou – a primary school Engineering Faculty Construction Projects in Guangxi, PRC Mingde Lou – a primary school Gewu Lou – a dormitory

Qinmo Village Project 2006-2010 (Architecture Faculty ) A school in Qinmo Village in need of a face-lift A New School blending with the terraced rice fields

Community participation is encouraged by having the villagers and children paint the individual bricks for the façade of the classrooms The school provides a new community space for the village.

Rural Urban Framework: Luk Zuk Village Redevelopment Project 2011-12 (Faculty of Architecture)

Business Consulting Practicum: Making a business plan for a social enterprise (Faculty of Business & Economics)

Same-cohort comparison of HKUSLEQ scores (3-year curriculum) 07-10 08-11 09-12 07-10 08-11 09-12 07-10 08-11 09-12 Advocacy for the improvement of the human condition Intercultural understanding Global Citizenship 2007 – First Yr N = 1087; Final Yr N = 1324 / 2008 – First Yr N = 1241; Final Yr N = 1513 / 2009 – First Yr N = 1389; Final Yr N = 1581

Reflections on Leading and Managing Curriculum Reform Shared “Vision” Seeing the big picture Seeing the need for change : evidence-based Goal-setting: What do we want to achieve? Building “consensus”  Building a common discourse and a shared repertoire (ideas and concepts) Operationalization and implementation Innovation: New ideas is only part of the equation, execution is just as important. Participation and ownership: willingness to live with imperfection Resource support Sustaining change

Challenge: Sustaining Change Incorporated into everyday practice as part of quality assurance and enhancement mechanisms as part of performance indicators, with resource implications Infra-structures to support and sustain change Monitoring and disseminating progress Celebrating and sharing good practices Strategic allocation / re-allocation of resource support

Qualities of a Leader

– Save the Children Project in Vietnam (1990-1996) Jerry Sternin – Save the Children Project in Vietnam (1990-1996) Don’t presume you have the answer. Initiate open discussions and interrogation. Look for “positive deviants” – they see solutions where others don’t. Use innovative behaviours to shape new thinking, not the other way round.

“Act your way into new ways of thinking”, not “think your way into news ways of acting.” (Pascale, Sternin and Sternin, 2010)