Education through Multidisciplinary Programmes Apart from its core Bachelor of Education, in
2009-10 the Institute progressively realised its plans to diversify into multidisciplinary programmes,
as envisioned under the “Education Plus” framework. Two new degree programmes, the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in anguage Studies and Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Global and Environmental Studies, were prepared for launch in 2010-11. Through its expanded range of programmes, the Institute now provides a ground
for the cross-fertilisation of learning among
students in different disciplines.
Brand New Learning Approaches
General Education
The 21st century is marked by its unpredictable and fast-paced change, which demands innovative approaches to learning that develop creativity, flexibility and the ability to think critically. The 3-3-4 academic structure* has been introduced to address these new education needs. At the Institute, we will strengthen the curriculum by reconstructing the entire General Education framework to provide all students with a combination of core foundation courses and a wide range of electives covering various disciplinary domains and modes of inquiry. The core foundation courses are unique to the Institute, and will be based on the concept that individuals have special relationships with themselves, with other individuals, with society and with the world as a whole. Through a balanced combination of lectures conducted by our most eminent senior faculty members and small tutorial classes, students will be invited to think, discuss and write about topics of genuine importance to them.
* The official title of the 3-3-4 academic structure is the New Academic
Structure for Senior Secondary Education and Higher Education
in Hong Kong. Under this structure, students will receive six years of
secondary education (three junior and three senior), and four years
of university education.
Field Experience
Frontline and practical field experience is an indispensible aspect of preparing professional teachers. Under the “Learning Study” approach, for which the Institute is one of the frontrunners worldwide, our students are given the opportunity to draw up lesson plans that analyse lesson goals, examine features related to learning and collect evidence for improvement. They gain firsthand experience in thinking like professional teachers
and applying knowledge in action, thus giving them
a solid foundation as future teachers. The Institute
is also dedicated to exploring a variety of other methods for the continuous enhancement of our students’ learning.
Innovative Teaching Environment
Information and communication technologies now go hand in hand with learning. Fully aware of this trend, the Institute has been designing an e-learning conducive environment for its students. Learning Commons is a dynamic and flexible learning area developed with student needs in mind and supported with cutting-edge technologies, where learning can take place anywhere, anytime, in either physical and virtual spaces.
As the first education institution in the region to upgrade its Blackboard Learning Management System, the Institute migrated to Blackboard Learn Plus (Bb9) in January 2010. With Bb9, a web-based learning space in which teachers develop innovative pedagogies, students are able to enjoy peer learning through asynchronous and synchronous dialogues, and to reflect on their learning with peers and teachers in groups set up within their Blackboard courses. These e-learning opportunities will enrich our students’ learning experiences and help to develop alternative pedagogies in education.
Total Learning Experience to Groom Future Leaders
The “Total Learning” experience is a concept embraced by the Institute whereby students undergo whole-person development through both formal and non-formal means. The non-formal learning experience forms an integral part of our students’ education, through which we groom them as future leaders well qualified to face the challenges that lie ahead in their careers.
Internship programmes in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas are part of our plans to allow students to gain alternative and outside campus work exposure to enhance their workplace skills and cultural sensitivity. The Service Exposure Attachment (SEA) is another programme that allows our students to serve in other parts of the world. Students who go through the SEA experience develop a greater sensitivity to cultural diversity while also having the unique opportunity to hone their leadership and people skills, and to enhance their self-management, problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities. During the year, 94 students participated in SEA programmes in countries including Mongolia, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Philippines, Cambodia, Ethiopia and Japan.
To be agents for change, our students have to develop a deep sense of social concern and empathy for the needy. Throughout the year, local community service projects were organised to expose our students to the socially disadvantaged. Most notable was a project initiated in December 2009, in which our students paid regular visits to students at Mary Rose School for the mentally challenged to help prepare them for the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2010. By teaming up with the school students, our future teachers learned how to appreciate the less privileged and develop a sense of inclusiveness in the community.
Tertiary education is a brand new experience for young people, especially in terms of living away from home. At the Institute, we provide residential places for all first-year full-time undergraduates. Through hall life, students learn to be self-reliant,
disciplined and acquire interpersonal
and organisation skills. These
attributes are crucial when they
embark on their future careers.
At the Institute, we prepare students to be professional teachers who have the passion for lifelong intellectual pursuit, future leaders who have genuine humanistic and social concern, and world citizens who have the vision to bring about change in schools, the community and around the globe.
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