Eric Tsui's presentation at the Global Mindset Conference - Future of Higher Education & Skills Training in the Australasian Region – ‘Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Digitisation event on 10th April 2013 held in Sydney, Australia. Details of the event is available at http://www.slideshare.net/eric_yh_tsui/the-future-of-higher-education-skills-training

1. Use of Blended Learning & the
Journey to adopt MOOC at The
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Professor Eric Tsui
Chair, Advisory Committee on Elearning
&
Facilitator, CoP on the use of Learn@PolyU
for good Teaching & Learning

2. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

3. Background
• Largest university in Hong Kong with 27,000 EFT
students (local, mainland China & overseas)
• A considerable proportion of students routinely
travels to mainland China for business
• Transitioning from a 3 years to a 4 years UG
system (double cohort)
• Gained prior experience on delivering E-Learning
via HKCyberU (for about a decade)
• “Blended Learning” has been set a target in 2
consecutive 5 years Strategic Plans

4. Use of E-Learning in teaching
(Source: Educational Development Centre)

5. Co-Creation of learning content
with students

6. PolyU’s use of Virtual World to
enhance teaching

7. The M.Sc. in KM programme

8. Delivery via a blended set of F2F, internet
lectures & self-paced online study
Face-to face lectures & workshops
On-line Tutorial System
On-line Learning platform

9. Games & Simulation exercises

10. Scenario-Based Learning with
animated & talking characters

11. Student Graduate
Student Guest
Student
Student Student
Student Graduate
Graduate
Student
Teacher Student
Teacher
Guest
Graduate Guest
Student
Student
Student
Graduate
Student
Student
Student
Graduate
Teachers
Students
Graduates
Guests

12. A student’s Learning Online classes
Environment Online learning content
In-person activities
Blackboard/WebCT/
PLE&N
Text book(s)
Books from library
Papers & Notes

13. Catalysts and stimulants
• Blended Learning Advisory Committee (BLAC) &
appointment of E-Learning Advocates (2010-2012)
• Advisory Committee on Elearning (2013-)
• Community of Practice on leveraging Learn@PolyU
for good Teaching & Learning (2013-)
• Individual, Cross department/faculty &
Institutional-wide Teaching & Learning
development grants established (2013-)

14. PolyU’s Journey into MOOC
• To MOOC or not to MOOC? (Not a binary answer)
– Embed links to incorporate one or more MOOC lectures in
existing PolyU subjects
– Use entire MOOC subject with/without own assessments, &
with/without own support
– License & adopt the entire MOOC subject
– Maintain the right degree of mix in a program portfolio
• Leverage on the MOOC journey & experience to advance blended
learning & enhance quality of on-campus subjects
• Experimenting with the “Flipped Classroom”
• Appears to be a “WIN (Teachers)-WIN (Students)-WIN (University)“
proposition that warrants further exploration
• Planning to host a MOOC forum on 3-4th July 2013 in Hong Kong

15. The “Flipped Classroom”

16. Current landscape for MOOCs

17. Many challenging issues remain …
• What subjects are more suitable hence should go first?
• Would students (staff) embrace this new paradigm of
learning (teaching)?
• How to assess the Quality of a MOOC subject/course?
• Assessment? Online? In-person? How to conduct?
• Credit transfer between universities in a MOOC
Consortium?
• How to maintain PolyU’s own branding, reputation, &
our niche?
• How to “reverse engineer” (exit plan) from a MOOC?
• …

18. Use of Blended Learning & the
Journey to adopt MOOC at The
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Professor Eric Tsui
Chair, Advisory Committee on Elearning
&
Facilitator, CoP on the use of Learn@PolyU
for good Teaching & Learning