Eva Wong

An exploration of Biggs’ constructive alignment in course design and its impact on students’ learning approaches

This paper investigates whether instructors’ adoption of constructive alignment has any impact on university students’ learning approaches, which are highly correlated with students’ achievement of learning outcomes. A multi-method model with a combination of qualitative and quantitative design was adopted, using document analysis, interviews and survey. The analysis of covariance results suggested that regardless of individual differences, students would adjust their learning approaches and study behaviours in response to the classroom teaching and learning environment. Students in more ‘constructively aligned courses’ were more likely to adopt deep learning approaches and less likely to use surface learning approaches in their study of a particular course.

Metacognitive development and moving away

It is now largely accepted that social and cultural factors have a significant impact on cognitive development in children. Piaget acknowledged the impact of social factors and peer interaction on cognitive development. However, there has been relatively little work on the impact of social and cultural factors on the development of metacognition in first‐year university students. Using the Learning and study strategies inventory (LASSI) as a measure of metacognition, this study samples first‐year undergraduates in Hong Kong (N = 1815) and identifies significant differences in metacognitive abilities between students living in their home environment and those who have moved away from their family and, in some cases, culture, to pursue undergraduate education.

How should we teach computer ethics? A short study done in Hong Kong

Abstract With computers becoming indispensable in our lives, society is becoming more concerned about the possible negative impacts caused by the technology. As teachers in the discipline of information systems, we have the responsibility and the resources to help people to become computer literate. With increasing knowledge and use of computers, professionals and users alike have to deal with an increasing number of ethical issues and dilemmas involving computers. Many questions thus arise. How should we teach computer ethics? Are ethics, computer or otherwise, governed or influenced by environment and culture? This paper describes a short study conducted at the City University of Hong Kong during which some issues concerning computer ethics were discussed at student interviews. The attitudes of some students who had attended a six-week sub-course on ethical and social matters related to computer use were observed and compared with those of the interviewees. The results of this pilot study are presented and analysed with the intention of arousing further discussion and research in the area of teaching computer ethics.

Institutional-Level Integration of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to exhibit the integration of learning and study strategies inventory (LASSI) with the City University of Hong Kong information systems to promote teaching and learning within the university.Design/methodology/approach – From the 2006 entry cohort, all undergraduate freshmen at City University of Hong Kong are required to complete LASSI online through Administrative Information Management System (AIMS). Each student is required to take LASSI at three specific times during their undergraduate careers. With the cooperation of H&H publishing, City University has developed a program within AIMS to upload LASSI results of individual students so that the students can view their scores whenever they wish to. In addition to helping the students develop their learning and study strategies, the integration between LASSI and the universitys information system provides academic staff with aggregated LASSI scores for their students.Findings – The integration of LASSI with the un...

User‐initiated resource sharing in Hong Kong universities: planning to reality with HKALL

Purpose – To describe the introduction of a collaborative, user‐initiated, unmediated, interlibrary loan service for returnables between initially three and then all eight universities in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approach – Historical narrative combined with user and staff evaluation.Findings – The introduction of the service has been a great success.Originality/value – This article describes in detail the introduction of a service that will be of interest and relevance to many other libraries facing declining budgets and the need to share resources in an efficient and effective way.

Developing students’ teamwork skills in a cooperative learning project

Purpose – This paper aims to apply the inventory – Comprehensive Assessment of Team Member Effectiveness (CATME) to examine the development of teamwork skills among freshmen from the Chinese Mainland through a cooperative learning activity (group project) in the context of Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach – The questionnaire survey was conducted twice, at the beginning (pre) and end (post) of the group project; qualitative interviews were undertaken after their project completion. Findings – It was found that, except for Category 5 (having relevant knowledge, skills and abilities), the post mean scores in all items of other four categories declined, because students’ Chinese Mainland backgrounds led to their different understanding toward teamwork, as unveiled by the qualitative interviews. However their project completion enabled them to acquire the relevant competencies, causing the rise in the mean scores of Category 5. Research limitations/implications – Limited by the small sample size and Amer...

Piloting Lecture Capture: An Experience Sharing from a Hong Kong University

This paper reports on valuable experience gathered from a pilot project that deployed lecture capture as a student engaging e-learning tool at Hong Kong Baptist University. The paper presents the planning of the pilot project and how it was deployed. Furthermore, user satisfaction, and user perception on the use of lecture capture as an effective and efficient e-learning technology are presented. Based on these findings, some valuable lessons can be learned and shared with other institutions. Finally, while this paper only presents the findings from credit bearing academic courses across a number of different academic teaching faculties at HKBU, these findings are also applicable for non-credit bearing courses.

The education and training of future information systems professionals: an undergraduate programme in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, the application of information technology (IT) in both the public and private sectors is essential to maintaining Hong Kong’s position as one of the world’s leading financial and commercial centres. IT or IS (information systems) professionals working in the IT industry, with technical know‐how and business acumen, are key elements to the success of most IT projects. A major concern is that there are not enough of these IS professionals to cope with the growing demand. The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Information Systems (BAIS) was implemented at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) to meet this shortfall. The programme aims to produce a new breed of IS people who are experts in areas of IT and IS; those who realize the importance of business functions and understand how to fit IT and IS into a business, helping it to gain strategic advantages over its competitors. Looks at IS professional requirements in Hong Kong, and presents an introduction and an initial report on the BAIS programme currently being offered at CityU.

Bringing Abstract Academic Integrity and Ethical Concepts into Real-Life Situations

This paper reports the learning analytics on the initial stages of a large-scale, government-funded project which inducts university students in Hong Kong into consideration of academic integrity and ethics through mobile Augmented Reality (AR) learning trails—Trails of Integrity and Ethics (TIEs)—accessed on smart devices. The trails immerse students in collaborative problem solving tasks centred on ethical dilemmas, addressed in real, actual locations where such dilemmas might arise, with contextually appropriate digital advice and information available on hand. Students play out the consequences of their decisions which help reinforce the links between the theoretical concept of academic integrity and ethics and the practical application in everyday contexts. To evaluate the effectiveness of the TIEs, triangulation of different sets of data is adopted and these datasets include user experience surveys, qualitative feedback, clickstream data, and text mining of pre-/post-trail discussion. Thousands of students’ responses and related data gathered are analysed to ascertain the effectiveness of these mobile learning trails in enhancing students’ awareness of AIE issues. The positive learning outcome of the TIEs suggests that this approach can be adopted and applied to a wider scope of the academic curriculum and co-curriculum.

Using Student ePortfolios to Showcase Students’ Learning: Experience from Hong Kong Baptist University

This paper gives a descriptive account on the pilot in using learning electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) to facilitate students’ reflective practice of their learning at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). The opportunities and challenges faced by HKBU are explained to share experience in our continuing endeavour to enhance teaching and learning quality at the University.