Join-the-Conversation: Leveraging Diversity in Classrooms - Opportunities and Challenges

Speakers:
Prof May-yi Shaw (Assistant Professor, Division of Humanities, HKUST)
Dr Roselyn Du (Associate Professor, Dept of Journalism, HKBU)
Dr Jess King (Lecturer, Dept of Earth Sciences, HKU)

Facilitators:
Dr Tracy Zou (Assistant Professor, Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU)
Dr Beatrice Chu (Head, Professional Development Team, Center for Education Innovation, HKUST)
Dr Lisa Law (Senior Teaching and Learning Officer, Centre for Holistic Teaching and Learning, HKBU)

Format: Seminar

Workshop Overview:

The accelerating rate of globalisation in higher education brings together learners and teachers from different institutes, creating a heterogeneous yet diverse environment. In preparing our students for global citizenship, it is important that we incorporate international and intercultural perspectives into both the curriculum and our classroom facilitation.

In this workshop, the presenters has specifically focused on the practical issues of facilitating students’ learning in the international classrooms. How to address the needs of students from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds? How to facilitate cross-cultural discussions and interactions? Is my teaching content easily grasped by international students?

The workshop was first begnn with a presentation of the survey findings of the HKUST students’ perception of their intercultural issues and challenges, followed by a panel discussion consisting of three teachers from the three respective universities. They also shared their practices and experience in developing students’ cultural competency through internationalizing the curriculum and skillful classroom facilitation.
 

About the Speakers:

Prof. May-yi Shaw is Assistant Professor of Humanities Education at HKUST. She received her BA degree in Political Science and East Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and her PhD degree in East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University. At HKUST, Prof. Shaw has served as the Associate Director for the BSc Global China Studies Programme and MA in Humanities and China Studies Programme, and the Director for the SHSS PG Student Services Programme. She is currently the Director for the MA in Chinese Culture Programme and the Faculty Leader for the HeadStart@HKUST Programme, an early career enhancement programme for first- and second-year students.

Dr. Roselyn Du teaches at Hong Kong Baptist University School of Communication. She received her PhD from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Master of Science from North Carolina State University. Her areas of interest include data journalism, media credibility in the “post-truth” era, political communication and public opinion, and global media. Dr. Du’s research has resulted in multiple international and national Top Paper awards. She has published in Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Journalism-Theory, Practice and Criticism, Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, Global Media and Communication, Newspaper Research Journal, Electronic Journal of Communication, International Journal of Communication, Asia Pacific Media Educator, among others. Dr. Du also spearheaded the Data & News Society, a multi-disciplinary Community of Practice based in Hong Kong since 2015. In a previous life, she was an award-winning forefront journalist in China.

Dr. Jess King is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Science, Department of Earth Sciences at HKU. Her research interests are probably best described as ‘classic' geology, with a particular interest in the tectonic evolution of mountain ranges, the study of which has been very influential in her teaching approach and involvement with pedagogical development of experiential learning programs.  She currently teaches HKU Common Core, Geology major disciplinary and Capstone courses that heavily feature ‘in-the-field’ learning activities, as well as MSc professional development field courses, and is a senior instructor on one of the top-ranked US field geology residential study programs for Indiana University, USA.

For enquiries, please contact Miss Phoebe Mok (2358-6297, phoebe.mok@ust.hk).

Organized by:

Center for Education Innovation, HKUST

Co-Organized by:

Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, HKU
Centre for Holistic Teaching and Learning, HKBU

Workshop Materials:

• PowerPoint Presentation - Dr Tracy Zou
• PowerPoint Presentation - Prof May-yi Shaw
• PowerPoint Presentation - Dr Jess King
• PowerPoint Presentation - Dr Roselyn Du
• Video