QA Handbook (TEACHING AND LEARNING SUPPORT)

Faculty Briefing

As part of the New Faculty Orientation program organized by the Center for Education Innovation (CEI), talks will be included to share with new faculty the goals of the Common Core Program (“the Program”) and the expectations of university education. These talks emphasize the important role of the faculty in creating a positive learning environment for students and highlight the support available to help faculty take on this role. Faculty orientations are typically conducted in September and January each year.

Sharing of Teaching Experience and Instructor Focus Group

Instructors are invited to conduct self-assessments and reflections at the end of each term through the Instructor Self-Review (ISR) so as to reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement in the teaching process and consider plans for improvement. Good practices and experiences gained from their teaching will be summarized and shared with the Committee on Undergraduate Core Education (CUCE), and with other instructors, where appropriate.

Through the Instructor Focus Group studies, instructors can share their teaching experiences and views on the arrangements for further enhancement of the Common Core Program. It is also a platform to foster peer support among common core instructors.

Funding Support Opportunities

The University Grants Committee (UGC) Teaching Development Grant (TDG) is available to support teaching initiatives that enrich teaching or implement innovative ideas to enhance student learning. At HKUST, the TDG funding is managed by CEI. Instructors are encouraged to apply for TDG funding to support their development of new pedagogies.

Student Advising

The Undergraduate Core Education (UCE) Team coordinates with Schools to incorporate common core seminars as part of their student orientation or academic advising programs to provide first-year students at the commencement of each academic year with the necessary information about the Program and the requirements. The goals, objectives, values, and philosophy of the Program are highlighted; the purpose of university education and the HKUST’s desired graduate attributes are also discussed.

University Common Core Program Website

The University Common Core Program website is developed to provide a one-stop information portal about the Program for the university community. It provides relevant academic and administrative information, including common core course lists for each common core area, common core competency curriculum map that shows the competencies covered in each course, and activities organized by the UCE Team.

Common Core Instagram Page

A Common Core Instagram page is developed and used as a platform to promote the common core philosophy and goals to students. It aims to spark their interest in common core courses and help them plan their learning paths throughout their university journey. It is also a platform for sharing feedback from instructors and students about common core courses, as well as providing updates on the development of the Program.

Common Core Awards

The Common Core Awards, featuring the Common Core Teaching Excellence Award (“Teaching Award”) and the Common Core Student Recognition Award (“Student Award”), is established to recognize instructors for their outstanding contributions to exemplary common core courses and to acknowledge students for their exceptional achievements in common core studies.

Each year, one Award and up to a maximum of three Honorary Mentions of the Teaching Award, along with a maximum of 10 Student Award recipients, will be recommended to CUCE for confirmation after a thorough review of each submission by a Selection Committee. The Teaching Award and Student Award recipients will be invited to share their experiences with other instructors and students.

Learn more about the Common Core Awards.