The English Across the Curriculum (EAC) project and Interactive Lounge, funded by the Teaching Development and Language Enhancement Grant (TDLEG) for the 2016–2019 triennium, were language enhancement initiatives launched by the English Language Teaching Unit at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
The EAC project is an institutional movement aiming to enhance students’ disciplinary literacy by collaborating with content teachers through Community of Practice (CoP) projects. To date, more than 20 CoPs have been established within seven faculties. With its successful practices, the project team received further funding for the current triennium (2019–2022) not only to continue with the implementation of CoP projects, but also to expand its scope of service by incorporating eLearning components, e.g., in forms of online learning tools and micro-modules, as well as cultivating a non-academic writing culture by organizing workshops, competitions and publications.
The Interactive Lounge, a spin-off project from EAC, aimed to enrich students’ informal English learning experiences by conducting theme-based interactive workshops and providing peer tutoring services in both online and offline modes. In the three years of implementation, the project team had conducted close to 80 workshops and provided over 1,500 peer tutoring sessions. In the current triennium, Interactive Lounge has also obtained funding to continue its service as two separate TDLEG projects: Project Chrysalis and Peer Tutoring Scheme.
This presentation will cover the implementation models, intervention processes and achievements of both projects in the previous triennium. Major changes to project design in the current triennium will also be highlighted.
This project is supported by The Chinese University of Hong Kong Courseware Development Grant (2018-19). This eLearning courseware aims to create an eLearning platform for the elementary Japanese language learning Level 1 and 2 in The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). The set of original Japanese language textbooks published by Department of Japanese Studies, CUHK is the main teaching materials for all CUHK elementary Japanese language courses. This set of textbooks was first published in 1992. Although it has been revised a few times in recent years but there is still no eLearning component included. Therefore students still cannot benefit from the rich resources of eLearning in this technology-driven era. In order to fill this gap, this eLearning courseware provides a series of learning materials based on the content of the textbooks. This eLearning courseware serves as a support to the current textbooks (Japanese Book 1 and 2, Chapter 1-24) and provides channels for further development of language skills and knowledge under relevant topics in each chapter. This eLearning courseware is focused on developing learning materials for students to access and supporting students’ interactions by interactive activities including online exercise, quiz, introduction of new vocabularies. It is also focused on formative assessments through those exercises and quizzes. This eLearning courseware demonstrates originality in the enrichment of eLearning of Japanese language with the support of CUHK original teaching material which cannot be found elsewhere.
With the current trend of using technology in language learning, flipped lessons are highly encouraged within higher institutions in Hong Kong to promote independent learning. Combining with limited teaching time, the researchers have built the Business Meeting Platform (BMP) based on ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation) for Business Communication lecturers so that they can spend more time teaching and guiding students the language of business meetings in English instead of focusing on the format and skills in conducting a successful business meeting. In this platform, the researchers use Design Instructional model as the research design. The researchers have gone through some steps in creating the platform: Expert Validation, Design, Development, Try Out, Revision, and Final Product. As a result, BMP has been successfully applied to Year 3 business students of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and this is reflected in the quantitative research conducted by one of the researchers. BMP has three micro-modules: Introduction to Business Meetings, Common Business Meeting Expressions, and Sample Video with Evaluations from Business Experts.
This presentation demonstrate a case study concerning students’ e-learning readiness of university students in Hong Kong. The study used questionnaire survey and focus-group discussions to elicit students’ expectations towards using information technology in language learning. Students’ expectations were compared with institutional targets. The result showed that the characteristics, habits and expectations of students; though may subject to change with the advancement of computer technologies; may not always match with institutional targets. If such mismatch happened, institution/teachers needed to understand students’ IT habits and expectations, on one hand; and on the other hand, instructional strategies, trainings for teachers and students are needed to be developed in order to smooth the normalization process.
