Wanted! New members of the Higher Education Research & Development College of Reviewers. The editors are currently looking for reviewers with specific expertise on higher education in the Asia-Pacific region.

The College of Reviewers provides HERD with a pool of internationally recognised higher education scholars who are willing to review 4 to 6 manuscripts per year in HERD’s required timeframe (4 weeks). Members of the College of Reviewers meet the following criteria, based on the depth and recency of their publications: at least three peer reviewed publications in peer reviewed higher education journals in the past decade.

If you would like to be considered for membership of HERD’s College of Reviewers, please send your CV, complete with details of publications to the Managing Editor, Emily Giles, herd.giles@gmail.com

Please check out the event poster for more information.

1. Background
The HERDSA (Hong Kong Branch) was established in 1997 as a local chapter of HERDSA (Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia) which is a scholarly society based in Australia for people committed to the advancement of higher and tertiary education.

According to research and observation of higher education practitioners, if higher education aims to provide students with meaningful and relevant learning experiences, the existing learning arrangements may need to change considerably. Student and teacher partnership approach should have high potential for creating meaningful change.

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of HERDSA Hong Kong Branch in 2017, we initiated an award scheme Redesigning Student Learning Experience in Higher Education (RSLEIHE). Students were invited to conduct projects to inform us their needs, their ideas and views on optimal arrangements of university education processes.

The 1st RSLEIHE was highly successful. The 11 project teams were invited to share their experience and ideas in the Symposium with the same title (RSLEIHE) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Participants were greatly impressed by students` presentations and their ideas. Please visit our website: http://bit.ly/2yoWG8q.

Same as the 1^st RSLEIHE, up to eight awards on Redesigning Student Learning Experience in Higher Education will be provided for open competition. The selected teams will be invited to share their experience and ideas in the Symposium on Redesigning Student Learning Experience in Higher Education on 23 August 2019.

The Hong Kong Baptist University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong are co-organizers of RSLEIHE 2019.

 

 

2. Awards
Two types of awards are opened for competition:

Type of Awards		Number of Awards	Amount (HKD)
Distinguish Awards	The Winner	1	10,000
	1st Runner-up	1	7,500
	2nd Runner-up	1	5,000
Awards of Merits			1,500 each

The People’s Choice Award (HKD 1,000) will be awarded to the team based on the result of a public vote in the Symposium RSLEIHE 2019 on 23 August 2019.

Participation Awards (HKD 500) will be awarded to the rest of the participating teams to acknowledge the completion of their RSLEIHE projects.

Funding Source
The 2nd RSLEIHE Project competition and the Symposium are funded by:

• The HERDSA Hong Kong Branch
• The University Grants Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Funding Scheme for Teaching and Learning Related Proposals
  – “Effective Implementation of the Flipped Classroom Approach in Hong Kong Higher Education for Enhanced Learning Outcomes” (CUHK4/T&L/16-19)
  – “Driving Cultural and Educational Shift: Providing Support, Activities and Professional Development in the Pedagogy, Assessment and Evidence of Student Learning in Holistic Competencies” (HKU9/T&L/16-19)

 

3. Eligibility
All full-time undergraduate students who are studying in a local university or tertiary institution are invited to form teams to submit a project proposal.

 

4. Participation
Each team should include at least two students and one academic or professional staff member as adviser and contact person.

 

5. Project aim & key words
The RSLEIHE project aims to create and share local examples of student-centred, student-initiated, future orientated teaching and learning experiences which can engage and empower students and directly meet their future needs in a meaningful manner.

The following key words further illustrate the expectation of the projects:

Student	♦ Student engagement and self-directed learning Creating learning environments to promote student engagement and self-directed learning
Future	♦ Future trends and meeting future needs Providing the most relevant learning at the university to meet students’ needs in life and career
Innovative	♦ Innovative organisation of learning Providing students with a highly stimulating learning experience that creates a positive impact

 

6. Nature & themes of projects
Students can propose any meaningful learning experiences which address the project aim. These projects can be student exploration of innovative learning opportunities, mini research study or others.

To hear students’ views on current innovations in higher education, some much discussed themes like flipped classroom, cross-culture, cross-discipline, generic competence are encouraged in this round. Please refer to Point 15. Resources to learn more about these themes.

 

7. Duration of project
The project should last for at least one semester. Each approved project should be completed before Friday, 28 June 2019.

 

8. Timeline

Time		Activity
2018	21 Nov	Teams start to submit proposals
2019	07 Jan	Proposal submission deadline
	14 Jan	Proposal selections & announcement of results
	Mid Jan-Jun	Teams implement projects
	Jul	Teams conclude projects & write up reports
	31 Jul	Report submission deadline
	01-18 Aug	Teams prepare for sharing presentation
	23 Aug	Teams present at the Symposium on Redesigning Student Learning Experience in Higher Education
	Sep-Dec	Edit, design & publish team project reports

 

9. Language
The proposal, report and presentation must be presented in English.

 

10. Proposal
The one-page proposal should be submitted by Monday, 7 January 2019 and address:

• The project, its purpose and expected outcomes
  What are you planning to do and for what purpose(s)? What are the expected outcomes?
• Rationale
  Why is the project so important for student learning of higher education?
• Implementation
  How would you carry out this project? What are the steps involved?
• Assessment
  How would you collect evidence to show the success and impact of your project?
• Ensuring success
  Will there be any problems that would inhabit the success of the project? How would you prevent and solve these problems?

 

11. Proposal selection criteria
The submitted proposals will be reviewed by the Committee using three related criteria:

• Evidence of needs and benefits
• Potential Impact
• Quality of design and feasibility

 

12. Enquiry & proposal submission
Participation form, including the template of the one-page proposal, can be downloaded here. For enquiries and proposal submissions, please send e-mail to herdsa.hk@gmail.com

 

13. Criteria of awards
The awards will be based on the quality of an individual project in terms of its: 

• Achievement of the aim of the RSLEIHE project (please refer to Point Project aim & key words)
• Implementation of the project and the learning from it
• Implications and recommendations for teaching & learning in Higher Education*

as indicated in the team written report (70%) and presentation (30%).

 

14. Report & presentation
The team report (3 to 4 pages) should be submitted by Wednesday, 31 July 2019. A report template will be provided at a later stage. Contents of the report include:

• Summary of the first four items in your proposal
• Evaluation of success(should be based on evidence)
• Learning and reflection*
• Implications and recommendations for teaching & learning in Higher Education*

*The last two parts should be presented in a detailed manner.

Based on the report, the team will make a 20-minute presentation in which the last 5 minutes are used for Q&A.

 

15. Award briefing session (completed)
To help candidates understand the details of the Award Competition, a briefing session will be organised for students and advisers.

• Date & time:

3:00-4:00pm Tuesday, 4 December 2018

• Venue:

Room W208, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

• Registration:

To register for the briefing session, please complete the online form at https://goo.gl/forms/BV75U0g983Q4coho2.

 

16. Resources

• Flipped classroom
  Brame, C. (2013). Flipping the classroom. Retrieved from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/flipping-the-classroom/
• Cross-culture
  Rasmussen, L. (2018). Cross-cultural competence: Engage people from any culture. Retrieved from https://www.globalcognition.org/cross-cultural-competence/
• Cross-discipline
  Campus Library (2002). Teaching and learning resources: Cross-disciplinary practices. Retrieved from http://guides.lib.uw.edu/c.php?g=345858&p=4317341
  Penttilä, T., Kairisto-Mertanen, L., & Väänänen, M. (2014). Implementing cross-disciplinary learning environment – benefits and challenges in engineering education. Retrieved from http://ineer2014.rtu.lv/sites/default/files/Paper_003.pdf
  
• Generic competence
  Chan, C.K.Y., & Fong, E.T.Y. (2018). Disciplinary differences and implications for the development of generic skills: A study of engineering and business students’ perceptions of generic skills. European Journal of Engineering Education, 43(6), 927-949. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/xGrkPqRQWtNVSqbeN2ee/full

Dawn Bennett is John Curtin Distinguished Professor of Higher Education and Director of the Creative Workforce Initiative with Curtin University in Australia. Dawn is a leading expert on the development of employability. Her research focuses on the development of employability, including identity and graduate work. Dawn is a National Senior Australian Learning and Teaching Fellow and Principal Fellow with the Higher Education Academy in the UK. She is currently leading research to embed a metacognitive model for employability with faculty and students in Australia, the UK, Europe and the US. Dawn is Vice-Chair Australia for the International Federation of National Teaching Fellows. Dawn has a discipline background in music and retains an active interest in arts-based research. Publications appear at Researchgate.

HERDSA Roadshow 2018: Professor Dawn Bennett’s Roadshow in Hong Kong will be held on March 6 at CUHK and PolyU, on March 7 at HKUST, on March 8 at HKU, and on March 9 at HKBU. All higher education colleagues are invited to the Roadshow activities. Please click the poster below for details.

 

The Symposium on Redesigning Student Learning Experience in Higher Education was held successfully on 22 August 2017 at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with 97 participants (see photos here). The rundown of the event and the information about individual student projects can be found inside the brochure. Awards shown in the following table were also presented near the end of the symposium.

Award	Institution	Project Topic	Student members
Champion	Hong Kong Baptist University	Promoting Integrative Learning through Gansu Sustainable Service	XIAO Yi, ZHAO Zuoyan, QIU Ziwei, CHEN Shiyong, WONG Choyi, LU Hai Tao, FENG Zechu, CHU Charmaine Antonia
First Runner-up	The Education University of Hong Kong	Extension of Overseas Learning Experience: An integration of Online and Hands-on Approach	LEE Hau Ling, CHOW Lam, KEUNG Wing Sze
Second Runner-up	The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology	Mobile Application and Web System for Therapeutic Research	SUEN Heung Ping, TO Cheuk Lam, KONG Samuel Whole Dux
Merit	The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology	Using Experiential Learning to Actualize Theories and Concepts Learned in Class	KOSASHI Angelica, SUHARTONO Kristian, TANUBRATA Hans Ryan
Merit	Hong Kong Baptist University	More Love and Care for the Homeless (Street Sleepers)	YEUNG Pui Yan, CHAN Wai Man, TSUI Pui Ying, LUK Tsz Ying
Merit	The Chinese University of Hong Kong	Enriching Classroom: Business Strategy Making Simulator	LIN Yun Kuan, LIN Tzu Yuan, PEH Bo Fang
Participation	The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology	Online Tutorial Video Making for MAE Major Fundamental Courses	WU Sen, LI Chun Min, CHOW Pok Man, TANG Ka Ho, TSANG Lok Hay, HUI Hiu Yin Evans, CHEUNG Daniel, KIM Eunyoung, PUN Ryan
Participation	The Hong Kong Polytechnic University	Collative Web-Annotation Learning Platform	CHAN Kit Laam Kelly, WU Yan Tung
Participation	The University of Hong Kong, Centennial College	The Inclusivity of Classroom Environments for South Asian and Southeast Asian Students in Hong Kong Tertiary Education Institutions	HEERA Sarena Harry, TONG Ka Ho Gabriel
Participation	Hong Kong Baptist University	Safe to Survive: Nuclear or Others?	CHENG Ka Ming Denny, GAO Bing Yuan, HO Kwun Chung, FUNG Hoi Ling, FANG Jiawei, LAU Yuk Yi
Participation	City University of Hong Kong	P-Learning	CHAN Cho Wun; KI Chung Man
Best Presentation	The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology	Using Experiential Learning to Actualize Theories and Concepts Learned in Class	KOSASHI Angelica, SUHARTONO Kristian, TANUBRATA Hans Ryan

The Symposium on Redesigning Student Learning Experience in Higher Education will be held soon. In addition to Distinguished Awards and Awards of Merits, there will be a Best Presentation Award selected by the audience via online voting. Interested parties please be reminded to show your support in person!

Date: Tuesday, 22 August 2017
Time: 2pm –6pm (1:30pm registration)
Venue: TU101, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Enquiry: herdsa.hk@gmail.com

The event rundown is available at http://herdsa.edvant.net/

The system for online voting, event scheduling & evaluation is courtesy of Edvant Co. Ltd.

This symposium is co-organised by Education Development Center, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and HERDSA Hong Kong Branch.

The HERDSA (Hong Kong Branch) was established in 1997 as a local chapter of HERDSA (Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia) which is a scholarly society based in Australia for people committed to the advancement of higher and tertiary education.

According to research and observation of higher education practitioners, if higher education aims to provide students with meaningful and relevant learning experiences, the existing learning arrangements may need to change considerably.

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of HERDSA Hong Kong Branch, an award scheme has been established to invite students to conduct projects on Redesigning Student Learning Experience in Higher Education to inform us their needs, their ideas and views on optimal arrangements of university education processes.

In this symposium, 11 teams of students from 7 local universities/higher education institutes will share with us what they have learned in their projects, in particular, the implication and recommendations for teaching & learning in higher education.

All higher education colleagues and students are cordially invited to this symposium to learn from the innovative presentations of the project teams and engage in the dialogue on redesigning student learning experience in Higher Education.

Date: Tuesday, 22 August 2017
Time: 2pm –6pm (1:30pm registration)
Venue: TU101, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Enquiry: herdsa.hk@gmail.com
Online Registration: https://goo.gl/7zqDyS

Dear HERDSA Members in Hong Kong

You are cordially invited to attend the HERDSA (Hong Kong Branch) Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2017.

Date & Time: Friday 31 March 2017, 7:00 to 8:45 pm

Venue: City Top Restaurant, 9/F Amenities Building, City University of Hong Kong http://www6.cityu.edu.hk/wayfinder/en/Venue/CTREST/

Schedule:
7:00 to 8:00 pm Dinner (free of charge for members)
8:00 to 8:45 pm AGM

Agenda for the AGM:

• Report on:
  • activities since the last AGM
  • financial situation
  • coming events
• Invitation of input
• Election of members of the Executive Committee

You are most welcome to access our weblog https://herdsahk.edublogs.org/ to understand the mission of the HERDSA (Hong Kong Branch) and the activities we have conducted in these few years.

If you are interested in running the election of HERDSA (Hong Kong Branch) office bearers, please fill out the attached Nomination Form and email it to anna.kwan@outlook.com by 24 March 2017. To be eligible for participating in the election, candidates, nominees and seconders should be registered list members in 2017.

We look forward to meeting you in the dinner and AGM. Please let me know if you are joining us by replying this email by 24 March 2017.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Anna Kwan
Chair, HERDSA (Hong Kong Branch)

1. Background
The HERDSA (Hong Kong Branch) was established in 1997 as a local chapter of HERDSA (Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia) which is a scholarly society based in Australia for people committed to the advancement of higher and tertiary education.

According to research and observation of higher education practitioners, if higher education aims to provide students with meaningful and relevant learning experiences, the existing learning arrangements may need to change considerably. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of HERDSA Hong Kong Branch, we would like to invite students to conduct projects on this area to inform us their needs, their ideas and views on optimal arrangements of university education processes.

Up to eight awards on Redesigning Student Learning Experience in Higher Education will be provided for open competition. The selected teams will be invited to share their experience and ideas in the Symposium on Redesigning Student Learning Experience in Higher Education at the end of 2017.

2. Awards
Two types of awards are opened for competition:

Type of Awards		Number of Awards	Amount (HKD)
Distinguish Awards	The Winner	1	10,000
	1st Runner-up	1	7,500
	2nd Runner-up	1	5,000
Awards of Merits		3-5	1,500-2,500 each

3. Eligibility
All full-time undergraduate students who are studying in a local university or tertiary institution are invited to form teams to submit a project proposal.

4. Participation
Each team should include at least two students and one academic or professional staff member as adviser and contact person.

5. Project aim
To create and share local examples of student-centred, student-initiated, future orientated teaching and learning experiences which can engage and empower students and directly meet their future needs in a meaningful manner.

6. Nature of project
Key words for the project:

Student	♦ Student engagement and self-directed learning Creating learning environments to promote student engagement and self-directed learning
Future	♦ Future trends and meeting future needs Providing the most relevant learning at the university to meet students’ needs in life and career
Innovative	♦ Innovative organisation of learning* Providing students with a highly stimulating learning experience that creates a positive impact

*Such as the 10 Innovating Pedagogies and six themes suggested in Sharples, M. et al. (2015).

Students can propose any meaningful learning experiences which address the project aim. These projects can be student exploration of innovative learning opportunities, mini research study or others.

7. Duration of project
The project should last for at least one semester. Each approved project should be completed before Friday, 30 June 2017.

8. Timeline

Time		Activity
2016	Oct-Dec (extended)	Teams submit proposals
2017	Early Jan (updated)	Proposal selections & announcement of results
	Jan-Jun	Teams implement projects
	Jul	Teams conclude projects, write up & submit reports
	01-20 Aug	Teams prepare for sharing presentation
	Between 21-25 Aug	Teams present at the Symposium on Redesigning Student Learning Experience in Higher Education
	Sep-Dec	Editing, designing & printing team project Publication

9. Language
The proposal, report and presentation must be presented in English.

10. Proposal
The one-page proposal should be submitted by Wednesday, 28 December 2016 (extended) and address:

• The project, its purpose and expected outcomes
  What are you planning to do and for what purpose(s)? What are the expected outcomes?
• Rationale
  Why this project is so important for student learning of higher education?
• Implementation
  How would you carry out this project? What are the steps involved?
• Assessment
  How would you collect evidence to show the success and impact of your project?
• Ensuring success
  Will there be any problems that would inhabit the success of the project? How would you prevent and solve these problems?

11. Selection criteria
The submitted proposals will be reviewed by the Committee using three related criteria:

• Evidence of needs and benefits
• Potential Impact
• Quality of design and feasibility

12. Enquiry & proposal submission
Participation form, including the template of the one-page proposal, can be downloaded here. For enquiries and proposal submissions, please send e-mail to herdsa.hk@gmail.com

13. Report & presentation
The team report (3 to 5 pages) should be submitted by Monday, 31 July 2017. Contents of the report include:

• Summary of the items in your proposal
• Evaluation of success (should be based on evidence)
• Learning and reflection^
• Implications and recommendations for teaching & learning in Higher Education^

^The last two parts should be presented in a detailed manner.

Based on the report, the team will make a 30 minutes presentation in which the last 10 minutes are used for Q &A.

14. References
Sharples, M. et al. (2015). Innovating Pedagogy 2015: Open University Innovation Report 4. Milton Keynes: The Open University.
http://proxima.iet.open.ac.uk/public/innovating_pedagogy_2015.pdf
http://blog.aace.org/2016/01/31/1688/