Progress in the Implementation of OBE

Since 2007, the Department of Cultural Studies has been proceeding toward outcomes-based approach (OBA) in teaching and learning. Up till Nov 2009, Members of the Department have conducted eight internal meetings / workshops on OBA and QAC audit, including a workshop for undergraduate students on “Reception-side OBA” and another workshop for teaching staffs on assessment rubrics and OBA syllabus format. In addition, a QAC Audit Task Force has been set up. Members have attended about fifteen OBA-QAC audit seminars / workshops organized by the institution. Knowledge gathered is widely circulated among staffs

1. A Review of BACS and MCS Programme Objectives and Outcomes

“The BACS programme has as its overarching learning outcome to train students to develop and refine their intellectual and creative capacity as well as community-oriented knowledge and consciousness, with demonstrated skills in critical writing and judgment, media and textual analysis, creative thinking in applied cultural scenarios, cross-cultural communication, conceptualization and execution of cultural planning and management, and self-reflective analysis.  The performance indicators we employ include criteria-referenced assessment rubrics that differentiate student abilities according to their conceptual ability (e.g. to explain theories and conceptual models); reading, speaking and writing competence; creative problem-solving competence (e.g. in applied cultural scenarios and cases); execution of research methods (e.g. fieldwork, qualitative research); and planning skills and capacity for team-work in organizational settings (e.g. in internship).

The programme has two major desired outcomes: (1) to prepare our graduates for employment in and contribution to a variety of cultural work, including media and cultural industries, education, business, public services and community work; and (2) to produce citizens with cross-disciplinary cultural knowledge and cultural research skills. We communicate those desired learning outcomes to students in a continuous manner, from student orientation through to advising and individual course syllabi.  Overall, the BACS programme is in keeping with the liberal arts mission of cultivating flexible, humanistic, value-oriented skills and knowledge.”

 (Best Practices adopted by the Department of Cultural Studies, Institutional Submission Documment)

‘The Master of Cultural Studies (MCS) Programme is designed to widen students’ intellectual horizon across the boundaries of academic and professional disciplines through offering fresh ideas and innovative analytical tools in trans-disciplinary Cultural Studies for experienced cultural practitioners and fresh university graduates in a range of related fields. Students, after the completion of this programme, are expected to be able to 1) refine the professional and cultural resources they already have to better understanding the complex processes of cultural works today, and 2) to deal with the constraints and potentials, as well as new challenges and emergent problems, of their respective professional practices in the rapidly changing contemporary context. These desired objectives are in alignment with the University’s mission of enabling “students to think, judge, care and ultimately act responsibly in the changing circumstances of Hong Kong, the region and the world.”

The Programme communicates the desired objectives with students through various means (including the course syllabi, advertising materials and student handbook) and occasions (such as student orientation, lectures and the annual MCS symposium). The programme employs a set of criteria-referenced assessment rubrics to evaluate students’ performance (as revealed in their written assignments and oral presentation) in acquiring the trans-disciplinary knowledge and communication and research skills.”

 (Best Practices in the Master of Cultural Studies Programme, Institutional Submission Documment)

A Revision of BACS Syllabi

Core Module

A Revision of MCS Syllabi

3. A Quick Guide for Online CTLE Users (Compiled by the Department of Cultural Studies)

Online CTLE Handbook

A Quick-Start Version Prepared by the Department of Cultural Studies

1. Following up the suggestion made at the Mock Audit on May 14 2009, an Online CTLE handbook has been prepared based on the information on the website of the Teaching and Learning Centre.

1. Online CTLE can supplement the conventional pen-and-paper system and evaluate the teaching and learning process in an ongoing and continuous manner.
2. Instructors can conduct and devise their own online surveys, and collect immediate feedback from students at anytime throughout a semester.
3. This system has been running since September 2006-2007.

3. How can I create and send out surveys using this system?

1. First, go to http://www.ln.edu.hk/cte/online and log on the system by entering your Lingnan id and password.
2. You can then start to create your survey. Select “Create Survey” button, then click “New Survey”. Fill in your “Survey Title”, “Header”, and “Footer” and select “Release Date”.
3. Next, you may select questions using various templates and questionnaires provided by the system or create your own questions specific to your courses. Templates include:
• A full set of the standard Course, Teaching and Learning evaluation (CTLE) questionnaire for lectures/ tutorials/ seminars;
• A full set of the standard Course, Teaching and Learning evaluation (CTLE) questionnaire for project supervision;
• Questions from the booklet “Student Evaluation of Course and Teaching: Additional Questions”and
• Some “One-minute paper” questions suggested for classroom assessment to collect quick feedback from students right after class.
4. You may add, edit or delete your questions anytime in the semester.
5. When you have created the survey, you can send it to your students easily. The course enrollment database is pre-loaded onto the Online CTLE system every semester. The system can help you generate an email to students enrolled in specific course / class.
6. Students receive the online evaluation form through email with a hyperlink to a website.
7. No individual responses will be identified. The student's identity will remain anonymous to the instructor concerned, but the system invisibly traces student participation.

4. How can I assess the Online CTLE Results?

1. Click the “Survey Review” button and select the survey that you want to review.
2. Select report type and a pdf report will be generated.
3. You can access the results in aggregate format both during and after the surveys.

5. Where can I get more support?

1. Step-by-step online instruction guide (video) here: http://www.ln.edu.hk/cte/online/index.php?cte_action=cte_admin&help=video
2. Step-by-step online instruction guide (documentation) here: http://www.ln.edu.hk/cte/online/cte_help/index.htm?cte_action=cte_admin&help=help
3. TLC Support Hotline: 2616-7584
4. Email: tlc@ln.edu.hk

1. An outcomes mapping exercises between culture-related job descriptions and BACS graduate attributes have been done. “Common Culture-related Job Descriptions” are taken and summarized from local job websites. The job descriptions are divided into six categories, namely, Creativity & Media, Community & Cultural Policy, Education & Liberal Studies, Pressure Groups, Government and Commerce.
2. “Attributes of Ideal Graduates in BACS” are taken from mission statement documents as well as the academic calendar 2008-09 of BACS programme.
3. “Other Attributes that BACS Graduates Should Have” refers to the attributes unlisted in official documents, but BACS graduates should have, through participating in other activities offered by the university, Cultural Studies Society and Internship programme.
4. On the whole, most job requirements match both the “attributes of ideal graduates in BACS” and “other attributes that BACS graduates should have”. Only one job description, “smart & presentable outlook” is neither covered in the attributes officially listed nor other attributes unlisted in official documents. Yet this attribute appears to be insignificant because only two categories of work, creativity and media, and community and cultural policy look at this graduate attribute.
5. Culture-related job descriptions, including “spoken & written Chinese & English, including Putonghua”, “team-player”, “well-organized/ project management, time management & organizational skills”, “creativity” & “strong analytic skills” are nicely matched with official BACS graduate attributes.
6. “Spoken & written Chinese & English, including Putonghua” is one of the most common culture-related job descriptions. Jobs in the fields of creativity and media, education and liberal studies, pressure groups, government and commerce emphasize this graduate attribute. From the Outcome Mapping Table with BACS Graduate Attributes, a moderate number of BACS courses contribute to the attribute “reading, speaking & writing competence”. 14 of 33 BACS courses, i.e. 6 of 11 required courses and 8 of 22 elective courses note this attribute. This demonstrates that our programme has proceeded in a right direction.
7. “Skills in critical judgment” is the most common attribute for BACS graduates. 30 of 33 BACS courses emphasize this attribute in their learning outcomes. Similarly, “strong analytic skills” is one of the most common culture-related job descriptions. Jobs in the fields of creativity and media, community and cultural policy, education and liberal studies, government and commerce highlight this attribute. The match between this official BACS graduate attribute and job description shows good evidence for BACS curriculum planning.
8. “Good/ basic computer skills, knowledge of design / multimedia software an advantage” is also one of the most common culture-related job descriptions. Jobs in the categories of creativity and media, community and cultural policy, education and liberal studies, pressure groups and commerce highlight this attribute. Though IT skills are not included in our official BACS graduate attributes, graduates can attain the necessary IT skills from courses offered by the university in general.
9. “Creativity” is the least pronounced job requirement. Only jobs in the field of creativity and media mention this graduate attribute. Yet “creative thinking in applied cultural scenarios” and “creative problem solving skills” are two of our ideal BACS graduate attributes. As an action for improvement, a budget plan for Cultural Studies media production equipments was submitted in the academic year 2008-09. Up till now, seven stations have been set up and reserved for CUS students who took CRE courses. The creation of this media lab is used to train students practical media production skills. The budget was approved on 23rd April 2009. $8,000 will be allocated to meet the general needs in teaching equipment, computer hardware and software, and audio and visual equipment. $310,000 will be allocated for media production equipment for teaching and learning.
10. The outcomes mapping exercise has also discovered that jobs in the field of “creativity and media” require almost all culture-related skills listed, in the contrary, “government” work require the least culture-related skills. To apply for “government” jobs, graduates only need to have generic skills: “spoken & written Chinese and English, including Putonghua” and “strong analytic skills”.