Lingnan University’s School of Graduate Studies is proud to announce the launch of its Distinguished Scholars Seminar Series. The seminar series will take place between November and December 2023, and will feature world famous academics who will share their insights and expertise on various topics.

The inaugural seminar"Making an effective impact on the quality and reach of education through online learning design" was held on 2 November 2023. Prof Diana Laurillard, Professor of Learning with Digital Technology at UCL Knowledge Lab, University College London, United Kingdom, delivered an enlightening presentation to more than 100 onsite and online participants.

Prof Joshua Mok Ka-ho, Vice-President and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies of Lingnan University, expressed his gratitude to Prof Laurillard for her valuable contribution to the seminar, stressing her wealth of experience in academia and the unique perspective she brings to the integration of technology in education. Prof Mok hoped that her innovative ideas about creating engaging and interactive learning experiences through digital tools and platforms will satisfy the aspirations and needs of Lingnan's faculty and students.

Prof Laurillard delivered an engaging presentation on how online learning design can improve the quality and reach of education. She emphasised the need for educators to incorporate interactive and collaborative learning experiences to enhance student engagement and improve learning outcomes. She also drew attention to the significance of feedback, reflection and collaboration in the learning process, and the importance of intentional planning and sequencing of activities to support effective learning outcomes, known as blended digital learning.

Participants hailed the seminar as an invaluable resource, with an impressive 94% agreeing that the Distinguished Scholars Seminar Series had proved exceptionally useful to them. They also provided insightful comments, highlighting diverse ways teachers can use digital technologies to improve teaching and learning outcomes. The seminar stimulated discussions on incorporating coherent online strategies, and offering practical solutions for educators seeking to optimize their digital teaching practices. Many attendees expressed their intent to implement these strategies following the seminar, attesting to their immediate applicability.

This seminar platform creates a conducive learning environment that enriches students' educational experiences and facilitates their academic growth. Additionally, promoting inclusive and equitable teaching practices can strengthen commonality, solidarity, and understanding globally among teachers using these course design online platforms.

The Distinguished Scholars Seminar Series is part of Lingnan University's commitment to promoting academic excellence and fostering intellectual exchange. The university looks forward to welcoming more distinguished scholars to the upcoming seminars.

To learn more about the Distinguished Scholars Seminar Series, please visit https://www.ln.edu.hk/sgs/news/Distinguished-Scholars-Seminar-Series.