Teaching and Learning Initiatives

The Learning and Teaching Development Programme (LTDP)

Introduced in 2014, this is a mandatory programme for new faculty with fewer than three years’ experience in university teaching and research postgraduate students with teaching responsibility. It is also available to more experienced faculty who wish to enhance their existing teaching skills. The programme comprises seven modules involving two hours of face to face teaching followed by three weeks of Moodle interaction in order to create a learning community. Successful completion requires a micro-teaching session and the completion of a teaching portfolio.

The Online Course Teaching and Learning Enhancement System

The system enables faculty to gauge students’ perceptions of the courses they are teaching at mid-semester. It also allows faculty to utilise questions from the current paper-based Course Teaching and Learning Evaluation System instrument, add their own questions and analyse the results. The system became mandatory for all courses in Term 1, 2017-18.

The Peer Observation Scheme

Developed in 2013 and selectively employed by faculty members, peer observation is a voluntary agreement between two or more colleagues to observe each other’s teaching so as to share teaching skills and bring about mutual enhancement of teaching. In this sense, it is a community of good practice. The scheme uses a structured feedback instrument developed by the Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC).

The Student Peer Learning Facilitation Scheme

Starting 2014, the TLC recruits top academic student leaders from various student associations and departments and teaches them how to use their knowledge as effective peer learning facilitators. The peer learning facilitation scheme is coordinated by students, with students and for students, and offers subject-specific tutoring. 

The TOTAL Teacher Experience

The TOTAL Teacher Experience  was introduced in early 2016 and helps teachers to ‘Transform Outcomes Through Action Learning’ in the classroom. Teachers apply action research techniques in order to help students better attain selected course learning outcomes. Moreover, based on student feedback and evidence, teachers also reflect and transform their own teaching practice in the long term.  

The Early Alert System

In 2012, the TLC introduced an Early Alert System, which is a fully automated system enabling faculty to alert the university about students who appear to be having problems with their studies. The system became mandatory in Term 2, 2014-15. In the seventh week of study, the TLC reminds relevant departmental secretaries to advise faculty to either utilise the system or report that they have no students with problem.  

The Faculty Mentoring Scheme

Introduced in 2014, this faculty mentoring scheme is primarily designed to provide new faculty (fewer than three years of university teaching experience) with quality guidance from recipients of the Teaching Excellence Award.