Blended Learning Roundtable Discussion: Creating a participatory learning environment in blended learning courses

Workshop Overview

The workshop will showcase how Canvas functions were successfully implemented in two BL courses to enhance students’ learning experience.

Tips and tricks in utilizing Canvas functions to engage students

Prof Lam will present how he used Canvas functions to structure the learning activities in his blended learning course to achieve better student learning outcomes. Some of the Canvas functions like “Quiz” or “Assignments” are commonly used by many instructors, but issues/ successes usually lie in the details of the implementation, the instructions given and attempt to make connections with the online session and in-class session with students. Prof Lam will share the tips and tricks in utilizing Canvas functions to engage students and reinforce their learning in CENG2210 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics.

Embedding real-life elements into blended learning course

Prof Brown will share his experience in using Canvas to connect students’ online learning with in-class f2f learning to encourage active participation. By sharing his experience on why he chose to maximize his use of Canvas to make teaching more effective and efficient, Prof Brown will focus on what Canvas functions he used and how he used them. He will also explore what worked and why, some of the student reactions and what could be improved from an instructor’s perspective.

ENVR3003 Green Buildings and Energy Efficiency is practical, process-oriented and hands-on. To better prepare students for their future career, Prof Brown took an experiential approach by incorporating real-life tasks to enhance students’ conceptual understanding, and create a participatory learning environment for active learning. He will share how he embedded real-life elements into a blended learning course and by reflecting on the experience of developing and facilitating a BL course, Prof Brown will also discuss the challenges faced in the implementation process and the students’ feedback.

About the Facilitators

Prof. Henry Lam is currently Associate Professor in CBME. He grew up in Hong Kong and is a self-proclaimed connoisseur of the "Peking Duck" (spoon-fed) education typical of Hong Kong local schools. Since joining HKUST in 2008, he has taught CENG2210 (Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics) 7 times, five times in the traditional way, and twice in the blended learning mode. His other major teaching project in HKUST was the development of a new course CENG1000 (Introduction to Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) in 2012. Besides teaching, Henry is also active in UG-related administration, serving as the "334" coordinator of CBME from 2009 to 2014, and the UG coordinator from 2014 to now. He was elected one of the Best 10 Lecturers by all HKUST students in 2009 and received the Distinguished Teaching Appreciation Award of the School of Engineering in 2010.

Prof David Brown’s passion for energy conservation started in 1964 when he built a solar water heater as his high school project. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering and continued in energy management designing mobile power generation systems and later air-conditioning of commercial buildings. He completed his MBA in 1996 and formed his consultancy company, "Sustainable Business Solutions".

David Joined the Business Environment Council as Head of the Buildings and Energy Efficiency division in Hong Kong where his team monitored and certified Hong Kong's green buildings under the BEAM program. He managed the establishment of the Hong Kong Green Building Council and BEAM Pro training and certification program. David also conducted Energy Audits to advise companies how to reduce their energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. As Adjunct Assistant Professor, he teaches a "Green Buildings and Energy Efficiency" course at HKUST.