Faculty-to-Faculty Conversation: Using active learning in lecture as a pedagogy of engagement

Overview:

To teach is to engage students in learning. Approaches that promote active learning often allow students to confront misconceptions, and/or explicitly ask them to make connections between new information and existing knowledge. In this seminar, teaching award winning speakers will share their experience in uncovering (rather than covering!) the material for the students. They will share simple techniques to help students engage with the material and participate in class. In particular, Professor Agnes KU (SOSC) will share multiple approaches she takes to spark student interest and nurture their critical thinking skills. Professor Rhea Liem (MAE) will share her teaching philosophy and practical teaching strategies adaptable in various teaching scenarios.

Prof Agnes KU
Professor Agnes KU, a recipient of the Common Core teaching excellence award, has taught undergraduate classes ranging from 40 to 400 students. In this seminar, she will share with the audience her experience in teaching the common core courses in Social Analysis. She will discuss the various approaches she takes to spark student interest, nurture active and interactive learning in class, and engage the students in thinking about social and cultural issues critically.

Prof Rhea LIEM
University is a place for continuous learning and self-discovery, for students and teachers alike. HKUST is where I discovered my passion for teaching, and also where I learn a lot from the students. I have learned that the effectiveness in teaching and learning really depends on how passionate and enthusiastic the teachers and students are. Luckily, passions and enthusiasm are contagious, and we should not underestimate our roles as teachers to spread the positive vibes. It is thus important to first and foremost spark their interests and to make them realize that we are here to help them find their interests, as well as to learn how to learn and how to think. I treat HKUST as my playground for teaching and learning (a nice little break from research sometimes, I must say), and I am having a lot of fun. It is my sincere wish that more students and fellow teachers realize the fun of it too. Lastly, I strongly believe that education is all about “paying it forward.” We would never know whom we'd inspire, or whose lives we'd change. Teaching is more a vocation than a job, and we might as well be happy while doing it.

Speakers:

Prof Agnes Shuk-mei KU (Ph.D., UCLA) is Associate Professor of Social Science. She is also a Faculty Associate in the Center for Cultural Sociology of Yale University. Her research interests include cultural sociology, civil society, urban space, as well as Hong Kong culture and politics. She was Associate Dean (Undergraduate Education) in the School of Humanities and Social Science during 2011-14. In 2018, she received an Honorable Mention for the Common Core Teaching Excellence Award in our University.

Prof Rhea LIEM is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Originally from Indonesia, she moved to Singapore to earn her Bachelor of Engineering degree from Nanyang Technological University, then to the US to get her Masters from MIT, and finally to Canada to get her doctorate from the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies. She studied Robotics in undergraduate, but her curiosity led her to study Aerospace Engineering in graduate school; a decision she never regrets. She is a 2012 Amelia Earhart Fellow, which is annually awarded to selected female PhD students in the aerospace science and engineering field. She is one of the first aerospace engineering faculty members at HKUST, where she does aerospace computation research in aircraft design and air transportation applications. She was awarded the SENG Teaching Excellence Award 2017/18 for her contributions in developing and teaching the Introduction to Aerospace Engineering and Aircraft Design courses.

All Faculty and Teaching Staff are welcome
Light lunch will be served