Blended Learning or MOOC projects involve significant curriculum or course reform. Blended Learning (BL) at HKUST is defined as a blend of online and face-to-face teaching aimed at enhancing student learning. Typically, students acquire fundamental, conceptual knowledge online and then apply, analyze, or evaluate this through classroom activities to achieve higher levels of learning outcomes. The online component of a blended course is usually delivered through a Learning Management System, which includes video lectures, online activities, and online assessments. The face-to-face component on campus includes interactive exercises, group tasks, projects, and discussions. We recommend replacing 30-50% of contact hours with the online component for self-study and keeping the remaining 50-70% of contact hours for instructors’ face-to-face teaching. A MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is a self-paced online course that HKUST offers to the public in strategic partnership with MOOC platforms, such as Coursera and edX. The online courses are open to global learners from various academic backgrounds, cultures, languages, and age groups. All course activities, including lectures, practice sessions, discussions, projects, and assessments are primarily conducted online.

In response to the outbreak of COVID-19, HKUST adopted Real-time Online (RTO) teaching for classes starting Spring 2019/2020. As the situation has improved, HKUST has decided to transition to a Mixed Mode Teaching (MMT) approach for most classes in Fall 2020/2021. The five steps below provide you with the definition of MMT, the pedagogy to facilitate your class, and the classroom equipment needed to successfully deliver MMT. There are also video walk-throughs to help set up the two classroom types you may be assigned.

Blended Learning (BL) has been extensively used in Higher Education for many years. With advancements in computer technologies, students now have new ways to access and interact with knowledge and people. However, new information and communication technologies on their own do not necessarily lead to good learning experiences. Good pedagogy and well-designed courses are crucial.