Blended Learning and MOOC
Blended Learning and MOOC
A Long-Term Commitment to Blended Learning
In Spring 2013, we launched a strategic project following a Senior Management Retreat to implement Blended Learning (BL). The goal of this initiative was to enhance the pedagogical impact of face-to-face learning by leveraging the potential of self-directed online learning.
The pilot phase of the project involves a commitment from all academic units to develop at least one course as a BL course, which resulted in approximately 20 courses. We provided institutional resources to support the design, development, and implementation of these courses. The pilot phase served as a basis for full-scale development, with an expectation that one in five undergraduate courses will adopt the Blended Learning approach.
To support this ambitious initiative, alongside a comprehensive AV upgrade of classroom spaces, we created various types of new learning spaces, including flexible BL classrooms and student multimedia production and self-study spaces.
As part of our internationalization strategy to reach out to global students, we established partnerships with both Coursera and edX to produce MOOCs. HKUST was Coursera’s first partner in Asia, and we later partnered with edX. MOOCs on these platforms provide components for courses to be taught in a Blended Learning format, and the development of online materials for Blended Learning courses can serve as a basis for future MOOCs and vice versa.
Our course offerings include: