General Education Foundation Course:Foundations for Excellent Foundations for Excellent

Thinking

Professor Laurance Splitter(Director of GE)(Director of GE)

splitter@ied.edu.hk

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F-CILO 1: Demonstrate appropriate levels of understanding and knowledge in a range of g g g fdisciplines and subject areas;

F-CILO 2: Demonstrate an understanding of what knowledge is, and how knowledge is learned and communicated, across different disciplines and subject areas;

F-CILO 3: Demonstrate a commitment to thinking, speaking d i i i i ll b f i d idand writing critically about a range of views and ideas;

F-CILO 4: Make meaningful connections between the course content and their own beliefs, values and goals. 2

A mandatory 2-semester core course for all Year 1 students in the new “3-3-4/5” ea stude ts t e e 3 3 /5 curriculum (in 2012-13: ~1100 students);Taught via lectures (2 hours per week Taught via lectures (2 hours per week, presented by senior scholars mainly at IEd., with ~360 students in 3 parallel streams); and with 360 students in 3 parallel streams); and tutorials (2 hours per week, led by existing staff some Ph d students and some external staff, some Ph.d students, and some external part-time staff, with 25* students per tutorial; = 44 parallel tutorials) 44 parallel tutorials).

*22 in 2013-14.

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Introduce topic that are of great interest to them, in a way which captures students’

d f h hinterests and conveys some of the passion they feel about their subject area;Provide accompanying power-point presentations and readings which students are p grequired to read, and then take questions and comments to their tutorials.

Note: lecture attendance not compulsory in 2012-13. We allowed students to choose those topics of pmost interest to them.

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(Having participated in approx 8 hours of (Having participated in approx. 8 hours of professional development, and having attended the lectures and read the materials) attended the lectures and read the materials) Use students’ initial ideas and questions to guide them to a deeper understanding of the guide them to a deeper understanding of the subject matter;T k h l d i f i h i l Take the lead in transforming the tutorial classroom into a “thinking community” (or “ i f i i ”)“community of inquiry”).

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A collaborative and caring environment in which gstudents feel safe enough to take certain risks (e.g. offer their own interpretation of what someone says or writes, h th i i d iti l t th change their mind, critique a classmate or even the

teacher, etc.);A pedagogically strong environment in which tutors A pedagogically strong environment in which tutors encourage students to pay attention to how they think and express themselves (be reflective/meta-cognitive) p ( / g )and, in time, become better thinkers;A content-rich environment in which students move b d f lbeyond memorising information to conceptualising(analysing, synthesising) and evaluating different points of viewof view.

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Focus on dialogue (“thinking together” as key to deeper thinking) and making (meaningful) connections between what is presented to them connections between what is presented to them and their own ideas and experiences;Knowledge and understanding in/across a range Knowledge and understanding in/across a range of disciplines and subject areas;Understanding what knowledge is (how we learn; Understanding what knowledge is (how we learn; the value of doubt and self-correction);Appreciating the value of good thinking, speaking pp g g g, p gand writing;Regular tutor seminars in which (i) lecturers introduce their subject prior to the lectures, and (ii) tutors discuss pedagogic and substantive issues, i e they build their own peer community of i.e. they build their own peer community of inquiry.

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Themes for individual lectures and topics:(T1) Perspectives on How we Know and What we Value(T1) Perspectives on How we Know and What we Value(T2) Perspectives on Language and Communication(T3) Perspectives on Society: Local, Regional, Global

The three themes have emerged from (i) reflecting on the kinds of topics the lecturers have already proposed and (ii) identifying the kinds of subject areas that a foundation course in GE could and should cover The order of the that a foundation course in GE could, and should, cover. The order of the themes comes from a desire to introduce students to basic epistemological and ethical questions that ground studies in the humanities, sciences and social sciences, and to move from there to a selection of topics that reflect the pintellectual strengths of the Institute.

The general course theme points to the network of relationships between l d h d ld h d f

g p pourselves, our society, and the wider world. The recurring idea of perspectives invites students to examine what others have said and written on a number of key issues, but also to find significant connections between these issues and their own lives and concerns as stated in the F-CILOs their own lives and concerns, as stated in the F-CILOs.

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Attendance and participation;2 short mid-term tests;2 end-of-semester group presentations;3 progressively demanding essays (the final 3 progressively demanding essays (the final essay being part of an e-portfolio, with no set topic but a requirement to connect several topic but a requirement to connect several other topics and themes from the course).

In all items of assessment students are In all items of assessment, students are encouraged to make connections.

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H i i d th i i li tiHuman origins and their implications;Western perspectives on mind, knowledge and morality; morality; Origins and significance of Confucianism;English as a global language;g g g g ;Issues in technology;The language of music;Education for environment sustainability;Governance in Hong Kong and the Region;B h T F CBecoming a citizen in the Twenty-First Century;Economic growth and social development;G l d ti f th t i d t i l General education for the post-industrial age.

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We knew little about the new cohort of students in September 2012; they were 1 year

b h h d d f b lyounger, but they had done 3 years of Liberal Studies. Might they be intellectually sharper,

d f b dmore curious, more prepared for inquiry-based teaching and learning, even more linguistically

bl h h dable, than their predecessors?

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The first signs are discouraging. It seems that Liberal Studies has had little impact on our new

d f h f hstudents. If anything, many of them appear linguistically less able (especially in English),

d f l l d ( dunprepared for university-level study (reading, writing, listening, participating, organizing their

) d l l ll h k ftime), and not particularly willing to think for themselves. The problems here are both skills-based and attitude-based.

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The attendance at lectures dropped during the year, so that by the end of the course, approx. 40-50 students (out of 360) were coming along to each lecture. When asked why their classmates stopped coming to lectures, the most common responses were:

Attendance at lectures is not compulsory;p yStudents were not interested in the topics;The lectures power points and readings were The lectures, power-points and readings were often too advanced and technical;L h i bl b t t th Language comprehension a problem but not the main factor.

We are still evaluating student feedback here. 13

Tutorial attendance (compulsory) remained strong during the entire course. However:

Active participation was rare, even when encouraged by the tutor;g yStudents generally did not read the assigned readings; So:g ;The tutorials were often mini-lectures, thereby undermining the whole point of the course undermining the whole point of the course.

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Too early to tell, but indications are that student performance will conform to the usual range, with f h d ffew showing evidence of:

Thinking and writing in a reflective or critical g gstyle (i.e. beyond what is given to them); organizing their thoughts;g g gMaking the kinds of connections that the course aims at (e.g. F-CILO 4); ( g );Doing more than the bare minimum in order to survivesurvive.

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Extrinsic and intrinsic interestLevels of interest/lack of interest (e.g. “I am interested in topics 2 and 4, but not 3”; versus interested in topics 2 and 4, but not 3 ; versus “I’m just not interested!”.

The latter attitude seems stronger in students who The latter attitude seems stronger in students who feel that their study and career paths (teaching for most) are already determined. They are, in effect, saying: “Train me, but don’t make me think too much”! And the system itself may be on their side h here.

Whose responsibility is it to generate interest in t d t ? students?

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Several student leaders recently complained about being treated p gpaternalistically: as children rather than adults adults.

B h h ld d h d But how should we respond when students tell us they stop coming to lectures because h l ?they are not compulsory?

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Not to give up on the basic structure of the course: its i i i t taims remain important.Whether or not we make the lectures compulsory, a

t i t ill b i t d d new assessment requirement will be introduced (replacing one essay and two short tests):

l “ j l” b itt d l l i a year-long “e-journal” submitted regularly, in which each student reflects on (their understanding of and responses to) the lectures understanding of and responses to) the lectures and reading materials. They may write that they did not really understand much but they will did not really understand much but they will have to write! They may also report on their discussions and reflections with classmates, etc.,

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R i i th t d t hi i b t hi t t Recognizing that good teaching is about reaching out to students where they are at, and encouraging/guiding them to where we want them to go (as determined by them to where we want them to go (as determined by the F-CILOs: it is not about learning large amounts of content). This will require: ) q

Revising the syllabus to reduce the number of Revising the syllabus to reduce the number of distinct topics in favour of giving more time and attention to a select number of topics (including p ( gcontroversial and topical: nationhood and identity, sexuality, religion,…);Working with each lecturer in order to help make their presentations livelier, more accessible, more “entertaining”, more engaging, more activity-based, while still thought-provoking and informative; 19

Working with tutors (before and during the semester) on strategies for encouraging more class semester) on strategies for encouraging more class dialogue and participation (attack the mouse plague!);plague!);Taking students seriously but making expectations and boundaries clear (they are no longer at and boundaries clear (they are no longer at secondary school!); e.g. tutors will not give replacement lectures; assessment deadlines will be replacement lectures; assessment deadlines will be firm;Continue to expand the idea of virtual Continue to expand the idea of virtual communities (e-portfolios, etc.) to build on the technology which students already use

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technology which students already use.

R i i th diffi lt f ti i t t Recognizing the supreme difficulty of creating interest where there is none, engage students in various activities (meeting the above requirements) and at least some levels ( g q )of interest will follow. This is a complex process with few guarantees, involving:

M j di i h i f t iMore judicious choice of topics;More exciting presentations;Clear message that we want to hear what students are Clear message that we want to hear what students are thinking (it is not as much about getting things right or wrong as about learning to think better!);g g )Reduce the number of distractions (including delaying the commencement of their major programme studies –currently starting in their first semester!) currently starting in their first semester!).

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W k 1 8 I d th i t d ti d Weeks 1-8: In-depth introduction and immersion into what it means to be a university student (language confidence in university student (language, confidence in speaking, active listening, reading, thinking outside the box, )outside the box,…)Weeks 9-??: The Foundation Course (with suggested revisions) Finish course in May, not suggested revisions). Finish course in May, not early April as at present.

We need to light a fire under our students.

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