Dr. Will Ng (a joint event with OUGE)
Centre for Learning Enhancement And Research, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Detail:
Like it or not, students are paying less attention to the sage-on-the-stage and more towards peers-on-their-side. Of course it is students' improper inattention in the case of a proper lecture, but there are times, especially when student participation is called for, such as in discussion, laboratory and project works, when the teacher had better get off stage, in order to "facilitate". Facilitation is especially crucial now that more students tend to see class works as a matter of competition, in which case they may not behave comely towards each other.
In principle, such facilitation should aim for peer interaction that encourages cooperative learning, whether the learning activity being facilitated is competitive or cooperative in nature. The speaker will present two concrete cases from his own teaching experience, one on group project and one on class discussion, for which the speaker has developed means for such a purpose.
This is the last of a seminar series on strategic learning behaviour, and the first one to be given in English. For the benefit of those who may not manage the first two, given in Cantonese, the speaker will give a brief review of the whole series, and offer his reflection on approaching this important issue as a matter of teaching and learning research.
