Abstract

In the current proposed project from Earth System Science Programme (ESSC), we engage senior postgraduate students from the Graduate Division of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EASC) for developing learning materials for selected ESSC/EASC courses. Earth System Science is a highly interdisciplinary subject hence many of our courses involve integrating physics, chemistry, biology, geology, as well as mathematical methods aided by computer coding, so as to build a quantitative understanding of our planet. However, our undergraduate and postgraduate students have rather diverse academic backgrounds and many are well-exposed to certain fields but seriously lacking in others. This means that they often have very different fundamental knowledge gaps that need to be filled, which makes the traditional, one-size-fits-all pedagogy not as effective and efficient. In the current proposed pilot project, focusing on advanced ESSC/EASC courses, we propose to engage senior postgraduate students to (1) collect feedback from previous students to identify key knowledge gaps that students encounter, and (2) develop e-learning materials and micro­modules that will allow students to better personalize their learning experience based on their specific needs. Through this project, the postgraduate students will gain experience regarding curriculum design and how to assess students’ needs. Postgraduate students will also take ownership of their learning. The resources developed will benefit students taking three ESSC courses which are offered every year.