Teaching development grants final and financial report: Interactive online self-access learning package for 'Chinese writing skills'

In the Strategic Areas of Transforming People – Out Students and Our Graduates in the Strategic Plan 2009-2012 and Beyond, the promotion of innovative curriculum design, the application of Information and Communication Technology, new pedagogies and assessment that facilitate learning is emphasized to assure quality education. With the implementation of the New Language Policy (NLP) in 2012/13, the Center for language in Education (CLE) is repositioned as the executive arm for the provision of high quality trilingual and biliterate language learning programmes. There is a trial of the Center to promote blended learning and self-access learning materials. This on one hand aligns with the Institute’s Strategic Plan, and on the other hand, strengthens the learning outcomes for the new curriculum under the NLP. Under the NLP, all UGC-funded full-time non-Chinese Major undergraduates are required to take three 30-hour mandatory Chinese enhancement courses. With limited class time and aiming at enhancing learner’s autonomy, the Chinese Team of CLE has already developed 22 sets of paper- based self- access learning materials for Chinese writing skills, equivalent to approximately 162 hours of self-access learning, to supplement face-to-face learning and teaching of the two core writing courses that we are currently offering, namely ‘Academic Writing’ and ‘Professional Writing’. Students opined that the materials are useful during the Staff-student Consultative Meeting (SSCM). It is believed that the conversion of paper-based self-access learning materials to interactive online mode could enhance students’ motivation and learning effectiveness. The Chinese Major students, who do not need to study the CLE Chinese enhancement courses, could also benefit from this online learning package. UGC recommended that given the importance of Chinese, they would like to invite all institution to consider stepping up their efforts in enhancing students’ proficiency in written Chinese. (UGS letter for 2010-11 LE report, May 2011). This project aims to convert part of the above paper-based self-access learning materials (about 5 sets of material for Chinese writing skills, which are equivalent to approximately 50 hours) to interactive online learning materials. This could help to develop students’ learner autonomy toward strengthening their Chinese writing. As there are very few interactive online self-access learning materials on Chinese writing skills in the market designed for the Hong Kong context, the project also aims to fill in this gap and to adopt blended learning and e-learning in course material development. Students taking the mandatory courses can use these materials as self-learning activities to supplement face-to-face learning. Students who do not need to study the mandatory Chinese enhancement courses, or those final-year students who have completed the mandatory courses in earlier academic years, may also use them as self-access learning packages. This is the first step of the Chinese Team’s long-term planning to convert all the existing self-access learning materials to interactive online mode, and also develop more online self-access learning materials to meet students’ needs.