PBL for HKU’s New Curriculum

Lung Sang ChanFaculty of Science

HKU Educational AimsThe curriculum is aimed to enable students to develop capabilities in:

1. Critical intellectual inquiry and life-long learning2. Tackling novel situations and ill-defined problems3. Critical self-reflection and greater understanding of

others4. Intellectual communication, multicultural

understanding and global citizenship5. Communication and collaboration6. Leadership and advocacy for the improvement of

the human condition

•40 6-credit courses•6 common core courses (4 AOIs)

4 in Year 1 and 2 in Year 2•2 English and 1 Chinese courses•12-16 courses required by major •15-19 courses for 2nd majors, minor & electives

HKU Academic Curriculum Structure 2012

Chi

CC CC Eng

CC CC CC CC Eng

Curriculum Structure 2012

Courses for major(12-16 required courses)

additional courses in major,second major, minor,open electives

Some Additional Initiatives

• Outcomes-based approach to learning

• Standard-reference assessment

• First-year induction

• Student advising system

• Capstone/experiential learning

• Research-based learning

Common Core Curriculum

The goals of the Common Core Curriculum

• to enable students to develop a broader perspective and a critical understanding of the complexities and the interconnectedness of the issues that they are confronted with in their everyday lives;

• to cultivate students’ appreciation of their own culture and other cultures, and the inter-relatedness among cultures;

• to enable students to see themselves as members of global as well as local communities and to play an active role as responsible individuals and citizens in these communities; and

• to enable students to develop the key intellectual skills that will be further enhanced in their disciplinary studies.

4 Areas of Inquiry1. Scientific & Technological Literacy2. Humanities3. Global Issues4. China: Culture, State & Society

Tutorial Requirement:• 8-12 small-group tutorial sessions with emphasis on

student-centred learning

Already 15 courses have indicated the adoption of PBL activities

The Nature of PBL

“PBL is a system of teaching and learning where, without prior preparation, small groups of students consider an unfamiliar situation, problem or task. By exploring the nature of this unfamiliar situation, the students share prior knowledge and experience. As they progress, they pose questions which they need to explore in order to progress with the task.”

(PBL Directory, http;//interact.bton.ac.uk/pbl/whatsPbl.phl)

What is not PBL

• Conducting a lab experiment

• Undertake a project study on a specific research question (research-based learning)

• Teacher and students hold a discussion on a specific issue or question (case discussion)

• Ask student to generate their own research questions

Common and Essential Elements

• A systematic procedure in the PBL tutorials to discuss a problem statement

• Students formulate study issues and manage own study plans

• Facilitator maintains a free agenda in PBL tutorials but ensures students could reach a set of hidden outcomes

• Making students’ thinking ‘transparent’

• Facilitator’s role

What happens in most cases

PBL tutorials

PBL at HKU

• Delivery of entire curriculum (e.g. Dentistry)

• PBL + lectures (e.g. Medicine)

• Individual course or module (PDGE, Education)

• Tutorials in an individual course

Possible Adoption of PBL at HKU

• A chance to revamp learning pedagogy

• New curriculum (e.g. B.Ed. Liberal Studies?)

• New courses (e.g. Anthropogenic impacts?)

• Tutorials in common core courses

Liberal Studies & New Secondary School Curriculum

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Thank you!

chanls@hku.hk

http://www.hku.hk/chanls/