This page details examples of practice and approaches that have been taken by institutions in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in areas such as learning and teaching, assessment and feedback, and student support.
- Asian universities face online assessment hurdles in virus crisis
The Centre for Education Innovation at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology conducted last term’s exams in December in a variety of ways including: take-home exams, open-book exams coupled with online invigilation, and assignments submitted online. A small number of exams had to be postponed for a few months.
Preparations for Autumn Semester
Assessment and Grading
- Asian universities face online assessment hurdles in virus crisis
The Centre for Education Innovation at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), had last term’s exams in December conducted in a variety of ways: take-home exams, open-book exams coupled with online invigilation, or assignments submitted online. A small number of exams had to be postponed for a few months.
Transition Back to On-Campus Learning
- Teaching and Learning
HKUST is currently developing a strategy to support the re-introduction of on-campus learning in line with Hong Kong's Education Bureau. Details of their strategy is not publicly available, but is available with an institutional log-in.
Assessment and Grading
- Teaching and learning arrangements
Assessment weightings can be changed, but the window for making such changes will soon close. To do this, staff need to revise the assessment weightings as they see fit, inform all students registered for the class, update the relevant course information, and send a record of the change to Faculty Board for endorsement. Students who feel disadvantaged by the change will be able to drop the course. 'While this is not an ideal option, it is still a choice.' The website says that they remain committed to holding in-person exams in examination halls at the end of the semester. However, if the disruption becomes more severe, they may have to revise their assessment arrangements. If a course taught this semester relies heavily on a proctored final exam, the University says it would be a good idea, where possible, to reduce the weighting for that component and boost the weighting for other assessed tasks.
Support for Remote Learning
- HKU and edX partner to offer free online course certification to secondary school students
The University of Hong Kong has worked with an edX partner to offer free online course certification to secondary school students. The University hopes that through the collaboration with edX, secondary school students will be more motivated to continue learning at home during the school suspension period. (This may help with supporting local applicants to HE in the future). The University has also launched MOOCs to support learners online, aswell as with free online courses.
Support for Remote Teaching
- Faculty of Education - e-Learning
The Faculty of Education's e-Learning Team supports the Faculty e-Learning Strategy, which aligns with the institutional e-Learning Policy. They have resources to support the online delivery of course materials. These resources have been widely shared across the University, and the Faculty of Education has developed a number of blog posts to specifically support colleagues in transitioning quickly to remote delivery of teaching. - Converting blended learning to fully online: tips and challenges
Professor Nancy Law (Faculty of Education) shared her experience in converting a course designed for blended learning with intensive group work and interactions into a fully online course in a video on the University website. The video covers student presentations delivered via Zoom, which are then saved and shared via Moodle, followed by peer assessment. Students are encouraged to show their faces during the presentation. Professor Law draws on her own personal experiences to provide examples of the ways that staff can use technology to enhance the student learning experience.
Student Support; Mental Health and Wellbeing; Support for Remote Teaching; Support for Remote Learning
- HKU takes on COVID-19, the novel Coronavirus
HKU has developed a webpage focused on the institution's response to the Coronavirus pandemic. This webpage highlights research undertaken by University staff to fight the virus, resources for supporting the mental health and wellbeing of staff and students, and MOOCs for staff, students and secondary school students.
Preparations for Autumn Semester
Transition Back to On-Campus Learning
- Teaching and Learning Arrangements
HKU has been delivering small group classes (of up to 25 students) and most lecture classes (up to 90 students) in-person. Where a lecture class has more than 90 students, the entirety or a portion of the teaching is delivered digitally.