Hands-on Workshop: Designing Interdisciplinary Courses

– Workshop 1 –

Think out of the Box and Design Your Engaging IGE Courses

Date: 13 Jan 2012 (Friday)
Time: 12:30 pm – 2:15 pm (light lunch 12:30-12:45pm)

Venue: ACC209
2/F, Jockey Club Academic Community Centre, Baptist University Road Campus

The success of any good course depends on the design of it.  Interdisciplinary General Education (IGE) courses are no different.  In this workshop we will set the framework for an IGE course. Interdisciplinary courses promise a wide range of desirable educational outcomes. This workshop focuses on the process of designing.  The process has eight steps: assembling an interdisciplinary team, selecting the topic, identifying disciplines, developing the subtexts, structuring the course, selecting readings, designing assignments, and preparing the syllabus.

 

– Workshop 2 –

Useful Techniques to Make Your IGE Courses Become Alive

17 Jan 2012 (Tuesday)
12:30 pm – 2:15 pm
(light lunch 12:30-12:45pm)

Venue: ACC209
2/F, Jockey Club Academic Community Centre, Baptist University Road Campus

Even the best curriculum ideas may fail to engage the student in his/her learning. In this workshop we will talk about the evaluative assignments that promote the desired educational outcomes.  IGE courses are relational, applied, novel, active, and often connect to self.  We will discuss how to make for an active learning environment.  Discuss co-curricular activities that will enhance learning in the course.

 

Speaker Biography

 

Prof. A. Reza Hoshmand,
Director of General Education, HKBU

 

Professor Hoshmand received his BSc. from the University of Hawaii, and MSc. from the University of Wisconsin. He completed his Ph.D. in Resource Economics at the University of Maryland. He is currently the Director of the General Education Programme at Hong Kong Baptist University. Professor Hoshmand has 25 years of experience in teaching Interdisciplinary General Education courses, and has been recognized for his teaching and research by winning a Meritorious Performance and Professional Promise Award from the California State University System.

 

 

 

Profesor Susan Fiksdal
Visiting Fulbright Scholar
Hong Kong Baptist University

 

Linguist
Former Head
The Culture, Text and Language section
Evergreen State College

 

Professor Susan Fiksdal, Fulbright Scholar at HKBU for the 2011-12 academic year, joined HKBU from the Evergreen State College, an innovative liberal arts institution in Washington state. As a linguist from Middlebury College with PhD from University of Michigan, she has been the head of the Culture, Text and Language section of the curriculum at Evergreen. Author of 10 publications and numerous papers on text, language and life-long learning topics, Professor Fiksdal is now working with the GE Office, CHTL as well as coordinating with a team of scholars through the Hong Kong America Center providing support on the General Education programs for Hong Kong’s tertiary institutions as part of the 3-3-4 Educational Reform Initiatives.