Coffee break, during which I managed to crash WordPress then my MacBook with too many uploads of photos of slides. Managed to sort it all out with the help of more coffee to combat creeping jet lag (that time in the morning) but missed the first 15 mins or so of the final session – interdisciplinary roundtable, with a variety of representatives from different disciplines and professions.
While I wait for bits of code ‘n media to catch up with me, and as a Dear Diary sort of interlude, did I mention that this Venerable Blog has now passed the 500 posting mark? On St Patrick’s Day 17.3.05 I started to blog (first at Typepad, then on WordPress), and the blog & me celebrated our tenth birthday 2015, marked here. Since then I’ve noticed the numbers of posts have slowed down, but my postings have become longer. Is that a sign of age? Has anyone done a longitudinal survey of the relationship of bloggers’ ages to their postings? Do they become more ruminative, use toomanypolysyllables (tl;dr)? Anyway, a good excuse for a celebratory Lagavulin somewhere – Hong Kong, Toronto, Fintry.
But back to the session. I’ve been resorting to pen & paper to scribble down wee bits of the fascinating stuff that the first speakers, Alice Lee (Assoc Dean (Academic) Faculty of Law) and Dr L.H. Li, Assoc Prof in HKU’s School of Architecture, director of the BSc Surveying were saying about their collaborations in law, surveying, architecture. Over a decade ago Andrew Agapiou, Emma Nicol and I collaborated on writing up a SIMPLE simulation of a construction law dispute, and ever since then I’ve been fascinated by the possibilities of using the signature pedagogies of architecture in legal education. I think it’s significant that many of Schon’s examples of learning in and from professional practices were drawn from architectural salon learning – in legal education we could do the same. So from what I could make out of the collaboration that was what was being described; but speakers, do feel free to put me right in the Comments box below…
Next, CS Lau, Prof in Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology and senior advisor to the Assoc Dean (T+L) in the Faculty of Medicine HKU, described a new initiative, his medical school’s Enrichment Year. Students are encouraged to learn beyond medicine. Rather astonishingly, it’s credit-bearing, and students pick what to do that will enhance their qualities as health practitioners and deepen their knowledge of health science. They make up their own programmes excuse me while I repeat that, they make up their own programmes, or enrol in a variety of other established programmes. All 210 students are sent out of the medical faculty, and can go globally, eg working with people in Cambodia who are blind and cannot afford medical services. But how will students be supported psychologically, socially? They learn from each other. Students use a platform called Workplace, a Fb platform. 10/11 students are assigned a tutor, with students working on different things in the same group. Tutor provides guidance (sounds a bit like practice managers in Ardcalloch…). Year ended with a large plenary session with students as well as individual feedback from students, which was very positive on the platform as well as the Enrichment Year generally. On assessment, students who take courses take the assessment regime on the courses. Those who initiate their own learning experiences, they have supervisors who help them to set out the aims and goals they will achieve. Fascinating. My head was buzzing with the possibilities in law.
Next, Dr Elsie Chien, senior lecturer, Dept of Social Work & Social Admin, HKU and Co-ordinator of the Skill Laboratory (what a title). The curriculum covers a variety of disciplines. One year intensive training before field practicum for social work students. Based on the idea that students work best when working in real-life settings and engaging in specific tasks with social missions. Two semesters, 6 hours weekly, based on experiential learning and problem-based learning (PBL). Semester 1, basic skills learning, community study and agency visits. Semester 2 attachment in a social service agency. Small group teaching, 10/11 students, direct contact with clients and the community, and peer learning. Showed a really attractive field project, the design of a Walking Trail in Kwun Tong city for elderly folk, to encourage walking for active ageing and physical health. Promo video again (but ok this time cos made by the students themselves). Group members were also empowered to become tour guides to promote the walking trail. Super project, great ideas.
Followed by Assoc Prof Gary Harfitt, Assoc Dean (T+L) and Ms Jessie Chow, Lecturer, Faculty of Education HKU (teacher education). Again, their subject was experiential education (EL), which is made compulsory for teacher-training in HK. Students are trained then practise in the community or with NGOs internationally. The students on the EL courses come from other programmes in Education. No grades: either pass or fail. Faculty teach, learn with students and community partners & international NGOs in Mumbai, Mongolia, etc. and give feedback in the credit-bearing courses. Tensions arising from this implementation of EL: it was compulsory which didn’t please some students who wanted more formal, conventional teaching and to teach conventionally themselves (ah, how the two so go together in a person). But teaching isn’t just technical skills in a room, they said, it’s about moral choices and understanding communities and social contexts, and Gary referenced the work of communities in the streets of Hong Kong. Inspiring work.
Finally Michael George Botelho, Clinical Associate Professor (Prosthodontics), Faculty of Dentistry HKU, described teaching moments that were shared as ‘problem-solving pathways’. Which were filmed and made available to students on the course. Construction of knowledge, modelling behaviour, insights – learning need, meaning through dialogue, then insight. He created a lovely learning management system (how often do you see those four words together) called Video Vox with time book marks, time-marked specific discussions and the like. Students can upload their own video presentations, and ask for feedback. Very useful platform, he said, for placements in HK or abroad, where students can store, explore and use and re-use resources. Just the sort of thing I’ve been looking for re students reflecting on their work with sim clients…
Blisteringly fast session, with amazing ideas and examples, lots of discussion from various disciplines and professions that could be brought into law. My head’s beginning to go the same way as my laptop – I might need rebooted. Closing formal words by Wilson and that was it. Have to spend a while getting my thoughts together about it all…