Outstanding Performance in Team Teaching
Division of Transdisciplinary Undergraduate Programmes Team
(From left) Dr. Wendy HUANG, Dr. Nick ZHANG, Dr. Glos HO and Dr. Edmond TSANG
Dr. Glos HO (Team Leader)
Director of Transdisciplinary Undergraduate Programmes and Principal Lecturer
Division of Transdisciplinary Undergraduate Programmes (DTUP)
Dr. Wendy HUANG
Associate Professor
Department of Sport, Physical Education and Health
Dr. Edmond TSANG
Associate Professor of Practice
Academy of Music
Dr. Nick ZHANG
Assistant Professor
Department of Journalism
The inspirational HKBU Transdisciplinary Innovation Team (“the team”), comprising Dr. Glos Ho, Dr. Wendy Huang, Dr. Edmond Tsang and Dr. Nick Zhang, was formed in November 2021 when HKBU received approval from the University Grants Committee (UGC) to launch four transdisciplinary undergraduate programmes for the period of 2022-2025. Within a short timeframe, the team has demonstrated a truly transformative approach to teaching that breaks through barriers to generate a revolutionary learning experience for the students.
The team took charge of the swift development and accreditation of four pioneering programmes in the academic year 2022/2023, namely BA (Hons) in Business Administration (Global Entertainment” (BAGE), BSSc (Hons) / BSc (Hons) in Innovation in Health and Social Well-Being (HSWB), BASc (Hons) in Arts and Technology (ARTT)*, and the Bachelor of Arts, Science, and Technology (BAScT) in Individualised Major.
Besides the tremendous efforts in coordinating colleagues from different departments for curriculum design, the team also created novel pedagogies and experiential learning opportunities. These include integrating Global Challenges I/II into the curriculum of all four transdisciplinary programmes; ARTT and HSWB courses that merge technology and creativity to develop innovative solutions in health and social well-being; BAGE and ARTT modules for senior year students to collaborate in creative and business domains; and the extensive 36-unit solution-based learning modules for BAScT students.
Other invaluable initiatives driven by the team include the provision of community and industry outreach as early as Year 1 to cultivate transdisciplinary mindsets and inspire the students for new possibilities for the future. The team is also building platform for cross-departmental and cross-cultural collaborations. BAGE students gained exposure to the entertainment industry by working alongside their BMus counterparts to embrace the marketing and promotion for an annual music show, expanding the event’s reach to a wider online audience. DTUP’s strategic collaboration with Western Sydney University in Australia enables students across four transdisciplinary programmes to explore innovative solutions for social and sustainability issues, and BAScT’s virtual teaching and learning project with HWR Berlin in Germany enhances students’ awareness of how cultural differences impact problem-solving in the East and West.
The team is also developing a longitudinal research project in order to summarise teaching experiences and evaluate the impact of transdisciplinary study as an original pedagogical approach. The project is expected to provide insights on how to enhance students’ problem identification skills, systematic thinking and complex problem-solving within a transdisciplinary framework.
From the high-quality work on curriculum design all the way to teaching and mentoring the students, the initial success of the team has been rewarded by the significant growth in the number of applications for the 2023 intake; and the increase in the number of new transdisciplinary courses co-designed by colleagues from faculties and schools.
The team has truly created a remarkable portfolio of new programmes that nurture a new breed of future-ready talents with multifaceted backgrounds. The Selection Committee is, therefore, pleased to confer to the President’s Award for Outstanding Performance in Team Teaching to Dr. Ho, Dr. Huang, Dr. Tsang and Dr. Zhang.
* The inspirational HKBU Transdisciplinary Innovation Team includes the contribution from Mr. Kingsley Ng, Associate Professor at the Academy of Visual Arts and Programme Director of BASc (Hons) in Arts and Technology (ARTT) and led the development of the programme.