The School of Communication (SCOM) held its third teaching sharing seminar of AY 2022/23 on 13 April 2023. The sharing session was moderated by Associate Professor Dr. Keith Cheung. The theme of the sharing seminar is “Use of Technologies in Teaching and Learning”. Staff members of BA-CMCT modules of SCOM including Mr. Earnest Li, Mr. Rex Ma, Mr. Sam Lam, Mr. Sanchez Lam and Mr. Stanley Yuen were invited to share their teaching experiences of using technologies.
Dr. Keith Cheung kicked off the sharing seminar by discussing the increasing use of software tools and online communication platforms in teaching and learning practices. These tools have allowed more interactive and creative ways to present subjects, improve teacher-student connections, and facilitate collaboration among students. He also highlighted the recent advancements in Generative AI, including ChatGPT. It is anticipated that AI tools would pose a significant impact on education.
Mr. Earnest Li highlighted that some students are utilizing ChatGPT to create written content. Whereas for graphic design or imaging projects, he requested the use of specific software such as InDesign for draft works. This ensures that students have applied design principles and skills in producing their works and emphasizes the importance of the process over the final product. Mr. Li also permitted students to use ChatGPT in their assignments, on the condition that they submitted their dialogues with ChatGPT to demonstrate how they addressed problems through question-and-answer interactions with AI tools.
Mr. Rex Ma addressed on the Hong Kong government’s initiative to establish a Smart City that integrates Web 3.0 technologies. He emphasized the importance of preparing students to adapt to changing technologies, work environments and society. To achieve that, he introduced new technologies such as NFT, virtual assets and metaverse in his classes, providing students with practical experience. He observed that students were keenly aware of technological advancements and applications as evidenced by the insightful questions raised by students during guest speaker sessions in his class.
Mr. Sam Lam discussed his approach to teaching web accessibility for visual impairments in his web-media production course. He used experience design, where he had students wear a surgical mask that covered their vision together with iPhone’s accessibility tool to access websites. Through that experience, students gained a deeper understanding of the importance of considering accessibility requirements and how a small effort could make a large difference for minority users.
Professor Ronald Chiu, Associate Dean of SCOM, suggested that while the University had yet to establish a formal policy on the use of ChatGPT, SCOM will raise the issue at the School Board and consider providing guidelines to professors and lecturers on the appropriate use of ChatGPT in the classroom.
Mr. Sanchez Lam proposed co-teaching for some subjects due to the rapid development of technological applications, drawing from his experience in teaching sound and audio processing modules. For example, when discussing audio distribution, the latest HTML5 embed live streaming had become a common application, which overlapped with modules that focus on web media production. He also emphasized the importance of creative training in technical modules.
Mr. Stanley Yuen has updated the assignment format in his module to reflect the increasing use of AI tools. Rather than solely focusing on the final output, the emphasis has shifted to the process. Students are then expected to explain the decision-making process and rationale behind their results.
Group photo
