pdf version - seng, hkust

Inspiring Future Leaders
Holistic Education Initiatives
With the increased emphasis on holistic learning under the four-year curriculum, the School sought
to launch further support measures, foster personal development and encourage students to
engage in enrichment activities in 2009-11 to build awareness of different types of learning among
students and faculty members.
Center for Engineering Education Innovation (E 2 I)
The School identified the critical transition period from school to university and the growing
advisory needs of undergraduates under the student-centric four-year curriculum as key areas for
greater support. One significant undertaking that aims to address both these needs is the Center
for Engineering Education Innovation (E 2 I), established in September 2010.
E 2 I seeks to position the School at the forefront of engineering education practice and research. Its
mission is to design, deliver, and evaluate innovative learning experiences for student and faculty
development.
In student development, E 2 I serves as a one-stop shop in advising first-year students admitted
under the School-based Admission Scheme so that they can make a successful transition to
university life and study, and make an informed decision on their majors. A Peer Mentoring
Program has been in place since 2010 to provide support for incoming students. Peer mentors
are empowered to play a role in the learning of other students by designing purposeful learning
experiences for them. This “Learning to Teach, Teaching to Learn” philosophy is also followed in
other student development programs offered by E 2 I both on and off campus.
E 2 I has been involved in two major initiatives related to the launch of the four-year undergraduate
curriculum. It has been helping to scale up and refine the current system of academic advising
for students. This involves the recruitment and training of peer, professional, and faculty advisors,
along with the provision of physical space that would be conducive to academic and social
interactions among students. The other move is to advance pedagogy through working with faculty
and teaching staff on innovative teaching and assessment strategies in order to maximize student
learning. For example, the Center has offered a series entitled “E²I Conversations on Engineering
Learning and Teaching” since Spring 2011, whereby the School’s faculty and guests gather once a
month during the semester to discuss issues on engineering education informally over lunch. Ideas
are being tried out in new School-sponsored courses and will be applied to other courses. E 2 I
is also engaged in teaching a course in collaboration with the University’s Center for Enhanced
Learning and Teaching for new faculty and one for postgraduate students for the entire university.
Another focus underpinning E 2 I’s work is engineering education research. Most of the research
in this area has been done in Western societies, and much remains to be learned about Chinese
students in the local context. E 2 I has identified many exciting research opportunities and plans
to collaborate with similar centers elsewhere to establish an international network to promote
engineering education scholarship.
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