Abstract
The information revolution of the last 20 years has transformed society, business and culture, placing pre-eminence on the ability to access and use information. Such a trend continues at an incredibly accelerating pace, which makes it a big challenge for educators to keep up with. Like many universities in Hong Kong and elsewhere, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) is rapidly expanding its use of information technology for teaching and learning. A Taskforce was set up to promote web based teaching and learning activities within the university community. This paper reports some preliminary findings on the nature, approach and progress made by the Taskforce during its first phase of implementation of the WebCT — the current platform for the initiative. A survey conducted by the Taskforce found that academics showed a strong desire for training and workshops, and the need of resource personnel to support their use of technology in teaching. Academics also expressed the importance of having sufficient time to learn to use the WebCT and to prepare contents, and they value opportunities to interact with colleagues for sharing experiences. Despite limited resources, the feedback on the promotion of WebCT for the teaching and learning processes at HKBU was found to be quite positive in the initial phase. The activities of the Taskforce are now into its second phase of implementation. Apart from the training and workshop support provided, the Taskforce will also look into the pedagogical impact of this initiative to staff and students alike. This should shed information on how to help academics and students adjust and prosper in a changing educational climate, and eventually on contributing to the development of a culture which recognizes and values the use of IT in education.
The original version of this chapter was revised: The copyright line was incorrect. This has been corrected. The Erratum to this chapter is available at DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-35689-1_19
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© 2003 IFIP International Federation for Information Processing
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Fung, A., Ledesma, J. (2003). Fostering Web Based Teaching and Learning in a University. In: Selwood, I.D., Fung, A.C.W., O’Mahony, C.D. (eds) Management of Education in the Information Age. ITEM 2002. IFIP — The International Federation for Information Processing, vol 120. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-35689-1_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-35689-1_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-1037-3
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