Fostering Teaching Innovation and Enhancing Educational Quality: Insig

hts from a CCS Seminar on Diverse Teaching Experiences

At the teaching seminar hosted by the College of Computer Science, professors came together to engage in a thorough discussion of the key challenges and opportunities shaping higher education today. The seminar served not only as a platform for teachers to exchange teaching experiences but also as a vital opportunity to improve teaching quality and foster greater collaboration among faculty. Addressing topics such as the integration of new technologies, the adoption of diverse teaching tools, enhancing student engagement, and ensuring fair grading practices, the professors shared insightful perspectives and practical solutions, offering actionable recommendations for refining future teaching methods.

The seminar aimed to promote meaningful communication among faculty, encouraging them to reflect on and exchange their teaching strategies to collectively enhance overall teaching quality. The professors in attendance, representing diverse educational backgrounds and areas of expertise, contributed diverse perspectives and real-world examples to the discussion. Through this collaborative dialogue, the professors gained valuable insights into how to adapt and continually improve teaching practices in an increasingly dynamic educational environment.

Professor Sai-Keung Wong: Incentives from Teaching Awards and the Application of Diverse Teaching Tools

Professor Sai-Keung Wong opened by emphasizing that teaching awards are not only an honor for teachers but also a powerful catalyst for advancing their teaching practices. He stressed that such awards motivate teachers to innovate continuously in their methods and work toward enhancing classroom outcomes. Professor Wong further noted that these awards not only foster professional development among teachers but also have a direct and lasting impact on the quality of student learning.

Drawing on his own teaching experiences, Professor Wong highlighted the essential role of diverse instructional tools. He noted that in today’s educational landscape, relying on a single teaching method is no longer sufficient to meet the diverse needs of students. As a result, it is crucial to incorporate a range of tools to enrich teaching, with visual aids such as animations and images proving especially effective in helping students grasp complex concepts. Professor Wong emphasized that this approach not only makes lessons more engaging but also strengthens students' ability to understand and retain key learning objectives.

Additionally, Professor Wong emphasized the importance of maintaining consistent and transparent grading standards, while avoiding unnecessary grade adjustments. He believes that a fair grading system not only shows respect for students but also motivates them to put in greater effort, helping to sustain their drive to learn.

Professor Tsung-Tai Yeh: Balancing Course Content for Optimal Difficulty and Detail While Emphasizing the Importance of Teaching Assistant Management

Professor Tsung-Tai Yeh shared valuable insights on how to balance the richness and complexity of course content from a course design perspective. He emphasized that while instructors often aim to provide students with a wealth of knowledge through comprehensive materials, too much content can hinder learning outcomes. Students may become frustrated if they struggle to keep up with the pace of a course, leading to reduced engagement and enthusiasm for learning. Professor Yeh encouraged teachers to tailor their courses to meet the actual needs and abilities of their students, ensuring they can achieve meaningful learning outcomes without feeling overwhelmed or losing confidence due to excessive difficulty.

He further highlighted that selecting teaching assistants is crucial for enhancing teaching quality. Professor Yeh shared his insights on managing teaching assistants, stressing the importance of choosing individuals who are both responsible and capable of teaching. Such teaching assistants are essential for ensuring a smoothly running classroom. The right assistant can offer valuable support to the instructor and provide immediate help to students when needed, alleviating frustration and significantly boosting overall learning efficiency.

Professor Chi-Yu Li: The Challenges and Strategies of Teaching in English

Professor Li focused on the challenges and strategies associated with teaching in English, particularly the use of a foreign language to teach academic subjects. He pointed out that the diverse range of English proficiency levels among students presents a major challenge for instructors delivering lessons in English. While Professor Li acknowledged that full English immersion is an effective method for enhancing students' language skills, he cautioned that relying exclusively on English may impede students' comprehension of subject-specific content. To address this, he recommended that instructors employ strategies such as providing translation support and offering explanations from multiple perspectives to facilitate better understanding and knowledge retention.

Additionally, Professor Li highlighted the importance of integrating technology into teaching. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has begun recording instructional videos, enabling students to revisit the class material at their own pace after class. This approach not only aids in revision but also helps overcome any comprehension challenges that might arise during the class. He shared that many students have found these videos particularly useful for exam preparation, with some even reporting that the videos have significantly boosted their confidence in learning.

Professor Shiuhpyng Shieh: Interactive Teaching and the challenges of a multicultural classroom

Professor Shiuhpyng Hsieh's presentation focused on strategies for enhancing student engagement in large classrooms and addressing the challenges of teaching in a multicultural environment. He began by noting that the classes he typically teaches are quite large, often consisting of over 100 students from various regions, including Europe and Southeast Asia. As a result, the classroom comprises both international and local students, creating new challenges for teaching in English. Professor Hsieh pointed out that some local students may struggle to fully grasp lessons taught in English. To tackle this challenge, he occasionally switches to Mandarin to clarify certain concepts. He ensures that he apologizes to the international students during these moments, making sure they also fully understand the material being presented.

Professor Hsieh highlighted the importance of understanding students' diverse backgrounds and conducts a background survey at the start of each semester to gather information on their prior coursework and learning experiences, enabling him to tailor the course content more effectively. In addition, to improve student concentration and participation, he employs a "random questioning" strategy, specifically engaging students in the back rows to ensure they actively contribute to class discussions. He also incorporates quizzes and real-time feedback to monitor students' progress and promptly adjust the teaching material as needed.

Professor Hsieh also noted that he integrates recent cybersecurity incidents into his lessons as real-world case studies, helping students grasp the practical relevance of the course material. He believes that incorporating such real-life examples not only makes the class more engaging but also enables students to connect academic theories with real-world challenges, thereby significantly improving their learning outcomes.

Professor David Hung-Chang Du: Teaching Reflections and Interaction from an International Perspective

During the discussion session, Professor Du shared his insights and reflections on teaching through an international perspective. He observed that, as globalization accelerates, classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse, with students from various countries and cultural backgrounds. This shift, he emphasized, requires teachers to adopt a broad array of teaching strategies. Professor Du specifically highlighted the importance of student engagement as a key factor in effective teaching. He also warned that an overreliance on PowerPoint presentations could undermine students' attention and diminish their sense of participation in the class.

He recommended that teachers occasionally revert to traditional blackboard teaching, as this method helps students focus more on the course material. He also discussed the double-edged nature of recorded lessons. While technology allows students to easily revisit course content, it can reduce their motivation to attend class in person, thus diminishing the effectiveness of live interaction.

Professor Du also highlighted that international students bring diverse learning styles shaped by their cultural backgrounds, which requires teachers to be flexible in course design to ensure that the content meets the needs of all students. He believes that by incorporating a range of teaching methods and adaptable assessment strategies, teachers can enhance the overall effectiveness of their instruction, thereby enabling students to gain the most from the learning experience.

Driving Continuous Innovation to Enhance Teaching Quality

This seminar offered a unique platform for the faculty of the College of Computer Science to exchange teaching experiences and explore innovative approaches to education. From leveraging diverse teaching tools and balancing course difficulty to tackling the challenges of English-medium instruction, each professor’s contribution provided fresh perspectives and valuable recommendations for improving teaching quality in the future.

As the seminar concluded, the host urged faculty members to actively engage in future teaching seminars and professional development programs. He emphasized that these opportunities promote teaching reflection and enable teachers to continually refine their methods to adapt to the evolving demands of education. With rapid advancements in educational technology and the increasing diversity of student needs, teachers must embrace ongoing innovation to sustain high-quality teaching and deliver more effective, engaging, and well-rounded learning experiences for their students.

Through the insightful discussions and exchanges during this seminar, the faculty members of the College of Computer Science showcased their steadfast commitment to achieving excellence in teaching and they laid a strong foundation for future teaching reforms and innovations.