PANEL DISCUSSION
How can we integrate experiential learning into the university curricula to prepare students for an uncertain future?
Abstract
In a rapidly evolving world, where the skills required for the workplace are constantly shifting, universities face the challenge of preparing students for an uncertain future. Experiential learning—a pedagogical approach that emphasizes hands-on, real-world experiences—offers a powerful solution to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical application. This panel discussion will explore innovative strategies for integrating experiential learning into university curricula, ensuring students develop the adaptability, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in an unpredictable world. We have invited three teachers to share their insights and experiences in engaging students in experiential learning. The discussion will initially focus on each panelist sharing their personal experiences and perspectives. Subsequently, the floor will be opened for all participants to contribute their view on some obstacles they faced when trying to implement experiential learning, and how we can try to overcome them.
Details
Date: 31 March 2025 (Monday)
Time: 1:00pm – 2:15pm
Venue: Learning Lab (RRS321, 3/F, Run Run Shaw Building, Main Campus, HKU)
Panel Discussants
Dr. Promail Leung
Director, School-University Partnership, Faculty of Education; Specialism Co-ordinator, Master of Education Teaching of Science in an International Context; Senior Lecturer, Academic Unit of Mathematics, Science, and Technology, HKU
Promail Leung, a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, has two decades of hands-on teaching and leadership experience in secondary and tertiary education. She has been actively involved in various EL initiatives. In 2021, she initiated a fund-supported EL credit-bearing course, leading her students to participate in the “Odyssey of the Mind (OM™)” contest at the World Final in the USA. As the Director of the School-University Partnership office, she launched a virtual e-buddy scheme and physical overseas teaching practicum-related programmes since 2020. During this panel discussion, she will reveal her strategies for executing EL programmes and equipping students to handle the evolving workplace challenges.
Professor Joseph P. H. Chan
Associate Professor of Practice, Associate Director – Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Programme Lead – Entrepreneurship, Design & Innovation
TBC
Dr. Kal Ng
Professional Practitioner, Faculty of Arts, HKU
Dr. Kal Ng is a practitioner in Architectural Design, virtual reality research, film producing and scriptwriting.
He is at present a lecturer of Intelligent Architecture and Virtual Reality at HKU and as programmer for the HDT Trajectory Workshops, drawing interdisciplinary knowledge from the various fields he was in for digital humanities students.
He has a BArch from University of Oregon School of Architecture, mPhil of Comparative Literature at the Faculty of Arts and PhD in Architecture at HKU.