IUT | Educational Development Centre

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Details

Schedule

Registration

Enquiries

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Who Should Apply?

All new full-time staff with regular teaching responsibilities are welcome to the programme “Introduction to University Teaching (IUT)”.

New staff who meet the following criteria can be exempted:

at least two academic years of full-time teaching experience AND conducted at least 156 hours of classroom teaching at a higher education institution as an Assistant Professor / Research Assistant Professor / Teaching Fellow / Lecturer or above, or
completed teacher training equivalent to IUT (i.e. at least 20 hours and on topics that focus on the teaching and learning process in a higher education context).

The policy document can be found at here.

New teachers who have met the criteria and wish to be exempted should fill out the Online Exemption Declaration Form (PolyU VPN access is required if you try to access this form out of campus). The system will send a copy to the respective teacher’s Head of Department, and a copy to EDC for programme planning purposes.

Those who have met the criteria but wish to attend the programme are most welcome to enrol!

The Programme

PolyU places high value on good teaching. This programme is designed to get new PolyU teachers off to a good start.

It is intended that through participating in this programme, new teachers will be able to:

Lay strong foundations for active learning from the first class.
Plan lessons that take account of how students learn, the characteristics of PolyU students, and PolyU policies and practices.
Design and use tasks that will help students learn in different teaching and learning contexts.
Interact with students in a respectful way and take account of their opinions.
Communicate effectively in the classroom.
Use technology to help students learn.
Choose assessment methods that are fit for purpose.
Prevent and manage inappropriate classroom behaviour.
Reflect on and improve their teaching skills.

Teaching Approach

IUT adopts an active teaching and learning approach. It uses activities to encourage and support participants to carefully think about how to apply what they have learned in their own class.

The activities are ones that can be easily adapted to different disciplines and teaching contexts. The teaching practice module provides participants with the opportunity to reflect on and get feedback about their strengths as a teacher and what they might do to further improve.

Testimonials

Certification of Attendance

The Certificate of Attendance for IUT will be awarded to participants for meeting the following requirements:

Attending all modules (opportunities are provided to make up missed modules because of departmental obligations)
Completing out-of-class readings and tasks

Go Blended! Complete this upcoming IUT and the BOLT online/blended course to receive a special certificate. Find out more about BOLT at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/elearning/teacher-support/bolt/

You can download the Certificate of Attendance via EDC Certificates System.

Modules and Outcomes

Modules	Intended Outcomes Upon completion of this module, participants will be able to:
1. The first class: Active learning from the start	• Design and use activities that will - enable students to meet their classmates - enable students to find out about the teacher - motivate interest in the subject - introduce subject content and expectations - provide a better understanding about students’ backgrounds and what they can and cannot do • Recognise the importance of establishing ground rules • Utilize PolyU’s technology-equipped learning spaces
2. Who comes to PolyU? (Online Module)	• Describe the general features and backgrounds of PolyU students • Recognise the influence of student diversity on teaching approach • Plan how to support and develop graduate students • Identify additional institutional support teachers may offer their students
3. Planning and preparing for active learning	• Appreciate and participate in discussions about: - PolyU’s philosophy and approach to teaching and learning - the importance of active learning - the theoretical underpinnings of how students learn • Identify appropriate learning outcomes • Structure content for engagement and understanding • Select appropriate learning activities and resources for in-class and out-of-class work
4. Using technology to activate the classroom	• Engage students by using the flipped classroom approach • Select appropriate educational technology tools to use to activate your classroom
5. Essentials of assessment (Online Module)	• Describe the impact of assessment on student learning • Select appropriate assessment methods to find out how well their students learn • Explain criterion-referenced assessment (CRA), and how to implement it • Plan how to use assessment to facilitate and improve student learning
6. Using GenAI in learning, teaching and assessment	• Analyse student learning outcomes using GenAI and interpret the results to improve teaching strategies • Develop a website to showcase projects, share resources and engage with the community • Synthesise best practices for integrating GenAI into assessment, balancing innovation with academic integrity • Critique the limitations and potential biases of GenAI and propose strategies to mitigate these issues while maintaining data security and promoting ethical use
7. Looking back, looking forward	• Share your teaching successes • Identify challenges they face in their teaching • Plan some interventions that may address teaching challenges

Schedule

Modules	Dates	Times	Venue
1. The ﬁrst class: Active learning from the start	23 Jun (Mon)	10.00 am – 12.00 nn	QR402
2. Who comes to PolyU? (Online Module)	23 Jun - 15 Oct	/	Online
3. Planning and preparing for active learning	24 Jun (Tue)	10.00 am – 12.00 nn	AG206
4. Using technology to activate the classroom	25 Jun (Wed)	10.00 am – 12.00 nn	BC402
5. Essentials of assessment (Online Module)	23 Jun - 15 Oct	/	Online
6. Using GenAI in learning, teaching and assessment	26 Jun (Thur)	10.00 am – 12.00 nn	BC402
7. Looking back, looking forward	15 Oct (Wed)	10.00 am – 12.30 pm	TBC

Registration will start at 12:00 nn, 6 June 2025 and will be closed once available places are filled.

Enquiries

For enquiries, please send your email to iut.enquiry@polyu.edu.hk.