Theme: Curriculum and Pedagogy
Specialisms: Flipped Classroom
Speaker: Dr Sai Kishore RAVI, School of Energy and Environment, CityU
Facilitator: Prof. Chi Ming Wong, HTI
Facilitator: Dr Laura Zhou, EDC
Facilitator: Ms Xiaoyu Luo, EDC
Date: 04 Feb 2026
Time: 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Venue: Online via Zoom
In an era where information is instantly accessible and AI is increasingly embedded in everyday learning, the role of the classroom is rapidly evolving. This talk reflects on how teaching practices can move beyond content delivery toward learning environments that expect students to think, apply, and engage actively. It examines how students can be shifted from passive audiences to responsible actors through scenario-driven Team-Based Learning (TBL).
Drawing on experiences from large undergraduate and postgraduate courses at City University of Hong Kong with diverse student cohorts, the session illustrates how flipped class activities and light-touch gamification can be integrated to support active learning at scale. Pre-class activities are used to prepare students conceptually, freeing in-class time for collaborative problem-solving, discussion, and decision-making rather than listening to extended lectures. Within this structure, students are encouraged to apply core concepts, articulate and defend their reasoning, and navigate realistic trade-offs in a team setting. The talk also reflects on how these approaches reshape the instructor’s role—from content expert to facilitator of thinking—and how this shift influences student motivation, participation, and confidence.
The session also reflects on student feedback, scalability to large classes, and the practical challenges of designing learning activities that remain both rigorous and inclusive across disciplinary backgrounds. Drawing on these experiences, it shares lessons learned on how digital tools can work alongside team-based pedagogy to support more interactive, student-centered learning in contemporary classrooms.
Biography:
Dr. Sai Kishore Ravi is an Assistant Professor at the School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong. He earned his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the National University of Singapore in 2018, where he developed biohybrid devices integrating photosynthetic pigment–protein complexes. He leads the Message- Lab, focusing on artificial and semi-artificial photosynthesis, biohybrid catalysis, and sustainable water–energy nexus systems. Dr. Ravi has authored over 75 peer-reviewed publications in journals such as Nature Communications, Science Advances, Advanced Materials, and Advanced Energy Materials, with an h-index of 36. He currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Energy Technology and has also served as Associate Editor for Advanced Materials and Advanced Energy Materials at Wiley, Weinheim, Germany. His research achievements have been recognized through multiple honors, including the Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award (IES, Singapore, 2018), Young Scientist Award (GC-DEM, NTU, 2023), Rising Star (AEM, 2025), and Early Career Teaching Award (SEE, CityUHK, 2025). He is also a Fellow of the International Association of Advanced Materials (FIAAM) and recipient of the NUS Annual Best Publication Awards in Materials Science for three consecutive years (2016–2018).
EDC Coordinator: Xiaoyu Luo
