TEACHING
Over the past 5 years we have seen the number of history majors and minors in our programme more than double. Why are students joining us in such numbers? A number of reasons. The study of History provides students with diverse and powerful learning experiences in the classroom. The department has built a reputation for outstanding teaching over many years. We offer a training that is not about memorizing facts and dates but which is about developing critical thinking and a flexible, adaptive approach to new knowledge. We help our students to become powerful people, capable of making wise choices and achieving success in their lives.
OUR TEACHING CULTURE
We blend highly effective small group teaching with technology-enhanced, interactive large group lecturing. Our ongoing commitment to the continuous enhancement of learning has won us numerous teaching awards. For instance, History faculty won the University Teaching Excellence Award twice (2010; 2012), the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award (2009), and the UGC Teaching Excellence Award (2012).
Our students tell us that our teaching is effective. They also often describe the history learning community as being ‘like a family.’ Students enrolled in our programs engage with the challenge of learning independently and collaboratively. They approach problems critically and creatively. They develop strong abilities in making arguments, communicating clearly and effectively, and in making complex connections across space and time.
(To hear more about our teaching culture from our students, check out our students’ interview here.)
Students who wish to study history based upon the very latest, and highest impact research choose to study history at The University of Hong Kong. At HKU they become co-participants with teachers in the collaborative process of producing new historical knowledge.
STUDENTS’ EVALUATIONS OF OUR TEACHING
Our student evaluations are among the highest in the faculty of Arts, and TUHK. In 2015-16 the most recent average for course effectiveness was 80.8.
