Ricky Kwok’s computer science research career “accidentally” swerved into academic leadership, but the combination of expertise now makes him one of the world’s top e-learning experts.
On Monday week (28 October), the University of Hong Kong’s Associate Vice-President (Teaching & Learning) will deliver the keynote address at The University of Queensland’s 2019 Teaching and Learning Week.
“After 20 years of teaching I ‘converted’ to e-learning and reinvented myself,” Professor Kwok said.
Professor Kwok said his address at UQ next week – titled “Learning begins at the end of your comfort zone” – would give insight into his e-learning experiences, and into applying technology in pedagogy.
“I’ll look at topics like online interaction, classroom activities and embracing artificial intelligence (AI),” he said.
“All of us teachers should be helping our students better equip themselves in their AI-proliferated world,” he said.
Professor Kwok said in general, the global higher education sector was not adapting well to the “digital revolution”.
“The inertia is too massive. We’re not seeing enough innovation at the teaching-research nexus that genuinely treats students’ learning as the absolute top priority,” he said.
“Too often it is just window-dressing or lip service to e-learning.”
Professor Kwok said developing teachers’ digital literacy was as important as developing those skills in students.
Source: “Computer scientist kicks off UQ’s Teaching and Learning Week”, Fiona Cameron, University of Queensland Communications
