The article discusses the author's pedagogical interaction as a U.S. trained Chinese repatriate professor with some homegrown mainland Chinese pre/in-service teachers in a Hong Kong university teacher education program. According to the author, students at the Hong Kong classroom had a nonchalant attitude to their peers' presentations which failed to accomplish the intended goal of creating an interactive learning community.
[Copyright of Issues in Teacher Education is the property of Caddo Gap Press.]

From the 2012/13 academic year, the undergraduate degree programme in Hong Kong higher education has been transferred from a three-year to a four-year structure, with introduction of a rigorous component of general education in the new four-year curriculum. The present study aims to evaluate the implementation and impact of a new general education program, the "General University Requirements" (GUR), in the new four-year undergraduate curriculum of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) based on the views of teachers. A total of 68 teachers who had taught different GUR subjects in 2013/14 academic year were recruited to fill in an evaluation sheet designed to understand their views towards the GUR subjects. A total of 75 qualitative evaluation sheets were collected. Both close-ended and open-ended questions were used to assess teachers' perceptions. Data analyses indicated that teachers generally had positive evaluation about the GUR. They perceived that the content, teaching methods, and assessment components of GUR subjects successfully engaged students in the learning process and helped students achieve the intended learning outcomes. Teachers also had positive impression and feelings towards the GUR subjects they taught, and perceived the GUR subjects as helpful in broadening students' knowledge, cultivating their characters and important generic competences. Meanwhile, challenges in the implementation process were also noted. Findings from this study indicated the basic effectiveness of the GUR at PolyU based on teachers' views. It also provided indications for further improvements of the GUR and general education programs in Hong Kong higher education.
[Copyright Nova Science Publishers, Inc. 2017]

With the rapid development in technology and learning methods, delivery of content is becoming more computer-dependent. Learning has advanced to interactive learning, problem-based learning (PBL), self- and peer-teaching, and web-based learning among others. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University hosted its low vision rehabilitation course on its in-house website in collaboration with the University of Houston, College of Optometry. Web course tools (WebCT) was used to stimulate students and deliver content on the subject of low vision rehabilitation. The site acts as a reference sourse for course material and laboratory instruction. It includes self-tests, quizzes, diagrams, photos, and some animated simulations for students to better understand and assimilate low vision rehabilitation concepts and principles. With web-based learning, low vision concepts and become easier and more fun. Data gathering, grading, and analysis can be more efficiently performed with advance planning and programming. The use of WebCTt and similar platforms holds promise for greater accessibility to low vision rehabilitation content worldwide.
[Copyright of Visual Impairment Research is the property of Informa Healthcare. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1076/vimr.4.2.85.15636]