Five academic staff members from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) received Teaching Excellence Awards (TEA) this year in recognition of their contribution to promoting quality education.

The winners are Mr Dean Fisher, English Enhancement Course Tutor from the English Language Centre, Dr Kam Ping-kwong, Associate Professor from the Department of Applied Social Studies, Dr Paul Lam Heung-fai, Assistant Professor from the Department of Building and Construction, Dr Paul Shin Kam-shing, Associate Professor from the Department of Biology and Chemistry, and Dr Tom Vinaimont, Assistant Professor from the Department of Economics and Finance. (Please visit the following webste for the interviews of the winners. http://www.ncm2.xyz/qac/)

Launched by CityU’s Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) in 1993, TEA is the first such award of its kind among Hong Kong’s tertiary institutions. The Chairman of QAC, Professor (Chair) Joseph Cheng Yu-shek, said the objective of the award is to recognise the outstanding work of CityU teachers in teaching and related areas. Providing professional education is one of the missions of CityU, and the award exemplifies the University’s commitment to quality teaching.

Professor Christian Wagner, Chairman of the TEA Selection Panel, said, “This year’s winners and nominees all have performed outstandingly. Their teaching methods and experience are of significant value in enhancing the overall teaching quality of the University. At CityU, quality teaching is our daily work.”

This year’s TEA winners were chosen from 27 nominations by students or programme committees. Selection criteria include competency in motivating students, commitment to implementing the Outcomes-based Teaching and Learning (OBTL), contribution to the University’s teaching culture and performance, teaching of the most up-to-date knowledge in the subject area, improvement of teaching skills and development of teaching innovations.

The five winners went through a rigorous screening process with the QAC-appointed selection panel. In addition to CityU’s academic staff, students and alumni, the panel also included an external member, Mr Richard Buckland, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of New South Wales in Australia.

Each of the winners will receive a HK$15,000 award and a grant worth HK$150,000 to undertake a teaching development project.

Since 2005, CityU has been actively promoting OBTL, a student-based project to enhance the efficiency of teaching and learning as well as the overall teaching quality of the University through the establishment of this framework. Teachers will first determine the learning outcomes of students upon completing a course. The content and format of teaching and learning activities will then be modified accordingly, in order to help students achieve the learning outcomes.

The 2007-08 TEA award presentation ceremony will be held at the Congregation in November this year and the names of the recipients will be engraved on a TEA plaque at the entrance of the Academic Building.