October 2006 Volume 9 Number 4

A fellowship programme, such as the University of New South Wales ITET initiative described by Lee (2004),
may offer peer-driven extension through the academic community and resulting embedding of pedagogic
initiatives within the institution. Importantly, the inclusion of such programmes within policy signals an
institutional commitment to recognising teaching and promoting a much needed shift in culture.
Summary
The last decade has seen HKU move into a context that demands the development of new teaching paradigms in
addition to the traditional ‘sage-on-a-stage’ one-way teacher-centric lecturing. In many aspects, the limitations of
traditional teaching are becoming significantly more pronounced with the rapid environmental changes in the
HK tertiary sector that have placed this institution in an unfamiliar educational environment. Online education
appears to hold tremendous promise for HKU in addressing many of the exceptional environmental factors that
demand a greater education focus. The availability and acceptance of the technology in HK make it a feasible
and viable development for the tertiary sector. Any policy toward online learning development should be
compatible with these demands and also with the institution’s espoused mission and goals, strengths and areas of
distinction (Lujan, 2002), and assessment of cost-benefits. In the case of HKU, it is clear that the institution
wishes to continue as a pre-eminent bricks and mortar institution within dominantly state-funding. The
‘university-replacement’ virtual institution, with its massive initial capital expenditure, is currently an
inappropriate course of action. Globally the pursuit of such policies is likely to remain both expensive and
unsuccessful in the immediate, and such developments are best left to institutions with an existing ‘open
university’ or ‘extramural university’ experience base. Importantly, for HKU, with its history and credibility in
society, online learning assumes the mantle of an evolutionary pedagogy with an established client base, rather
than a contested ‘paradigm shift’ seeking to establish a market.
Focused, niche initiatives, especially those leveraged by collaborative development amongst faculties and
institutions at undergraduate level, offer clear and unambiguous benefits in addressing the changing demands of
the peculiar HKU environment. In these situations, advantage may arise through either replacement or ‘blending’
with traditional teaching pedagogies.
Presently, however, HKU is not positioned to develop the online learning potential fully. While the level of
readiness by the student body appears high, the institution has notable inconsistencies between knowledge,
culture and resources. If HKU is to develop this latent potential in a manner meriting its espoused goals in
‘world-class education’ and ‘life-long learning’, its policies must tangibly aim at shifting institutional culture and
overcoming the inconsistencies identified.
Acknowledgements
The author acknowledges the teaching collaboration with Massey University, New Zealand and Greenwich
University, and the funding support provided by The University of Hong Kong Senate Teaching Quality
Committee and the University Grants Council (Teaching Development Grant). Thanks are extended to the
reviewers for their thoughtful reviews of the manuscript.
References
Bloom, B. S., & Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational
goals, Handbook I: Cognitive domain, London: Longman.
Chen, E. (2001). Towards quality tertiary education in Hong Kong: A summary of the remarks by guest speaker
Professor Edward Chen, President of Lingnan University. HKDF Newsletter, 18, retrieved March 14, 2006,
from, http://www.hkdf.org/newsletters/0107/0107_8.htm.
Cheng, K. M., Lai, A. Y. Y. W., Lam, C. C., Leung, K. S., & Tsoi, H. S. (1996). POSTE: Preparation of
students for tertiary education: Final report: A study commissioned by the University Grants Committee (4 th
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