The four outstanding "Teaching Practice Research Projects" awarded to AU include:1. Teacher Tong Qiuxia from the Department of Recreation and Health Promotion for "Developing Students' Cross-domain Competencies in Activity Planning and Practical Skills through Integrating Board Games and Issue-based Real-life Games." 2. Teacher Lai Zhaoyin from the General Education Center for "The Practice of Diagrammatic Teaching Method in College Language Courses." 3. Teacher Luo Fangyin from the General Education Center for "Narrative Writing in English x Aesthetic Experience x Metaverse: Interdisciplinary, Technology-assisted English Literature Learning," and 4. Teacher Jing Yongjie from the Department of Nursing for "Unlocking the Secrets of Communication: Enhancing the Effectiveness of Nursing Students' Care and Communication Skills through Flipped Classroom Teaching and Service Learning Programs: A Case Study of the 'Care and Communication' Course."
President Jeffrey J. P. Tsai of Asia University observed that the university has long valued the quality of teaching, striving for innovation and excellence. The university strongly supports faculty members in conducting teaching practice research projects. For four consecutive years, AU has received grants from the Ministry of Education, with over 30 projects approved each year. Over the past six years, the university has received a total of 169 grants, ranking fourth in the higher education system in terms of the number of approved projects. To encourage continuous improvement in teaching quality, Asia University's Teaching Development Center, in collaboration with the Research and Development Office, the Personnel Office, and various Colleges, has established a variety of incentive mechanisms. These include organizing a series of lectures and national seminars on teaching practice research, providing guidance and consultation on project writing, thereby facilitating faculty promotion based on teaching performance, and establishing communities of practice for teaching practice research in each college. These initiatives comprehensively encourage faculty members to actively apply for research projects.
Teacher Lai Zhaoyin from the General Education Center pointed out that teaching is about learning through practical application, enabling students to mutually verify theory through practice. Utilizing a "buddy system" among peers, using a visual reading approach, the motivation for learning and interest in reading can be enhanced. The guiding principle behind implementing teaching practice projects is to "help students understand reading, and fall in love with reading." Whether through flipped classroom PBL teaching or visual teaching methods, the goal is to help students find a passion for reading and extend discussions on various topics.
Nursing instructor Jing Yongjie divides her teaching strategies into four parts: 1. Pre-class utilization of the flipped classroom teaching model, uploading instructional videos to the course platform (TronClass) for students to preview before class, and answering related questions; 2. In-class group teaching, cooperative learning, and role-playing. Students are first divided into groups in class, and unit tasks are designed by the teacher. Through gamified learning, students can apply the knowledge gained through flipping for peer practice; 3. Assigning homework after class to engage in practical caring and communication exercises with family members or friends (non-classmates); and 4. Arranging service-learning opportunities in the middle and later stages of the semester, allowing students to accompany and interview elderly individuals in institutions. Through peer evaluation and mutual observation, students can achieve a comprehensive assessment of learning outcomes.
Prof. Ke Huizhen, Vice President of Asia University and Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Development, observes that the Ministry of Education provides resources to teachers through teaching practice research projects, encouraging teachers to explore factors and methods to improve the quality of their teaching and students' learning outcomes through pedagogical research. This is to be implemented in teaching refinement and innovation, with the expectation that teachers can achieve career advancement and promotion through this.
