Empowering Faculty, Engaging Students: Project for Interactive Teaching Enhancement through Technology Launches
Taking a significant step towards promoting and enhancing interactive teaching in bilingual education, the Southern Regional Resource Center for Bilingual Education proudly announces the launch of the "Project for Interactive Teaching Enhancement through Technology". This groundbreaking initiative is designed to transform teachers' pedagogical approaches by providing advanced software teaching aids and hosting captivating interactive teaching workshops.
The project commenced with an invigorating workshop, “Empowering Faculty, Engaging Students”, comprising three enlightening sessions. The workshop started with a compelling lecture on "EMI Course Design and Technology-enhanced Learning", delivered by Associate Professor Chia-Feng Lu from the Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University.
Subsequently, attendees were introduced to innovative software tools, Kahoot! and Padlet, through live demonstrations conducted by Associate Professor Tung-Yu Hsieh from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Assistant Professor Jui-Hua Chen from Si Wan College at National Sun Yat-sen University. The duo imparted their valuable experiences, displayed the practical usage of the software, and engaged in vibrant interaction with the participants.
"These digital tools can significantly boost students’ participation and dramatically improve teaching efficiency. They facilitate easier inquiries and expression from students. Additionally, these tools, which document teachers’ teaching outcomes, simplify the assessment of students’ performance and progress," explains Professor Lu.
Professor Lu further provided guidance on the procedures and guidelines for creating interactive class plans and shared his distinctive experiences of establishing interactive EMI classrooms. He urged teachers to recognize and address students' unfamiliarity and unease in EMI settings, enabling students to adapt more comfortably and derive more benefits from the class.
Lu likened implementing EMI education to moving house; for a smooth transition, teachers need to discard excess content and retain only the most crucial information, thus optimizing students' attention span. “Since students can effortlessly access information on the internet, teachers must reduce lecture time and conduct more in-class activities—especially with the aid of digital tools—to help students better comprehend and apply knowledge.”
Moreover, Professor Tung-Yu Hsieh offered a hands-on demonstration of Kahoot's multifunctional interactive design in his engaging session titled "The Secret of Multifunctional Interactive Design with Kahoot!". He shared how Kahoot! has assisted him in creating a dynamic classroom atmosphere, invigorating the learning experience.
Lastly, Professor Jui-Hua Chen provided an exhaustive introduction to using Padlet, a platform that allows the creation of a virtual bulletin board. This ingenious tool aids in facilitating student discussions and receiving classroom feedback, significantly enhancing the learning experience.
"I appreciate Padlet's resource collection and work-sharing features, as they allow students to track their work and learn from others. Furthermore, it supports converting posts into slides, visually showcasing students' creative outcomes to the class," Professor Chen adds.
The Southern Regional Resource Center for Bilingual Education will persist in its commitment to innovative education by hosting an online "Workshop for Digital Tools for Teaching" on August 3. The workshop will delve further into the integration of technology and interactive teaching concepts.
