Innovative Teaching Tools

Smart fish – monitoring marine microplastics in the ocean

A prototype for quantifying microplastics on the surface of seawater in real-time has become a second runner-up at HKUST President Cup in 2019. This project has received the Best Final Year Environmental Project at the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) Environmental Division Prize in 2019-2020. The prototype provides immediate and cost-effective monitoring and detection of the tiny plastic fragments (i.e. a diameter of less than 5mm) that are now ubiquitous in the ocean due to increasing quantities of plastic litter. Conventional approaches are costly, time-consuming, and labor-intensive, limiting knowledge-gathering in the field.

HKUST Biodiversity Map

Biodiversity is essential for sustainable development and human well-being. Being part of HKUST members, we are proud to present the unique biodiversity and habitats we have on campus. In this project, we aim to:

To strengthen students’ knowledge of local biodiversity and conservation through active learning and knowledge sharing to the peers and HKUST community
To engage students in field trips through various co-created activities such as designing biodiversity routes, collecting and synthesizing biodiversity information and preparing photo album and other educational materials
To facilitate a flexible learning atmosphere and pathways outside the classroom
To increase HKUST members' sense of belongings at the university, release stress and tension from study and exams, and expand their curiosity and capacity to appreciate nature and biodiversity through sharing with their friends

The Marine Biology APP

The marine biology app aims to integrate augmented reality simulation aids with multi-modal learning resources to facilitate an experiential learning experience in a laboratory course at HKUST. The platform enhances students' engagement in various learning activities such as field trips and laboratory sessions, provides useful English resources for report writing, and motivates students to incorporate experiential learning in their pilot projects. Meanwhile, students can write their own logs and dairies for teachers to understand their latest learning process.

The Marine Biology APP

The marine biology app aims to integrate augmented reality simulation aids with multi-modal learning resources to facilitate an experiential learning experience in a laboratory course at HKUST. The platform enhances students' engagement in various learning activities such as field trips and laboratory sessions, provides useful English resources for report writing, and motivates students to incorporate experiential learning in their pilot projects. Meanwhile, students can write their own logs and dairies for teachers to understand their latest learning process.

Laboratory Course Gamification

Gamification in eLearning is a new concept in higher education recently. We are developing a gamification app as a pre-lab learning tool for students taking OCES 3001 - Coastal Environmental Monitoring.

The prototype of the app is a student project entitled “Gamification in a Laboratory Course”, which was awarded Second Runner-up in the competition of Redesigning Student Learning Experience in Higher Education (RSLEIHE) Project Award Scheme 2021. For details about the competition, please click here.

In the OCES 3001 game app, students will become an intern and join a 4-month internship program at Marine Research Laboratory in a remote island - Mira Island. Students are encouraged to complete the assigned tasks to resolve problems they encountered in Mira Island. Let’s start your journey of coastal environmental investigation!