Strengthening Research and Teaching

Research and development boosted

Recognizing the importance of research in the OLI's academic profile as it moved towards university status, the Institute has set aside funds from its own budget annually to promote and support research and development activities since 1994. During the year a Centre for Research in Distance and Adult Learning was set up and a Centre Director was recruited.

Active participation in high quality research plays an important role in improving the Institute's teaching activities, such as developing curricula and creating teaching materials, in enhancing its reputation in distance and adult education, and in the scholarly development of its academic staff.

The OUHK offers a flexible mode of learning

Funding for research projects has been awarded on a competitive basis. The Institute has set up an Advisory Committee on Research and Development which considers proposals for funding and continually monitors the progress of on-going projects. Since its establishment, the Research and Development Fund has supported 26 research projects. For 1996/97, the amount allocated to the Fund was $8.5 million, an increase of over 54 per cent compared with

the $5.5 million in the previous year. The Fund supported ten new research projects, including research in the technology and applications of distance and adult education and discipline-specific research. The first category included topics such as the design and evaluation of an electronic environment for distance learners in Hong Kong and the application of distance learning technology for in-house training in Hong Kong.

Although research grants by the Research Grants Council under the Universities Grants Committee are not available to the OLI, the Institute is still determined to maintain respectable levels of scholarship and develop a research culture with its limited budget. In line with the expansion of the Institute and the increase in the number of its academic staff, the amount allocated to the Fund will increase to $9.3 million in 1997/98.

Practical experiments are an essential part of studies for science students.

During the year, the Institute received $6 million in research grants from the government. There was also support from the community for research and academic development. The

A field trip for Environmental Studies students.

Sino-British Fellowship Trust awarded the Institute a Discretionary Grant of 1,500 to support research and development programmes and a Visitorship of 10,000 to promote academic exchanges. These include attendance at conferences and short courses, and the conduct of research and relevant academic activities between Hong Kong, mainland China and the UK. Enviro-Chem Engineering and Laboratory Co. Ltd also pledged an annual donation of $100,000 for two years to the Environmental Research Fund.

Research Projects Supported by President's Advisory Committee on Research and Development

Project Title	Principal Investigator
A study to explore nurses' perspectives of diagnosing patient's health problem in the clinical context	Mr. Joseph Lee Kok-long (School of Science and Technology)
Synthesis and characterization of polymeric materials containing 2,4-diamino-1,3,5-triazine derivatives	Dr. Chan Chin-wing (School of Science and Technology)
Designing and evaluating an electronic environment for distance learners in Hong Kong	Dr. Yuen Kin-sun (Educational Technology and Publishing Unit)
The use of figures of speech in print advertisement headlines	Mr. Alan Au Kai-ming (School of Business and Administration)
Strategic application of distance learning technology for in-house training in Hong Kong	Mr. Yeung Ping-kwong (School of Business and Administration)
Application of multi-layers time-variable computational model with graphical display for long-term assessment of the environmental impacts on eutrophication in Deep Bay and the Pearl River Estuary	Ms. Anita Wong Sze-mui (School of Science and Technology)
Indoor air quality in the Chemistry laboratory of secondary schools - with implications to students' health conditions and the Chemistry curriculum	Dr. Ho Kin-chung (School of Science and Technology)
Collection development of basic research materials to support the OLI research/project activities	Mrs. Mok Wong Wai-man (Library)
The Nanjing collaboration government, 1940-1945	Dr. So Wai-chor (School of Arts and Social Sciences)
Advanced Unix application server using Linux	Mr. Kelvin Lee Kai-wing (School of Science and Technology)

More new programmes launched

The Institute offered a total of 42 degree and sub-degree programmes during the April 1996 semester, and the number was increased to 52 in the following semester. During the year, the Institute's second Master's degree programme - Master of Education - was

1996 New Programmes

launched with an impressive enrolment of over 200 students. This postgraduate degree aims primarily at graduate teachers. However, others in non- school settings, such as nurse educators and vocational trainers, can also benefit from it. Other bachelor's degree and diploma programmes introduced during the year were also well received. For example, the Bachelor of Arts in Language and

Translation was launched in recognition of the bilingual needs of Hong Kong as an international financial, information and services centre.

In response to the increasing demand for technical professionals with management skills, three science-cum- management degree programmes, the BSc (Hons) in Electronics (with Management), the BSc (Hons) in Engineering Mechanics, Materials and Design (with Management) and the BSc (Hons) in Environmental Studies (with Management) were introduced. Three Higher Diploma programmes, in Applied Computing, Digital Communication and Engineering Design, were also offered to provide multiple exit points for students in the same subject areas.

Programmes being planned for launch in October 1997 include the BSoc and BSoc (Hons) in Economics, the BSc and BSc (Hons) in Communications Technology, the BBA (Hons) in Management, the BBA (Hons) in Corporate Administration, and a Chinese Diploma in Business Studies.

Short courses, agency programmes and workplace education

The Centre for Continuing and Community Education (CCCE) continued to offer vocationally oriented short courses, tailor- made programmes for companies, and overseas agency programmes.

The suite of 'general education' courses at the pre-foundation, foundation and middle levels was expanded. New courses in Business Management Fundamentals, Hong Kong Business and Chinese Businese Computing were presented for the first time. Development work commenced on a locally developed replacement course for English for University Study, which currently uses imported course materials. Other courses being planned include two new Chinese courses - Chinese Language for Post-secondary Study and Study Skills in Distance Education - and a course on the general principles of Hong Kong Law.

Agency programmes run by the Centre during the year included the Master of Accounting degree of Curtin University, Australia, an Associate Diploma in Interior Design of RHODEC International of the UK, and, new for this year, a Certificate Course in Professional Photography with the New York Institute of Photography. The Centre has also entered into negotiations with potential partners from the UK, Australia and Canada for programmes in International Trade and Law, Journalism, Management Accountancy and Occupational Safety.

The OUHK organized a seminar 'Chinese media language' for the Government Information Services. The speakers included eminent Chinese writers and journalists.

The year was very successful as far as Workplace Education projects were concerned. The production of distance education materials for external clients such as the Civil Service Training and Development Institute and the Hospital Authority was a new development for the Centre. Topics included 'Handling of Complaint Letters and Letters of Refusal' and Chinese writing. The Centre also conducted in-house training sessions in a number of

areas for various government departments including the Government Information Services.

The Centre decided to phase out the Secretarial Studies Programme and keep under review the Health Services Management programme and short courses as a result of dwindling demand during the year.

More locally-produced course materials

The Institute continued to buy in quality courses developed by overseas universities such as Deakin University, Monash University and Southern Cross University in Australia and the Open University in the UK to supplement locally-developed course materials. Most of the bought-in courses, particularly in the subject areas of education and nursing, were localized in content with minor adaptations or supplementary materials. During the year, the Institute and Southern Cross University jointly developed a new nursing course, Health Assessment and Primary Health Care.

A meeting with the Vice-chancellor of Athabasca University, Dr Dominique Abrioux

A licence agreement was signed with the Athabasca University in February 1996 granting the University the rights to reproduce and use an OLI computing course in an electronic form. Another licence agreement was signed with Disted College, Malaysia, granting the College the rights to use a number of OLI's foundation and business courses for their Diploma and Higher Diploma in Business Studies.

The broadcast of educational programmes on the Asia Television World Channel every

The Hongkong Telecom Foundation has sponsored the broadcast of The World-of-Learning television programmes for years.

Sunday morning continued with support from the Hongkong Telecom Foundation. The Foundation has donated nearly $20 million to the Institute since 1989 to support the production and broadcasting of a total of over 2,400 TV programmes. Four hundred and ten television programmes totalling about 170 hours were broadcast during the year, with $4.26 million sponsorship from the Hongkong Telecom Foundation.

The programmes covered topics in science and technology, history and arts, education, social sciences and business management, with Chinese subtitles included in some. There were also OLI-produced programmes teaching study skills and time management, and giving information on the Institute's development. Putonghua programmes with Chinese subtitles purchased from the China Central Radio and Television University were presented for the first time.

Video programmes were produced to accompany the foundation course Presentation Skills and the higher level course Educational Administration. The Educational Administration programmes were the first series of course-related television programmes in Chinese produced by the Institute.

Dr Chiu Yu-lok, course coordinator for the course A History of Hong Kong (1842-1984) .

To help students understand the historical development of Hong Kong and make learning more interesting, a CD-ROM was produced by the Institute as supplementary reference material for the middle level course A History of Hong Kong (1842-1984) of the International Studies degree programme. Important and interesting data on the political, social and

economic development of the territory are presented alongside historical pictures, photos and film from various university libraries, museums, the Public Records Office and the Government Information Services. This is the first CD-ROM designed by the Institute to enrich students' learning experiences.

The OLI Press published four new titles during the year. These included two economic history books on China - Social and Economic History of the Yuan Dynasty and Economic History of the Chinese Feudal Society; a book of selected readings on aspects of labour relations and low in Hong Kong - Labour Relations and Law: Theories, Cases and Labour Management Issues in Hong Kong; and A Guide to Hong Kong Taxation which addresses tax law and taxation in the Hong Kong context. A Guide to Hong Kong Taxation was co-published with the Chinese University Press. The OLI Press has enjoyed steady sales and has begun to make a profit on most publishing projects.

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