Data Visualization for Effective Communication

Teacher: Dr. Li Yuanxi (Kristen)

Department: Department of Computer Science, HKBU

The course Data Visualization for Effective Communication is a postgraduate course offered by HKBU. It adopts flipped classrooms, asynchronous online discussion, and individual projects as the major teaching and learning strategies. The course aims to help students to organise and present data in an efficient way, to achieve effective communication and analytical purposes. In addition, the course also plans to enhance the international learning environment for students via the virtual exchange between HKBU students and students from the University of Perugia in Italy.

Dr LI uses three ways to collect student feedback for evaluation purposes. First, the quality of students’ assignments was used to assess the breadth of skills attained by students. Second, post-course online questionnaire was administrated to help ascertain if the intended learning outcomes were achieved. Third, interviews with students having special education needs were conducted to examine if the inclusive features can make the course more accessible and to seek suggestions for further improvement.

Dr LI also shared the difficulties encountered. First, Dr LI experienced difficulty in hiring a project assistant. The difficulty delays the commencement of the course. Second, Dr Li found uneasy in recruiting students from international partners in later years (i.e., the course is offered multiple times). The third was about administrative workload for responding to issues reported by the international students. The first challenge was solved by utilizing the alumni network of HKBU. The second challenge was tackled by the promotion via international partners. For the third challenge, it was partly managed by the project assistant.

Dr Li would be pleased to extend similar pedagogies to two general education courses that she usually offers (i.e., design thinking and smart city) if the university could help recruit students from the international partners and provide financial support for manpower. Also, Dr LI continues to offer the same course.