The Common Core Teaching Excellence Award 2023 Presentation Ceremony was successfully organized by the Undergraduate Core Education (UCE) on 30 May 2024. This momentous occasion brought together a celebrated gathering of faculty, students, friends, and staff to pay tribute to exceptional contributions of the common core course instructors.

At the ceremony, Prof. Nancy IP, HKUST President, presented the Common Core Teaching Excellence Award to Prof. Kenneth LEUNG and conferred the Honorary Mention to the team of instructors, Prof. Ben CHAN and Mr. Paul LAVIGNE.

Prof. Kenneth LEUNG has pioneered an innovative blended learning approach in his course “CORE 1231 Exploring Multimedia and Internet Computing”, making STEM engaging for non-engineers. His "What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG)" method combines flipped classroom pedagogy with hands-on, student-centered activities. His beyond-conventional approach has transformed the learning experience, with students reporting that "learning has become a delight" under his instruction.

Prof. CHAN and Mr. LAVIGNE’s course “CORE 1200 Engineering Team Design Experience” uses a "learn-by-doing" approach to develop students' innovative thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. Instead of content mastery, the project-based class tasks students with designing an interactive, 3D virtual campus of the future. Leveraging the latest tools and a mixed-reality classroom, the course fosters hands-on, co-created learning. Student feedback praises the course for preparing them for careers requiring creative solutions to complex problems.

Their unwavering dedication and substantial contributions made to the design and teaching of exemplary common core courses have greatly enriched student experience and substantially impacted learning outcomes at the University. This recognition highlights the invaluable efforts they have contributed in upholding the University's steadfast commitment to academic excellence and common core education.