The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Chung Chi College General Education

GECC4130 Senior Seminar, Section C
First Term 2017/18
(3 units, Fridays 3:30pm - 6:15pm)

Course Outline

(A) Course Teacher:

Dr. WONG Wai Yin Christina

Office: 07A, G/F, Theology Building, Chung Chi College, CUHK
(Office hours: Weekdays, 4pm to 6pm and by appointment)
Tel: 852-3943 5147
Email: wycwong@cuhk.edu.hk

(B) Course Objectives and Expected Learning Outcomes:

The course aims to encourage senior students of different disciplines to conduct small group
study and discussion on current affairs, cross-disciplinary knowledge and daily life issues.
Students are encouraged to develop their abilities for critical thinking and value judgment, and
to gain valuable experience in building good partnership with members and project advisor
through cooperation.

After taking the course, students should be able to demonstrate effective communication skills,
demonstrate the ability to work effectively in a team, integrate learning from various disciplines,
and apply knowledge and skills to address real life needs of the society.

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(C) Course Format:

1. Project topic
The topic is proposed by the students themselves. Advice from teachers should be sought
regarding its feasibility and popularity, etc. before it is finalized. The submitted research topic
should not be changed without prior approval by the section teacher. Students are responsible
for reporting any such changes to the Chung Chi General Education Office.

The topic should be one which the group finds interest in and at the same time can apply and
integrate the disciplinary knowledge and/or non-formal education learning experiences of the
four members.

2. Project proposal
A proposal (no more than 5 pages) has to be written under the supervision of the teacher and
submitted to the teacher for approval. The deadline for submission of the project proposal is
on June 9, 2017.

3. Progress reports and meetings

Students are expected to carry out their project during summer. They should report regularly
to the teacher on the progress of their group study. There is at least one meeting held before
the proposal is finalized. Students are encouraged to consult the views of their teachers
whenever needed. The said progress meetings will be held in summer by appointment.

4. Presentation outline
An outline of the presentation as well as a bibliography should be submitted to the section
teacher for approval (and distributed to the section members too) at least a week before
presentation.

5. There will be one presentation in each lesson. The flow of each lesson is as follows:

Time allocation
Flow of lesson
(for GECC4130C )
Presentation
(i) One group will be responsible for the presentation of their 45 minutes
research topic.
Commentary
(ii) Another group, the commentary group, will comment on the 10 minutes
presentation.
Break 15 minutes
Discussion
(iii) Discussion will then be opened to all other students, and led 55 minutes
by the commentary group.
Conclusion
(iv) The section teacher will make a conclusion for the 10 minutes
discussion and summarize the key points for students.

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(D) Course Assessments:

Full attendance: Students are required to have 100% attendance for this course.
Marks/grades could be deducted if absence is not properly justified.

Assessment percentages:
Item Based on Percentage
(group or individual
performance)
Presentation Group 30 %
Peer Evaluation Inter-group 10%
Final written report Group 30 %
Participation (attendance and active Individual 15%
participation)
Peer evaluation (intra-group) Individual 10 %
Proposal Group 5%
Total: 100%

Submission deadlines of assessment components

a) Project Proposal: June 6, 2017 .
b) Presentation Outline: One week before presentation .
c) Peer Evaluation: November 3, 2017
d) Final Report: Two weeks after presentation .

Late Submission Penalty Policy (if applicable):

The sub-grade will be 10% deduction.

(E) Course Schedule:

Date of Presentation Topic

Presentation Commentary
class meeting Group * Group *
1 15/9/2017 Wong Man Wai Tse Cheuk Han
Melissa Jason


2 22/9/2017 Sham Yuk Lam Chow Nok Hei

foodblogger
3 29/9/2017 Choy Lok Ching Kwok Chung
Yolanda Hin Bouki
4 6/10/2017 Tse Cheuk Han Wong Man Wai
Jason Melissa

5 13/10/2017 / Wong Wing Sham Yuk Lam
Suet Emily

6 20/10/2017 Kwok Chung Wong Wing
Hin Bouki Suet Emily

3
 7 3/11/2017 Chow Nok Hei Choy Lok Ching
Yolanda

* Indicated with the name of the group leader

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(F) Submission of Final Written Report

1. Submission of Final Written Report

A Final Written Report of each group (that includes the project findings as well as the feedback
collected during discussions should be submitted to the section teacher within two weeks after
the presentation.

The format of the Final Written Report is as follows:

a) The report can be written in either Chinese or English.
b) All reports must be printed on standard A4 white paper in double line spacing with font
size at point 12 and margins of 2 cm.
c) The length of the report should be between 8,000 and 10,000 words (excluding
bibliography and appendices).
d) All reports must include full references, quotations, notes and bibliography for sources
cited.

2. The Content of the Final Written Report

a. Introduction: Why your group is interested in this project and some background
information.
b. Purpose and rationale of the study: What does your group want to achieve through this
project and the rationales behind.
c. Question(s): What specifically you want to find out?
d. Literature review: an account of what has been discussed and published on a topic.
e. Methodology (and ethical considerations if any): the study design, data collection and
analysis; what are the benefits and limitations about the process, any ethical consideration
when conducting the study?
f. Findings and interpretation: a detailed discussion of the results.
g. Implications/recommendations: any workable solution or new development?
h. Reflection paragraph on cross-disciplinary collaboration: The actual synergy
achieved during the project and the process of reflection are rather valuable and of
intellectual importance. This session should describe and explain the synergy and
applications of cross-disciplinary knowledge and/or non-formal education experiences in
the project. The reflection should also involve an evaluation responding the cross-
disciplinary collaboration suggested at your project proposal successfully achieved,
partially achieved, revised, unanticipated collaboration and etc., noted that deviation from
proposal is common and could be trivial.

3. Academic Honesty
Students are required to upload their project paper to the VeriGuide plagiarism detection
system (http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/veriguide) before the assignment deadline and attach the
signed declaration together with the final report.

(G) Feedbacks for Evaluation:

1. Course and teaching evaluation survey will be conducted at the end of the semester.
Students are reminded of their responsibility and right to give feedback to facilitate
enhancement of the course.
2. Students are welcome to give feedbacks to the course teacher at any time in person or
through emails.

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(H) Compliance to Universitys Guidelines on Academic Honesty

Attention is drawn to University policy and regulations on honesty in academic work, and to the
disciplinary guidelines and procedures applicable to breaches of such policy and regulations.
Details may be found at http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/policy/academichonesty/.

With each assignment, students will be required to submit a signed declaration that they are
aware of these policies, regulations, guidelines and procedures. For group projects of GECC4130,
all students of the same group should be asked to sign the declaration, each of whom is
responsible should there be any plagiarized contents in the group project, irrespective of whether
he/she has signed the declaration and whether he/she has contributed directly or indirectly to the
plagiarized contents.

The statement, in the form of a receipt, will be issued by the Veriguide system upon students'
uploading of the soft copy of the assignment. Assignments without the properly signed
declaration will not be graded by teachers. Only the final version of the assignment should be
submitted via VeriGuide.

The submission of a piece of work, or a part of a piece of work, for more than one purpose (e.g.
to satisfy the requirements in two different courses) without declaration to this effect shall be
regarded as having committed undeclared multiple submission. It is common and acceptable to
reuse a turn of phrase or a sentence or two from ones own work; but wholesale reuse is
problematic. In any case, agreement from the course teacher(s) concerned should be obtained
prior to the submission of the piece of work.

(I) Compliance to Universitys Guidelines on Survey and Behavioural Research Ethics

Students should also comply with the Universitys Guidelines for Survey and Behavioural
Research Ethics (www.cuhk.edu.hk/rao/rga/SBRE_appguide.pdf), except that formal
procedures for applying for ethics approval from the Universitys Survey and Behavioural
Research Ethics Committee have been waived for projects of GECC4130.