Friday, December 5, 2025
Generational and technological shifts are reshaping expectations of college learning and even the broader purpose of higher education. Students’ ways of learning and even beliefs about learning differ from the assumptions many professors bring from their own experiences. These differences can create gaps between how professors teach and how students actually learn. At the same time, gaps also exist across cultures, disciplines, and between academia and industry. This teaching and learning showcase seeks to surface these gaps and explore ways to bridge them. All community members are invited to help shape the evolving definition and practice of teaching and learning.
The gaps are real — between academic disciplines within universities, between theory and practice at the intersection of universities and society, between the cultures and systems in which educational activities are embedded, and increasingly between humans and machines in the age of AI. Drawing on lessons from institutional experiments at Singapore Management University, Olin College of Engineering, and The University of Hong Kong, this keynote explores practical ways to bridge these gaps. It also offers meta-lessons on creating a culture of shared responsibility for minding the gaps, a responsibility shared by everyone involved in teaching and learning, that is, the entire university community.
Professor and Co-Director, School of Innovation, The University of Hong Kong
Senior Academic Partner, Olin College of Engineering
Jason Woodard is a Professor and Co-Director of the School of Innovation at The University of Hong Kong, which he joined in 2025 to help prepare a new generation of innovators to tackle global challenges. His work focuses on technology strategy, platform ecosystems, educational transformation, and building bridges between academia, industry, and society. He is passionate about creating learning environments where students take risks, pursue ideas that matter, and discover both their capabilities and their responsibilities as innovators.
Prior to joining HKU, Jason spent a decade at Olin College of Engineering, working with colleagues to develop project-based, human-centered approaches to entrepreneurial engineering education. He also served as Olin’s first Dean of External Programs and Partnerships and continues to support Olin’s mission as a Senior Academic Partner. Earlier in his career, Jason was a faculty member at Singapore Management University’s School of Information Systems and worked for IBM in technical and marketing roles. He received an A.B. from Princeton University and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in Information, Technology and Management.
The Things We Wish You Knew: A Candid Conversation Between Students and Faculty
Student Panelists
Class of 2026, Molecular Bioscience-Genetics and Genomics
Class of 2027, Computation and Design-Social Policy
Class of 2028, Intended Major: Quantitative Political Economy-Economics
Faculty Panelists
Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Professor of Economics
Empowering students to thrive in the ever-changing world is a core goal of higher education. To achieve this, faculty are breaking down traditional classroom boundaries by integrating innovative pedagogies, such as experiential learning, community-based learning, project-based learning, etc. into their teaching. This teaching and learning showcase will highlight exemplary practices in authentic assessments for real world scenarios, authentic learning experiences within local communities and beyond, research-orientated course projects, and more. Join us as we explore how these approaches are transforming education and preparing students for future success.
Keynote Panel: Chinese Traditional Approaches on Authentic Education watch the recording
Distinguished guest panelists:
DKU Student and Faculty Panel watch the recording
Student Panelists
Faculty Panelists
Moderator
Afternoon Faculty Presentations
AB 2103 watch the recording
AB 2107 watch the recording
Student Work Exhibition
A selection of student authentic and experiential learning outcomes is exhibited as one part of the Showcase. These works highlight the collaborative efforts and dedication of faculty and students to fostering authentic learning across diverse interdisciplinary courses and academic projects at DKU.
In the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), there is a growing recognition of the implications of integrating AI into education. It is the time to discuss the opportunities and limitations, explore the use of AI in teaching and learning, and reimagine the future of higher education. The showcase will feature case studies of adopting innovative teaching and assessment strategies in response to the emerging technologies.
This university-wide event includes inspiring keynote speech, lightning talks, faculty-student panel discussions, guest talk, and networking sessions. Throughout the day, attendees will have ample opportunities to exchange ideas, gain insight into student perspectives, and share best practices with their peers.
Despite their over two-millennia existence, oral exams continue to be unfamiliar and daunting for many instructors and students in contemporary education. Instructors often grapple with challenges in designing and implementing oral exams, while students require more guidance on how to prepare effectively for these assessments beyond simply being informed of their format.
In this workshop, Dr. Huihui Qi will delve into the findings of an NSF-funded project focused on using oral exams to enhance students’ learning experiences. She will discuss the multifaceted advantages of oral exams, considering them as both an assessment tool and a feedback mechanism, and exploring their affective benefits. Furthermore, Dr. Qi will share her team’s experiences and resources developed to address the scalability challenges of oral exams. Finally, she will provide insights into the practical aspects of implementing oral exams, covering logistical preparations, strategies for preparing students effectively, and more.
This project received funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation under Award #2044472.
Keynote speech: Learning and Innovation Beyond Boundaries by Yakut Gazi, Vice Provost for Learning Innovation and Digital Education, Duke University
Concurrent workshops:
Keynote speech: Rooted Futurism: How to Make Change in Higher Education by Matthew Rascoff, Associate Vice Provost for Digital Ed. and Innovation, Duke University
Innovation Building 3018, Duke Kunshan University
No.8 Duke Ave, Kunshan, Jiangsu, China, 215316
Email: dku_ctl@dukekunshan.edu.cn
