Evaluation of the general university requirements: what did students say?

The General University Requirements (GUR) is the core general education component of the new 4-year undergraduate curriculum at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) commencing from the 2012/2013 academic year. The major objective of the GUR is to widen students' horizons and promote their holistic development in their undergraduate years. To evaluate the perceived effectiveness of the GUR in its second year implementation, 18 focus group interviews (n=74 students) were conducted in the 2013/2014 academic year. Findings showed that subjects under the GUR framework were overall welcomed by students for the well-designed subject contents, dedicated teaching staff, and collaborative and experiential learning methods. Students perceived that the GUR was beneficial to their development in effective communication, critical thinking, problem solving, lifelong learning, and ethical leadership. Some challenges encountered by students were noted to further revamp the GUR curriculum in the future.

Qualitative evaluation of general university requirements in a new 4-year university curriculum: findings based on experiences of students.

Following the North American model, the length of undergraduate program in Hong Kong has been extended from 3 to 4 years since 2012. To maximize the impact of the additional year, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has implemented a new general education framework entitled "General University Requirements (GUR)" aiming to cultivate students in a holistic manner. This study explored students' impressions of the GUR subjects using a survey collecting primarily qualitative data. Results from 163 students of eight faculties showed that students perceived the GUR subjects favorably. Having opportunities to make new friends from other departments and the teaching and learning methods, particularly experiential learning stimulated students' interest and enriched their learning experiences which were reportedly are unforgettable. Some of the obstacles encountered by students in several subjects were identified. The beneficial effects of the GUR subjects in different domains were voiced by the students.