Pedagogic Research Knowledge Exchange ( ARU-CUHK Joint Series 4: Session 1)

In this "Pedagogic Research Knowledge Exchange" series, educators from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Anglia Ruskin University will collaborate to share their teaching innovations and insights from pedagogic research. This session will focus on active learning.

Date: 21 October 2026 (Wednesday)

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. (UKT) / 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (HKT)

Format: Online via Teams

Target audience: Academic staff and professional staff

Topics & Speakers

Dr. Mark BENTLEY, Senior Lecturer, School of Management, Faculty for Business and Law,

Anglia Ruskin University, United Kingdom

Mark Bentley is a Senior Lecturer in Supply Chain & Operations Management at Anglia Ruskin University, teaching Supply Chain Strategy & Practice and Sustainable Supply Chain to the international master’s students. He is also module leader for Supply Chain Systems on the undergraduate supply chain program delivered through ARU partner institutions.

Mark has recently completed research into how UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are developing students thinking skills on undergraduate programs. His focus has been on the development of critical, systems and design thinking typologies.

Having concluded this work as part of his doctoral research in the summer of 2026, the next stage is to operationalise this in the form of an active learning pedagogical teaching model. Whilst still in its developmental stage, he is titling this concept ‘Thinking Centred Learning’.

Topic: Thinking Centred Learning

Abstract: Today’s presentation provides the background behind the second phase of the research into the development of student thinking skills in undergraduate business programs. Having created the 3-Dimensional Thinking Model consisting of critical, systems and design thinking typologies, this next phase looks at creating a pedagogical model or framework, that will systematically develop students thinking or cognitive flexibility.

Traditionally business higher education has particularly focused on critical thinking however, in recent years systems thinking and design thinking have all proved their merit to a wide range of academic disciplines, including business. Whilst each have their own unique characteristics, it was their complementary nature and collective value, that validated or justified their inclusion into the 3-Dimensional Model.

Aligned with Active Learning, ‘Thinking Centred Learning’ looks to develop students’ capability to Discover, Analyse, Create and Reflect within the context of real world or business challenges. The outcome of this approach should be explicitly aligned with an appropriate assessment process to validate against learning outcomes.

The pedagogy utilizes a structured scaffolding approach—moving from theoretical micromodules to hands-on skills training, culminating in a hybrid "Case Clinic". A key innovation is the "Pause & Discuss" protocol, which encourages teams to collaboratively navigate critical decision points during simulations using a "Think Aloud" strategy. Analysis of 40 final year master’s students demonstrated statistically significant knowledge gains (p < 0.001) and marked improvements in clinical confidence across all competency domains. By fostering collaborative reasoning and reducing individual anxiety through shared cognition, this framework effectively bridges the gap between theory and practice in paediatric clinical education.

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Dr. Ervi LIUSMAN, Senior Lecturer, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, CUHK Business School, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Dr Ervi Liusman joined the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School in 2014. Prior to that, she was a Senior Research Assistant and a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Department of Real Estate and Construction of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) from 2010 to 2014. Prior to joining academia, she was a Research Analyst at JLL Hong Kong from 2007 to 2010, in charge of Hong Kong residential and retail market analysis. Dr Liusman obtained her BEng in Real Estate from Tarumanagara University, MSc in Real Estate from HKU and PhD from HKU.

Apart from teaching, Dr Liusman is active in carrying out research in real estate discipline, as well as teaching and learning innovation. She has received several teaching and learning grants and developed a number of micro-module videos and Virtual Reality (VR) learning tools. The VRs developed include VR Hong Kong CBD, Peak Galleria and Central Market. Her outstanding contribution to teaching and learning has been recognised by CUHK Business School Faculty Teaching Excellence Award 2018-19 and 2021-22, as well as Vice-Chancellor’s Exemplary Teaching Award 2022.

Topic: Active Learning Through VR-Enabled Co-Creation: Engaging Built Environment Students as Partner

Abstract: This presentation explores how Virtual Reality (VR) can support active learning through the co-creation of learning resources in built environment education. By involving students in space evaluation, data collection and design decision-making, the approach promotes engagement, ownership and professional skill development while strengthening connections between academic learning and industry practice.

Register Now

Registration deadline: 19 October 2026 (Monday) 23:59 HKT

Enquiry

For any queries, please contact Vienne LIN at viennelin@cuhk.edu.hk