My Favorite Lectures @ HKUST (Coursera)

My Favorite Lectures @ HKUST (Coursera)

In 1994, the HKUST University Council established "The Michael G. Gale Medal for Distinguished Teaching" to commemorate the late Founding Council Member, Mr Michael G. Gale, for his distinguished service and outstanding contributions to the development of the University. This course aims to showcase our students’ favorite lectures conducted by their favorite teachers who are also the Medalists. Each speaker would share with the learners his/her teaching philosophy which is vividly illustrated in the module. The course contains four modules and in each we will feature one HKUST Michael G. Gale Medal recipient.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Every year, the Medal is awarded to a member of the academic staff who best exemplifies continued pursuit of excellence, devotion to teaching, and the ability to inspire and motivate others. The recipient is representative of the high quality of teaching and learning that the University offers and promotes.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Course Overview
This module will give you a quick overview of the course and how you will be assessed in this course.

WEEK 2
Creative Sound Design (By Prof. Andrew Horner)
The first module is contributed by Prof. Andrew Horner, 2001 recipient of HKUST Michael G. Gale Medal. Prof. Horner is one of the advocators of the Experiential Learning approach at HKUST. Throughout his course, he gave students impossible missions with tips and tricks to challenge their brains and develop their creativity. You will see how his missions were interpreted and transformed by his students into creative work with all the bells and whistles!

WEEK 3
Life is a Deterministic Process (By Prof. King L. Chow)
The second module is contributed by Prof. King Chow, 2005 recipient of HKUST Michael G. Gale Medal. There has been an old saying that “We are endowed with certain talent and weakness, and everything seems to predetermined as our fate.” With the advancement of biological research, genomics and genetics, there are loads of examples illustrating that our genetic composition dictates who we are to a large extent. But, how large? In this lecture, Prof. Chow will go through some of these examples revealing how much it is truth, and how much it is just a myth with the audience. With a better understanding of the human biology as scientific facts, we hope you would no longer feel haunted by your fate, and would appreciate how much you can change your life by choice and by luck.

WEEK 4
Do Chinese have Romantic Love? (By Prof. Michelle Yik)
The third module is contributed by Prof. Michelle Yik, 2010 recipient of HKUST Michael G. Gale Medal. If you wish to learn about whether Chinese have romantic love but are not sure where to kick off that journey, this is a romantic module for you.

WEEK 5
Introduction to Computer Networking (By Prof. Percy Dias)
The fourth module is contributed by Prof. Percy Dias, 2016 recipient of HKUST Michael G. Gale Medal. A computer network is a set of computers connected together for the purpose of sending and receiving information. The Internet itself can be considered a computer network. The connection between computers can be done via cabling, most commonly the Ethernet cable, or wirelessly through radio waves. Connected computers can share resources, like access to the Internet, printers, file servers, and others. A network is a multipurpose connection, which allows a single computer to do more. In this lecture, Prof. Dias will demonstrate to us how these hard-to-visualize concepts can be delivered to students in an easy-to-learn way with fun.

WEEK 6
Final Assignment
This final module aims to tie what you have learnt to the course learning objectives through a final assignment.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Social Norms, Social Change I (Coursera) Coursera
University of Pennsylvania

Social Norms, Social Change I (Coursera)

This is a course on social norms, the rules that glue societies together. It teaches how to diagnose social norms, and how to distinguish them from other social constructs, like customs or conventions. These distinctions are crucial for effective policy interventions aimed to create new, beneficial norms or eliminate harmful ones. The course teaches how to measure social norms and the expectations that support them, and how to decide whether they cause specific behaviors.

Oct 26th 2026
4 Weeks
Learning to Teach Online (Coursera) Coursera
UNSW Sydney - University of New South Wales

Learning to Teach Online (Coursera)

Are you an educator? Have you ever wanted to understand more about how to design your class to make better use of educational technology – whether fully online or in blended contexts? Would you like to learn from those who have extensive practical experience with online technologies? The Learning to Teach Online (LTTO) MOOC will help you develop a working understanding of successful online teaching strategies that you can apply in your own practice. The course is based upon the multi award winning open educational resource developed by Dr Simon McIntyre and Karin Watson.

Oct 26th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, Irvine

Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom (Coursera)

Welcome to Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom! This course will help you apply strategies to the critical areas of K-12 virtual instruction to significantly impact virtual education. We will examine the pitfalls beginning teachers run into and learn how to overcome them by focusing on the fundamentals that have the greatest impact on student learning in a blended or online environment. By the end of the course, you will be able to empower your students to be voracious learners who are ready to go out and make the world a better place to live.

Oct 26th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Literacy Teaching and Learning: Aims, Approaches and Pedagogies (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Literacy Teaching and Learning: Aims, Approaches and Pedagogies (Coursera)

This course opens with an exploration of the social context and aims of literacy teaching and learning. It goes on to describe a range of historical and contemporary approaches to literacy pedagogy, including didactic, authentic, functional, and critical approaches. The course takes has a 'Multiliteracies' perspective, which aims to expand the definition of literacy to encompass today's multimodal communications, and the diversity of literacies across different social and culltural contexts.

Nov 2nd 2026
4 Weeks
Diversity and Inclusion in Education (Coursera) Coursera
University of Glasgow

Diversity and Inclusion in Education (Coursera)

Student diversity is becoming the rule rather than the exception in education systems across the world. Students bring to classroom different characteristics such as ability and disability, socio-economic background, race, ethnicity, and cultural background, beliefs and religion, and gender characteristics. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all (United Nations, 2015).

Nov 2nd 2026
4 Weeks
Disability Awareness and Support (Coursera) Coursera
University of Pittsburgh

Disability Awareness and Support (Coursera)

The goal of this course is to promote equal opportunity and the full participation of students with disabilities in higher education by helping participants advance their awareness of the meaning of accessibility in education. Participants will gain competence and confidence in working with students by focusing on legislation, universal design, and assistive technologies. Thank you to Abbas (Bobby) Husain Quamar, Graduate Student Researcher in the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology at the University of Pittsburgh, for his contributions to the course.

Oct 26th 2026
4 Weeks
Aboriginal Worldviews and Education (Coursera) Coursera
University of Toronto

Aboriginal Worldviews and Education (Coursera)

Intended for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal learners, this course will explore indigenous ways of knowing and how they can benefit all students. Topics include historical, social, and political issues in Aboriginal education; terminology; cultural, spiritual and philosophical themes in Aboriginal worldviews; and how Aboriginal worldviews can inform professional programs and practices, including but not limited to the field of education.

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Uncommon Sense Teaching (Coursera) Coursera
Deep Teaching Solutions

Uncommon Sense Teaching (Coursera)

Do your students spend too much (or too little) time learning, with disappointing results? Do they procrastinate in their study because it’s boring and they’re easily distracted? Are you working to make your teaching even more inclusive? Uncommon Sense Teaching will give you practical new insights that will help you solve these goals and challenges, and many more.

Nov 2nd 2026
4 Weeks
Introduction to Network Security (Coursera) Coursera
University of London,Royal Holloway, University of London

Introduction to Network Security (Coursera)

The security of computer networks is a key element in cyber security. Computer networking provides the foundational connectivity services that are used for the world wide web, distributed computer applications and services, operations and manufacturing, and national infrastructure. This course provides understanding of key technologies used in computer networks and infrastructure. This includes protocols, computer networks, data centres, operational technologies that form key infrastructure critical to the success of organisations and services from a local to an international scale.

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Design Thinking for the Greater Good: Innovation in the Social Sector (Coursera) Coursera
University of Virginia

Design Thinking for the Greater Good: Innovation in the Social Sector (Coursera)

Do you work for a nonprofit or in the social sector? Are you struggling to solve the problems and meet the needs of the people you serve? Come learn more about how design thinking, a human-centered approach to problem solving, can help you truly understand an issue, generate ideas worth testing and iterate to find solutions that make a real difference. Through global stories from areas as diverse as government, health care, and education, we’ll show you the tools, techniques and mindset needed to use design thinking to uncover new and creative solutions in the social sector.

Oct 26th 2026
4 Weeks
Conciencia Lingüística (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana

Conciencia Lingüística (Coursera)

Al finalizar el curso serás capaz de: Tomar conciencia acerca de cómo funciona el lenguaje humano, en lo que se refiere a la formación de palabras y estructuras que usamos a diario, su combinación y sus distintas posibilidades de significado. Con ello, se espera que el estudiante desarrolle una conciencia lingüística sobre el español y, con ello, logre un mayor control sobre el uso creativo de las palabras y las oraciones en español.

Nov 2nd 2026
4 Weeks
Making Sense of the News: News Literacy Lessons for Digital Citizens (Coursera) Coursera
University of Hong Kong,The State University of New York

Making Sense of the News: News Literacy Lessons for Digital Citizens (Coursera)

Never before has the need for News Literacy been more urgent. As news consumers are bombarded with a constant stream of fake news, propaganda, hoaxes, rumors, satire, and advertising — that often masquerade as credible journalism — it is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. While the public’s faith in the news media erodes, purveyors of misinformation have helped give rise to troubling cultural trends and alarming political movements.

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks