Highlights of 2020 University of Taipei Higher Education SPROUT Project
Our program adheres to the policy of "Fostering students with themselves talents according to the characteristics of students and the orientation of the school". It takes "Deepening, Reengineering, interdisciplinary, Innovation and Sustainability" as the planning concept and "Evolution of student learning effectiveness 2.0" is the plan goal, combined with the characteristics of the school and the development direction and goals of the school affairs, and on the basis of foundation in 2018 and the implementation period in 2019. In 2020, the characteristics of the school and the school affairs of 2019-2023 school year Development direction and goals, through 4 sub-projects, 12 sub-plans and 39 implementation plans through "Implement teaching innovation and enhance teaching quality", "Lift publicity for higher education", "Develop university’s characteristics" and "Fulfill Social Responsibility" The promotion of the school’s 125-year teaching model, deepening students’ motivation and practical ability for independent learning, enhancing teachers’ and students’ interdisciplinary cooperation and integration capabilities, developing international school’s characteristic talent cultivation, and strengthening teachers’ and students’ ability to care for the society, creating the school’s teaching Learn new highlights and new values, and fulfill the purpose of university social responsibility.
Under the epidemic era, students build a guardian wall for epidemic prevention by themselves
When COVID-19 broke out in February 2020, our school cooperated with the epidemic prevention policy to implement campus control and promote remote online teaching and learning. In terms of campus control, at the beginning, the school only recruited employees to assist in taking their body temperature at the school entrance and entering the school with identification stickers. The real-name system could not be fulfilled, and the campus was full of stickers. Therefore, in order to implement the real-name system for entering the school, maintain the campus environment, and simplify school staff’s entry procedures, the school’s third-generation "Push-Pull Development Student Team" under instructing of teachers and industrial experts cooperate to develop the "Dynamic encrypted QR Code system", provided personally dynamic encrypted QR code which can maintain about 2 meters social distance. This system was launched in April 2020 at the entrance of our school's 2 campuses and 6 entrances. It is used by about 9,000 person-times per day. So far, it has been used by more than one million times. A campus epidemic prevention guardian wall has been established, it protects campus health and preventing epidemic effectively. In addition, the school also assisted students to apply to the Intellectual Property Office of the Ministry of Economic Affairs to apply for the "namely invention" and "utility model" of the " Dynamic encrypted QR Code system—Real-Name Remote App". This achievement verifies the student autonomy promoted by this project over the past 3 years. The effectiveness of course learning allows students to face and solve problems close to life, and demonstrate the self-learning and development results and R&D capabilities of our students.
Mobile learning, learning and supporting uninterrupted
To make learning closer to the needs of students, we uses "Push-Pull real-time self-learning and tutoring and counseling service application" in which students take the initiative to "Push" and then the school responds "Pull" in real time. It has become an important channel for our students to obtain independent interdisciplinary learning and learning guidance resources. In 2020, when COVID-19 broke out, the original traditional teaching and learning model was impacted. In order to ensure that students' learning assistance is not interrupted, this plan is based on student learning needs, usage status and feedback, and the "Push-Pull Development Student Group" strengthened "self-directed course recommendation", "self-directed course registration system", "learning guidance matching" and customized learning information to actively promote the upgrade and revision of the function, and establish student learning-related awards, subsidies, and "Subsidy for Studying Guidance" counseling online application function, Simplify the application process for various student learning resources and awards and subsidies, and improve students' protection from the epidemic during the school period, and instant access to learning and awards and subsidies information and support. In 2020, the project used the Push-Pull system and tms+ (Training Management System) to provide self-directed learning courses and develop self-directed learning micro course in general education. A total of 62 courses. The total number of participating students is 5,137, which is 73% more than the number of participating students of 1,125 in 2019. In terms of self-directed learning and counseling, there are 52 groups of subsidized students with the same counseling in 2020, which is about 27% more than in 2019(41 groups). It provides comprehensive learning, self-determined learning and counseling resources make it an independent interdisciplinary self-enrichment, experience a richer life and deepen a variety of skills, and expand more future possibilities.
Distance learning against COVID-19
In 2020, during the severe period of COVID-19, the traditional teaching model was challenged. In order to keep teachers' teaching and students' learning uninterrupted, based on the needs of teachers' teaching, the "ee-class teaching platform" (ee-class) and teaching recording software(EverCam) were upgraded and customized, providing teachers with suitable and real-time online video equipment, and promote "distance learning against COVID-19", "3 strategies for distance learning" , " University of Taipei: Short introduction for distance learning (ee-class+EverCam)" and " distance learning is not alone:
Online consultation", provide teachers with real-time and personalized digital teaching support for online teaching.
Chinese-English Online Writing Worksop
To stimulate the motivation of our students in Chinese-English writing and reading, and to enhance their ability to express. In 2020, we launched the "Chinese-English Online Writing Worksop" in tms+ system, focusing on "Close to Life and Promote Thinking". The school’s professional consultant and industrial experts regularly publish designated topics, including social, technological, international, current affairs and other topics, and guide students to choose interesting topics to write by the introduction. Our senior Chinese and English professors review industrial experts as correction teachers and provide students writing comments and suggestion; at the same time, through peer reviews students can improve their reading skills in Chinese and English. This activity accumulated a total of 2,214 Chinese and English writings in 2020, and 93 articles(37 Chinese and 56 English articles) were collected as excellent writing, forming the school's unique atmosphere of student independent Chinese and English writing. In addition, to provide students with different way of language learning, Lily, the creator of a well-known English learning channel YouTuber, designed and produced an online asynchronous course "English Conversation for All Situation by Lily". This course is different from the previous test-oriented learning framework. Instead, it takes practical communication and dialogue as the learning goal. The 8-hour English online course covers language skills, social language skills, strategic skills and textual speech skills. Students no longer have word-poor words in the actual dialogue scene and can extend the topic to increase language competitiveness.
Inspire students' three innovative visions: creativity, creation and entrepreneurship
“@D.School: An experimental design academy” promoted by this project adheres to the tenet of "design thinking, future life needs, interdisciplinary innovation, and creative practice". It encourages students by planning diverse and serial thinking training and practical ability promotion courses Cross-faculty students view the world from the perspective of design thinking, propose imaginations for future life, and participate in exercises through actual cases to change society, and propose feasible solutions, products and services for the needs of the general public. In terms of creating professional design integration cross-field courses, in 2020, a total of 3 core characteristic courses, "Visual Communication Design", "Product Design" and "Advanced Design", "Textile Printing Practice", "Information Visualization Design" and " Book Cover Printing Design”, “Texture Atmosphere Photography”, “Make-up Image” and “Interview Manner” 6 thematic practical courses, “Standard Character Design”, “Innovation and Entrepreneurship Planning Practice Writing” 2 interdisciplinary workshops, “Software Five minimalist courses including Brushing European Calligraphy, Brick and Cement Lamp, Adobe Dimension 3D Synthesis, Modern Neon Tube Characters, and Aroma Immersion Experiment, involving a total of 307 students from different department. In promoting the cooperation of innovative industries to inspire new horizons of production and learning, the introduction of two innovative industries, "Playful Hostel" and "Shennong Life", Taipei Fine Arts Museum, National Academy of Sciences, and 10 industrial experts and @D School interdisciplinary teachers formed a strong co-teaching team. From the perspectives of industry and academia, students are guided to integrate the foundations they have learned in school, and under the leadership of industry experts, students can gradually realize their creativity through the above courses, achieve the integration of learning and use and deepen the industrial effects of professional courses; Field Innovation and Entrepreneurship Practice" workshop, which produces 6 groups of cultural brand redesign proposals. Through the guidance and discussion of industry teachers, review the existing products and business plans of individuals/teams, identify target markets and product development niches, and enable students to learn to evaluate design The entrepreneurial feasibility of the results, an understanding of how to write an innovation and entrepreneurship plan, and exposure to presentation and oral presentation skills, to guide students to face challenges in the process of innovation and entrepreneurship proposals. In addition, in order to make the design crystallization of students' cross-field thinking collision take shape and face public feedback, @D School encourages students to propose original projects, branded products and services through the cultural design experiment store (d. design Store); at the same time; Through the Creative Design Internship Center, we also assisted matching students with internship opportunities for art, drama, digital art, cultural curation and other industry manufacturers, and organized the "Cultural Memory: Design Pillow Design Exhibition" and "Product Design Proposal" in 2020. Four presentations related to the industry chain, including the “Cross-field Innovation and Entrepreneurship Practice Proposal Presentation” and the “2020 Annual Teaching Achievement Presentation” Industry experts lead students to work together to produce diversified teaching results.
2020 Let’s Go Beethoven！
2020 coincides with the 250th birthday of Beethoven. In response to this important event in the global classical music industry, we organizing the "Beethoven 250th Anniversary International Music Festival-2020 Let's Go Beethoven!" and invited musicians of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center(CMS) from New York to Taiwan as main artists. During the festival, we hold international master lecture series, master classes and educational activities, aiming at different aspects of Beethoven’s works such as symphonies, vocal and string quartets. In-depth discussion, and a joint relay performance of Beethoven’s entire violin sonata and 32 piano sonatas in 7 marathon concerts by professors from the sister school of the University of Tennessee in the United States, well-known musicians from Taiwan, professors, students and alumni from our department of music. Created a number of commemorative products, and fully demonstrated the outstanding ability of our teachers and students in international exhibitions.
The Cradle of Bilingual Teacher Training in National Primary Schools
In response to the internationalization trend of global education and in line with the Executive Yuan’s bilingual country’s policies, in 2020 we promoted bilingual teacher training plan for elementary schools through the "Bilingual Education Research Center". We start bilingual teaching courses in the fields of social fitness and arts and literature on the base of teaching training; for teacher students’ English enhancement, to enhance the teacher’s English teaching ability, we organized teachers’ and students’ English enhancement lectures, and invite professional lecturers to share bilingual teaching skills. Students who will become teachers in near future can learn more and improve their English ability; in the compilation of bilingual fitness courses and textbooks, experts and scholars in various fields are invited to compile and publish classroom language manuals, and providing current teachers as teaching aids. In addition, to enhance the bilingual teaching skills for current teachers, our "Bilingual Education Research Center" cooperated with foreign experts, holding bilingual teaching and research camps in Taipei City, Yilan County, Chiayi County, and Hsinchu County. More than 300 in-service teachers participated.
Base for Competitive Athletics Winner
Most of the competitive sports students in our school are the top national athletes who have gotten through long-term harsh physical and mental training, which will inevitably lead to physical and mental exhaustion and easily cause self-worth identity doubts. Therefore, this project explores the group cooperation strategy of physical education training through team psychological counseling consultation methods and American PA (project adventure), combining "outdoor adventure activities", "natural ecology education", "experience learning", "psychology and counseling" , "Consultation and Treatment" and "Organization and Management" and other multi-academic-based exploration education training courses to strengthen the psychological and cognitive skills of the school's athletic students and the ability to interact with the group, so that they can develop courage, discipline, and determination Strong mental energy and personality traits with beliefs, to have the ability to respond to difficult and critical situations in competition. Although many major sports events were suspended or postponed in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19, our students still won 56 gold, 53 silver and 41 bronze in the 2020 National Intercollegiate Athletic Games, ranking first in the country in the number of medals and second in the number of gold medals.
Active Ageing Sports Institute
The establishment and promotion of the "Active Ageing Sports Institute" is a key project of the fulfillment of social responsibility, which is under Higher educational SPROUT project. As the only Municipal University in Taiwan. It is also a successful symbol to output a USR project through combining two school guidelines –education and sports. The "Active Ageing Sports Institute" adopts three major promotional strategies in 2020: "Constructing the Healthy Sports Index for Seniors in Domestic Metropolis", "Cultivating International Professional Sports Instructors for Seniors" and "Establishing a Learning Promotion Model of Active Aging Sports Institute ". There were five classes in two terms at Tianmu and four classes in two terms at Boai. There is an increasing amount of participants of this institute, growing from 97 in 2019 to 137 by 2020. The average age of the elderlies who participated in these activities see a rise from 75.18 in 2019 to 76.53 by 2020, with the highest age being 93 years old. Through the structured and innovative exercise courses in "Active Aging Sports Institute " for healthy elderly, tailor-made exercise prescription services and functional fitness from before and after test, significantly improve the physical function of elderly participants and increase flexibility and functional muscle strength , Cardiorespiratory endurance, agility, balance, coordination and cognitive ability and other functional physical fitness. In addition, the "Active Ageing Sports Institute" also went out of school to Health Center of Neihu District, Songshan District, Nangang District, Daan District, Shilin District, Zhongshan District, Xinyi District, Zhongzheng District, Wanhua District and Wenshan District in Taipei City, holding 10 lectures on the active aging exercise tour, and 5 community sports instructors for elder training activities in 2020. Through cooperation with the Taipei City 12 District Health Center, a half-day professional and international active aging structured exercise program is designed. Recruit elders over 65 years old in the district through courses to cultivate their understanding of the importance of achieving an independent life and maintaining physical function through exercise. On the one hand, elders can build up their network. At the same time, by participating the courses and activities, students have opportunity to serve as elders’ teaching assistants and assist. Moreover, through students’ activities to perform various physical fitness measurements for elders in community, we built a database of relevant test data as a research basis of long-term physical activity guidelines and exercise prescription for health elders’ in domestic urban.
