Higher Education SPROUT Project

Part A: Execute teaching innovation and improve teaching quality

Highlight:

Enhance students’ learning achievement

We will build a special enrollment mechanism for NCUE students, connect short, medium and long term of learning worth, and form a learning achievement team. We will have a group meeting regularly, discussing the feedback mechanism of the learning achievement and the verification of the relative statistical analysis. The research topic for the learning achievement included that the differences of the Teacher Certification for participating certain activities, receiving excellence scholarships and teacher training scholarships, and government scholarships. In addition, there was a significant relationship between the Teacher Selection Procedures and Education Expert Analysis as well as the teaching practice research plan. We found that the learning motivation, performance and interesting for the teacher students had an obvious improvement due to the courses of the teaching practice research plan.

Strengthen students' professional and technical ability

Through CDIO-Project based learning, students proposed different types of representation modes, such as displaying the project products in international symposium hold by Department of Industrial Education and Technology in NCUE, and exhibiting the artistic creations in NCUE by Department of Fine Arts, demonstrating their professional practical and technical capabilities they have learned. It is worthy of note that 30 artistic creations were invited to exhibit in Taichung City Dadun Cultural Center by the recommendation of 2020 Young Voice of Art-Exhibition of Excellent Graduates from the Department of Fine Arts.

Develop students' key ability

Students in NCUE should possess four major key abilities which are interdisciplinary learning, innovative entrepreneurship, logical operations and programming, and excellent Chinese and English language skills. Interdisciplinary learning included (1) start empowerment and occupational certification curriculum to enhance students’ learning interesting, (2) start multiple learning curriculum to construct students’ target planning and time managerial ability, (3) Encourage students to receive occupational licenses. In this year, 338 licenses are awarded based on the demand of Departments in NCUE. The ways to achieve innovative entrepreneurship involved (1) start innovative and entrepreneurship curriculum to lead students possessing the thinking and ability of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship (CIE). In this year, NCUE starts 14 CIE courses, (2) start Maker curriculum to train students’ implement creativity and practical ability through practical DIY and integrated creative design thinking. For logical operations and programming, we started programming curriculums for 3112 students. Students believed that their logical thinking and problem-solving ability were enhanced effectively. Finally, NCUE started advanced Languish curriculums (advanced Chinese and English courses are 18 and 26, respectively.) to enhance students’ languish learning. In order to evaluate students’ languish learning achievement, we have design suitable test questions and conducted languish ability examinations.

Reinforce teaching support system

NCUE provided supporting systems for teachers including professional teacher community, the teaching assistant system, and the encouragement of the teaching practice research project. In the part of professional teacher community, we have established 8 and 7 professional teacher communities in school level and department level, respectively. For teaching assistant system, we provided 341 TA students, who are trained in teaching-related knowledge and skills in 33 workshops, to help teachers in class. NCUE provided the essential support and assistance for teachers to apply teaching practice research projects. For example, the professional teacher community of the teaching practice research project was established to share teaching experience. Teachers in NCUE learned the newest teaching knowledge from the industrial experts and then integrated the learned knowledge into the content of the course.

Outcomes:

• We have finished 5 research projects about student learning achievement. The results indicated that student learning achievement was effectively increased through teaching innovation in NCUE.
• We have completed 5 research projects about NCUE educational philosophy. We have already known well the enrollment way of students through student enrollment management platform.
• Three multiple evaluation methods were used to examine student learning achievement.
• UCAN survey help students understanding the direction of career development. In this year, 1116 freshmen have already completed the UCAN questionnaire (test rate: 92.5%).
• In this year, 35 outstanding alumni were invited for sharing career experience. There are 1974 students participating in this sharing meeting.
• In this year, we have finished 103, 105 and 107 academic year-graduate flow survey with test rate of 74.86%, 76.48% and 81.47%, respectively.
• We have completed 97 employer satisfaction survey in 109 academic year. We will continue tracking guidance based on the survey results.
• Students in 109 academic year proposed 142 research papers, 100 research products, and 64 artic creations. In addition, an English drama was played by students in the department of English.
• In 109-academic year, 23 potentiate and license courses were started for 703 students. We found that 109 students received 338 professional licenses.
• In 109-academic year, 30 diversified learning courses were started for 871 students.
• In 109-academic year, 14 innovation and entrepreneurship courses were started for 426 students.
• In 109-academic year, 7 Maker courses were started for 171 students.
• In 109-academic year, we have established 8 and 7 professional teacher communities in school level and department level, respectively.
• In 109-academic year, we provided 341 TA students, who are trained in teaching-related knowledge and skills in 33 workshops, to help teachers in class.
• We have 11 excellent TA students, who are national athletes, in the expert of sport.
• In 109 academic year, 133 collaborative teaching courses, which were composite by industrial expert and teacher, were started for 4155 students.

Part B: Develop distinguishing features of NCUE

Highlight:

Characteristic of teacher training: Expert teacher with moral character

Rural serving and teaching in remote areas: We have developed 117 volunteers (pre-service teacher) to serve and practice teaching students in Changhua county Si Jhou Junior Hi School, Hsin-Yi Public Junior High and Elementary School of Changhua County, Xian Xi Junior Hi School, and Fang Yuan Junior Hi School. All pre-service teachers increased their learning achievement through service learning process and teaching reflection under competition of service-learning file program.

Innovative teaching, inquiry and practice ability integrated into teacher training curriculum: College of science in NCUE starts 4 design curriculum for inquiry and practice and 2 project curriculum for inquiry and practice. General education center starts 1 science inquiry and problem solving curriculum. In addition, teacher training curriculum integrated with inquiry and practice has been achieved to 42.31%.

Collaboration between industry and school: Innovative mode for personnel training and three wins at industry, school and talents

Industry questions, academic problem solving: We have supported 13 thematic implementation projects to solve industry questions. We believed it should have a great connection between industry, market, and school.

Student community for entrepreneurship: We have supported 2 co-learning groups to complete the teaching inspection. We also supported one entrepreneurship group. This student community focused on producing English news by Podcast. The members designed and choose news and then produced 3 Podcast programs. 

Research energy: Optimization of academic environment for the development of research powder

Encourage teachers to participate in international exchange: Teachers in NCUE have published 193 international papers on SCI(E), SSCI, and A&HCI. NCUE has received 351-400, 301-400, and 801+ ranking ranges of QS World University Rankings, THE of Global Ranking of Educational Subjects and Life Sciences, respectively. NCUE also has had 66^th and 2^nd position of THE World University Impact for Global and Taiwan, respectively, indicating approval of teaching, research and running a school in NCUE by all walks of life.

International exchange: Devote featured alliance to receive international advantage

Collection of global elites to increase teaching and research performance: We have invited 18 outstanding international scholars to participate in teaching and research work. In addition, we also conducted international symposium and workshops to enhance global viewpoint and research power energy for all faculties and students. This results made the academic profession advance with the times.

Promotion borderless curriculum to enhance competition in advantage field: We have finished 2 and 2 special classes for the Malaysian Education and Mathematics/Science, respectively. In addition, we also completed 2 batches of certification courses in “Behavioral Intervention” and “Ethical and Professional Issues”. Furthermore, we hold 2 workshops for the Symptom Behavior Counseling of Seed Teacher Training.

Outcome:

• We have started 3 curriculums about Educational Philosophy, Life Education and Educational Thematic Issues. There are 20 classes participated in these courses.
• We have developed 117 volunteer (pre-service teacher) to serve and practice teaching students in remote areas.
• In 109 academic-year, 678 pre-service teacher students participated in Educational empowerment workshop. This purpose of this workshop encouraged them to decide learning goal by themselves.
• We have supported pre-service teacher students to form 25 teaching and learning communities. These communities will help students to pass certification examination and increase teaching strategy.
• In order to promote teaching quality and application, we have started 25 and 23 curriculums about “Teaching Methods and Materials” and “Teaching Practice”, respectively.
• English-Medium Instruction Research Center of NCUE planned “Class schedule of English-medium instruction in Teacher Education”. After pre-service teacher students finished this program, they could get certification of English-medium instruction of special subjects.
• College of science in NCUE starts 4 design curriculum for inquiry and practice and 2 project curriculum for inquiry and practice. General education center starts 1 science inquiry and problem solving curriculum. In addition, teacher training curriculum integrated with inquiry and practice has been achieved to 42.31%.
• We have supported 13 thematic implementation projects to solve industry questions. We believed it should have a great connection between industry, market, and school.
• We have hold an Innovative Practice Competition of National College and University, which competition topics were divided into “Green Technology”, “Machinery and Automation”, and “Information and Electronic”. A total of 208 teams participated in this competition.
• We have supported one entrepreneurship group. This student community focused on producing English news by Podcast. The members designed and choose news and then produced 3 Podcast programs.
• We have provided administrative services for teachers applying research project plans. In 109 academic-year, we successfully received 65 research project plans.
• In 109 academic-year, we promoted four research team-groups to get five key-point integrated project plans. We also get one jointly appointed lecturer and encourage three teachers participated in Show Chwan Health Care System for research work.  
• In 109 academic-year, 43 teachers received excellent salary awards including distinguished professor and outstanding teaches in teaching, research, and service field.
• In 109 academic-year, we have submitted 225 research project plans for the MOST. According to Research Topics of Financial Assistance Points, we supported research funding for the teachers without the MOST project plans. We found that pass rate of plan (52%) in 109 academic-year was higher 7% than that of 108 academic-year.
• Teachers in NCUE have published 193 international papers on SCI(E), SSCI, and A&HCI.
• We have invited 18 outstanding international scholars to participate in teaching and research work. In addition, we also conducted international symposium and workshops to enhance global viewpoint and research power energy for all faculties and students. This results made the academic profession advance with the times.
• We have finished 2 and 2 special classes for the Malaysian Education and Mathematics/Science, respectively. In addition, we also completed 2 batches of certification courses in “Behavioral Intervention” and “Ethical and Professional Issues”. Furthermore, we hold 2 workshops for the Symptom Behavior Counseling of Seed Teacher Training.
• We have participated in 10 Education exhibitions through on-line oversea enrollment activity. It is useful to attract oversea students studying in NCUE.
• We have hold 31 workshops abut international current affairs lectures, education and culture lectures, and exchange student sharing activities to promote students realizing foreign culture.
• We have hold 7 international friendly ambassador training activities to enhance student’s ability about international events organization, reception of foreign guests, international camp services and coaching overseas students.
  

Part C:Elevate the publicity of the higher education

highlights：

Promoting social class mobility and improving the counselling system 

Use project funds to enable peace of mind schooling:  Leading officers of the University actively promote fundraising to bring together alumni who share the same thoughts to donate. Using the concept of "thousands of people to light up, many grains of sand piled up will make a pagoda" to assist economically disadvantaged students to study at ease. We raised 4.5 million NTD in 109-academic year, which is a 50 % increase compared to previous years.

We setup "wood stack channel” to help economically disadvantaged students and increase their enrollment opportunity. In 109-academic year, 24 places were offered through the “Flying Eagle project” and a total of 18 economic disadvantage students were enrolled.

Comprehensive care for the overall learning process of disadvantaged students: A comprehensive counseling system is established through the  "Flying-Eagle program" of the University, which covers four major aspects, including life, psychology, academics and careers. In the 109-academic year, this program supported 15 counseling projects and a total of 2,409 students was benefited.

Attaining sustainable school management with a self-responsible administrative system 

Regularly publish external and internal performance reports:In 109 academic year, we established a new portal front-page for different population, including parents, the general public and students. By analyzing the visiting statistic of webpages, we could infer which information was most cared by the different groups. These data can be used to precisely adjust and enrich the disclosed information.

Development of professional admission policy : Using the results of institutional research to optimize the selection rule of admission. These data help us to effectively assess the students’ performance since high school for us to optimize the gauges in the admissions system. In addition, by incorporating Associative Analysis of the Apriori algorithm to assist each department to specifically identify the challenges it has, the department is then able to formulate relevant enrollment promotion strategies and adjust the selection rule accordingly.

outcomes：

• Since 109-acacdemic year, we have established a special fund to provide students a study environment with peace of mind. We have successfully raised 4.5 million for a sustainable education fund.
• In the 109 academic year, 24 places were provided through the " Flying-eagle Enrollment" and "Priority Admission" program, and a total of 18 were admitted.
• In the year of 109 , in order to improve the enrolling chances of students with economic or cultural disadvantages, various activities were carried out:

1. Holding exploratory camp for students:  In order to prepare student for the new curriculum, a total of six departments and four administrative units have held activities and educational programs to help these new freshman to seamlessly integrate into university life.

2. High school advocacy: By cooperation with school's support mechanism, we have done publicity at high schools in class or school-levels. In the year of 109, our 11 departments have visited a total of 20 high schools to promote the Flying-eagle project, which resulted in 13 economically disadvantaged students and 86 general students to be enrolled in the University.

• Integration of counseling resources in the lighthouse system: By integrating the "concentrated resources" counseling concept, we have been upgraded to the "Lighthouse Academy" version 2.0. Teachers from the departments act as the main guidance, ed by, supplemented by assistance from the administrative units, to promote a thoroughly connected counseling system.
• According to the learning situation of students, we have provided individual learning suggestions for 20 special students in 109.
• A diversified counseling system was provided for students through the "Flying-eagle Project." With the spirit of "learning instead of work-study", students can take care of both their life necessity and schoolwork. In 109, with the help of "Flying-eagle project," we have established a comprehensive counseling system, which has 15 counseling items in the four major aspects of life, psychology, academic and career. A total of 2,409 students were benefited, 46% of them were study counseling and was the highest proportion, followed by psychological counseling and career counseling at 20%, and life counseling at 14%.
• Regularly publish external and internal performance reports:

1. There were 1,489 website users in 109 (no double counting), of which the first time visit rate was 91.2%, the return rate was 8.8%, and the total number of page visits was 5,096. 

2.In 109, we established a new portal page for different group of visitors, includes parents, general public and students. By analyzing the visiting statistic of webpages, we could infer which information was most cared by the different groups. These data can be used to precisely adjust and enrich the disclosed information.

3.For school affairs information disclosure, we have released 16 items of information, including basic school affairs data, evaluation results, graduate performance, financial information, etc. This effectively supports the transparency of school affairs management.

• Development of professional admission policy:

1. Using the results of institutional research to optimize the selection rule of  admission. These data help us to effectively assess the students’ performance since high school for us to optimize the gauges in the admissions system.

2.Analysis reports of four departments were produced in 109, including geography department, business management department, public education department citizen group, and public education department public group. Among which, the median scores exhibited significant differences in 75% of them, and the departmental assessment gauge showed good discernment in 50% of them. In addition, the ranking results showed apparent relation in 25% of them.

3.By incorporating Associative Analysis of the Apriori algorithm to assist each department to specifically identify the challenges it has, the department is then able to formulate relevant enrollment promotion strategies and adjust the selection rule accordingly.

• Promotion of credit classes for the Master of Education: 123 classes were given in the 108 academic year for students with jobs in various fields to flexibly plan their own learning blueprints.
• Cross-industrial cooperation to offer on-the-job courses: 
• Six professional on-the-job courses were offered to strengthen workplace knowledge and abilities in 109. In addition, we are actively striving to cooperate with the Changhua County Government to organize the "Women’s Academy-Female Leader Elite Training Course" and the “2020 Youth Boss Development Academy-Enterprise Second-Generation Elite Training Course.”We hope to  establish a cross-domain cooperation and knowledge exchange platform by the collaboration of government, industry and the University. 

Part D: University social responsibility

Highlight:

The overall development of school affairs and the practice of university social responsibility

Administration-Integration and Coordination:

1.A center has been established to coordinate and promote the social responsibility of   our university.

2.Progress Meeting was hosted to periodically review the execution of each USR plan as quality management and provide suggestions based on the quality performance indicators and execution status of corresponding plans,

3.Every two months, started since Jul2020, brainstorming meetings were hosted by USR project owner. All faculties participated in the USR plan were invited to discuss any difficulties in execution, to share resources for execution and to brainstorm solution, suggestions and support.

4.Gatherings, speeches and workshops have been held to share professional knowledge. For example, faculties of USR plan explored Lane Tacha community, the USR plan target of "link, sprawling, Sun Hung Kai Chi - Changhua City Art highlights to create a plan"

5.USR Assistants proactively discuss the plan execution and support resources via verbally and virtually.

curriculum：

1.Cultivate social responsibility through Liberal Education

  (1)Via service learning of the course, students can participate  community/corporate services to strengthen the understanding and feel connected with local culture, industry and environment.

  (2)Our vision inspiring and execution courses encourage attendees to contribute their own knowledge and creativity to local development which in turns to increase their own career opportunities and promote local society refreshing.

  (3)Our "USR Multi-Learning Microcredit Courses" offer courses with flexibility and diversity in order to develop local society identity. In 2020, students of Auxiliary Consultative Department students finds their interests in monuments of Changhua during the lesson and start cooperation as a trainee guide member via partners data base of Center.

2.Our "University Social Responsibility Micro-program offers interdisciplinary courses that connect professional lessons and characteristics of local society. In 2020, we offered 94 courses of professional lessons and total 17 students were granted with the qualification of "University Social Responsibility Micro-Program ".

Teacher support：

1.Continue to promote the professional community of USR teachers between schools. With the increase of the attended teachers (28 to 31), they recognized their teaching knowledge can be improved through participating in school-based and external co-learning activities (4.4 points of five-point scale, per survey).

2.The effectiveness of the system to encourage teachers to participate in the USR.

  (1)USR team executive teacher: Assistant Professor Jiang Ling of Department of      Biology has led students to solve the current difficulty of clam farming with a friendly breeding environment strategy in order to add the value of local agricultural and fishery specialties. This year , Prof. Jiang Ling was appointed as the deputy director of the Environmental Education Center to provide more resources for local society service.

  (2)At the end of the project year, the attendance of USR executive teachers participating in internal and external co-learning activities will be provided to Office of Research and Development as a supporting information for Teach Evaluation.

1.USR service consulting team of our school has good and rapid interaction with service areas and is able to provide quick discuss and response to regional topics. Execution lights in 2020 were stated as following.

• Our local consulting service team of Changhua provided consultation and counseling services for local topics. 
• Faculties of T Department of Geography visited communities located around the boundary of Chaughua and provided consultation. In December of 2020, a fair was held to demonstrate the  strength and the soft power of communities.
• Faculties of transport and health department  supported numbers of  health counseling events for elders of Changhua region. They also held community tours to improve the health of the elders.
• The students of Department of Fine Arts and residents of communities co-created public art work to revitalizing the community and demonstrating the unique local culture.

2.Our environmental sustainability professional services team has supported 11 times water quality testing of fish fond  and ditches in 2020 and successfully prevent the water quality impact due to June red tide.

3.Our Industry sustainability management care team has created consultation contact window through e-mail and LINE group to provide professional consultation and coaching based on the needs of socks manufacturers. The member of LINE groups has increased from 1000 to more than 4000.

4.Our Green energy professional consulting service team from Department of Electrical Engineering supported the development of Changhua green energy by providing numerous consultations for Changhua County Government and Changhua County Elementary and Secondary Schools for many times. They also promote the development of Green Energy through cultivating talents and sharing latest knwledge.

5.Our education in rural region professional consulting service team invited teachers from university and middle schools to conduct collaborative teaching and practical exercises on teaching practice, service learning, literacy-oriented teaching, and cross-domain teaching application and practice with educational volunteers. They were able to provide immediate feedback and correction for the teaching plan based on the “on-the-spot” consultation and coaching.

outcome：

• In 2020, 28 courses of  life exploration, development and practice, four (4) courses if vision inspiring and execution and 84 USR related interdisciplinary, multi- learning and micro-credit courses have been offered.
• In 2020,  USR faculty professional community was established. It has hosted four (4) teacher empowerment lectures, one (1) community visit and exchange workshop, and 2 project experience sharing seminars.
• Ninety four USR related courses have been opened.

• Service Team of our company consists of Changhua local consulting service team, sustainable environment professional service team, industry sustainable operation care team, green energy professional consulting service team. We have provided 172 hours of consulting services in 2020, handled 6 workshops and camps of Green Energy and cultivated 73 green energy appointing teachers and USR related seed teachers and volunteers.