Subproject 1: Highlights of implementing innovation in teaching and improving teaching quality
The 2020 project at the National United University (NUU) involved (1) promoting diagnostic English teaching, establishing a diagnostic database platform for English learning, and organizing adaptive courses of varying levels according to student competency; (2) introducing two new academic credit programs: the Electric Vehicle Mechatronics Cross-Disciplinary Program and the Artificial Intelligence Application and Practice Program, both of which aim to cultivate talented professionals possessing skillsin line with current industry trends; and (3) implementing the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Pilot Training Program to promote professional training that helps students across variousuniversity departments to obtaina drone pilot license. Compared with the 2019 project, the 2020 project resulted in a 7% increase in the number of undergraduate students in non-information departments who took program design courses. The number of students who completed a minor, double major, and credit program also increased, with the number of students undertaking credit programs increasing the most (260 students).
Highlight 1: Optimizing a practice-based teaching environment to strengthen the employment competitiveness of students
To enhance the employment competitiveness of students, the gap between learning and application is reduced by using comprehensive teaching equipment and technical training courses to equipundergraduate students with the knowledge and skills that are essential to besuccessful on the job. For example, Computer-Aided Manufacturing is a Level B Computer Numerical Control (CNC) ToolroomTechnician training course planned in response to the launching of the Precision Machining and Smart Manufacturing Laboratory in 2020. This course offers an excellent environment for Industry 4.0 talent training, in whichprecision machining skills are fostered by laying a solid theoretical foundation, providing field instructions, and enabling students to practice and apply their skills on a computer. Because of its compliance with the skills test site regulations stipulated by the Ministry of Labor, the Precision Machining and Smart Manufacturing Laboratory can be used for Level B CNC Toolroom Technician testing. In the future, the laboratory will become the first site in Miaoli that is qualified to offerLevel B CNC Toolroom Technician testing, which enables students to obtain skills certification through field training.
Highlight 2:Strengthening information technology education to popularize program design capabilities
In light of current industry trends, Java Basic Practical Training, App Basic Practical Training, and other advanced training-basedextracurricular courseshave been organized in information communication departments to strengthen students’ professional program design capabilities. Most non-information–communication departments offer courses related to the fundamentals of digital applications, logical operations, programming language, or program design. For instance, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and College of Hakka Studies have in recent years established practical courses such asWebpage Design, Application Program Design, and Multimedia and Webpage Design that equip students in the humanities and social sciences with the abilities to apply multimedia and digital systems as well as the basic ability to design Python programs. Other courses, namely Online Website Wix Practical Training and AR/VR Practical Operation, are also offered to stimulate the information literacy of non-information–communication students.
Highlight 3:Building an innovative learning ecosystem to cultivate students’ soft skills
In a positive autonomous learning environment, students are encouraged to establish societies or clubs that focus on academic improvement, entrepreneurial innovation, and service learning. In one of the student autonomous learning societies that wasfunded in 2020, a group of students from the Department of Culture Creativity initiated the “Sunland Mao-Shiang-Tan-Fang Innovative Brand Project,” in which they leveraged the characteristics of Sanyi Township in Miaoli County to helpa traditional business, “Mao-Shiang-Tan-Fang,” to build a brand image that communicates the spirit of its brand as well as assist the local business with marketing promotions. In this project, the students effectively demonstrated their abilities to apply learned knowledge and skills in practice as well as their commitment to contribute to society. TheCollege of Humanities and Social Sciences also implemented “Miaoli Stories,” which is a 2020 subproject involving an extensive documentation of the local history and cultural characteristics of Tai’an Township. The objective of this subproject was to facilitate the passing down of local culture and to embody the philosophy of education—“knowledge exploration,” “local practice,” and “humanity and care.”
Highlight 4:Flipping the teaching environment to promote effective learning among students
Another program implemented in 2020 was the Innovative Teaching Practice Program for Teachers.Funds were granted to 11 teachers for the development of innovative courses, instructional methods,and teaching materials. Guidelines for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Innovative Courses in the Higher Education Sprout Project were formulated to monitor the effectiveness of project implementation. Teachers are encouraged to join the Ministry of Education (MOE) Teaching Practice Research Program once they have gained sufficient experience through theInnovative Teaching Practice Program. Teachers with considerable experience inthe MOE Teaching Practice Research Program are also invited to share their experience. In 2020, NUUreported a considerable increase in the number of program applications. Moreover, a diagnostic English teaching method has been adopted to provide adaptive instruction according to student competence. An innovative teaching strategy involving the flipped classroom approach is integrated in English language courses for first-year undergraduate students. In these courses, teachers focus on applied English, students’ learning motivation is stimulated through task-oriented group competition, and language teaching is made more appealingthrough the organization of seminars on thematic language learning and diverse learning, such as Learning English for Everyday Use, the Multicultural Learning and Complete English Experience course, and English Proficiency for Global Competitiveness.
Subproject 2: Highlights of developing school characteristics
To increase research capacity inIntegrative, Intellectual, Green, Orange Technology(i2GO Tech), faculty members are encouraged to conduct cross-disciplinary research using this concept as their development focus. The implementation of research projects consistent withNUU’s characteristics is also promoted. In 2020, funding was granted for five research projects, two of which are part of the 2020 Taichung Veterans General Hospital–NUU Collaborative Research Project. This subproject involved the following activities:
(1) Establishtwo school-characteristic research centers (Smart Green Energy Research Center and Long-Term Care R&D and Digital Service Research Center) to integrate resources, implement cross-disciplinary projects, establish areasthat displayvideos of school-characteristic research project outcomes, and organize conferences to present medical and industrial research results;
(2) Create four smart laboratories that specialize in R&D works and extensive pedagogic research, establish the International Master Program in Translational Medicine in collaboration with the National Health Research Institute (NHRI) to combine smart technologies and application-related courses, and organize i2GO Tech field trips in 2020;
(3) Expand international academic exchange by continually improving the organization of various educational camps, workshops, and seminars on foreign language; offering English-taught courses, diverse foreign language courses, and volunteer-abroad training courses at NUU; and encouraging teachers and students to remotely participate in online exchange activities (e.g., international conferences, courses offered by sister schools, lectures by international scholars, overseas student recruitment, or education exhibitions and fairs) to promote internationalization; and
(4) Foster links with local characteristics to promote and cultivate local culture by compiling educational materials that provide information on indigenous and Hakka cultures; promoting and offering courses on Hakka industries, culture, and innovation; developing tourism apps, webpages, and teaching materials in Mandarin; and organizing indigenous culture exhibitions, lectures for tribal teachers, and craft and creative exhibitions that feature Hakka characteristics.
Highlight 1:Building school-characteristic research centers to refine and integrate the instructional and research capacity of i2GO Tech
The Smart Green Energy Research Center and Long-Term Care R&D and Digital Service Research Center, each equipped with smart laboratories, have been established to strengthen multidisciplinary cooperation. In 2020, NUU organized the Medical and Industrial Research Conference, inviting professionals from partnering hospitals, Da Chien General Hospital and Taichung Armed Forces General Hospital, to present six R&D outcomes in the areas of smart living, industrial automation, heart sound classification, and geriatric care. Approximately 100 people attended the conference. To implement and increase the depth of i2GO Tech academic programs, the university has established the International Master Program in Translational Medicine, continued to recruit and admit students in the 2020 academic year, and organized i2GO Tech field trips. In this program, teaching and research relevant to translational medicine as well asaugmented reality or virtual reality guided field trip events are carried out collectively by NHRI joint faculty members and NUU faculty members from the engineering and science, electrical engineering, and information management departments. Through this program, NUU faculty members and students can delve deeper into the application of medical engineering. NUU also raises awareness of academic integrity and disciplinary mechanisms to enhance the legality and legitimacy of academic research.Through such measures, faculty and students can more effectively identify conduct that conforms to or violates research ethics, obtain a clearer understanding of the purpose of the code of ethics, and participate in case discussions and seminars, thereby avoiding inadvertent violation of relevant regulations.
Highlight 2:Promoting local internationalization to enhance international competitiveness and talent cultivation mechanisms
NUU has actively organized international events to enhance its international competitiveness. Since 2020, the university has introduced new theme projects, redesigned them, and placed increased focus on these projects to achieve the planned learning outcomes.In particular, the following activities were held: (a) the 2020 NUU English camp strengthened learners’ abilities to communicate in and use English; (b) the volunteer educational camp, in which a professional English-speaking tour guide was employed to show students around the campus, focused on helping students practice English throughout the tour; (c) the 2020 English-taught teacher camp and English writing camp for teachers and students promoted empathy among participating teachers and improvedtheir instructional methods through the exchangeof the requisite skills for teaching English writing; and (d) international multicultural workshops, in which foreign teachers who live in Taiwan were invited to provide English immersion education at NUU, which improved students’ multicultural understanding and helped them engage in natural interaction in English. In 2020, NUU planned and held international volunteer training courses (17 sessions in total);organized relevant activities such as international conferences, workshops, and remote lectures by overseas scholars (37 sessions in total); and offered English-taught courses and a variety of foreign language courses (44 classes in total). The ultimate objective was to improve the international perspectives of faculty members and students and to build an environment that promotes international interaction, exchange, and learning.
Highlight 3:Developing and sustaining local culture education to promote professional and innovative cross-disciplinary courses and enhance industry competitiveness
To cultivate the local culture, NUU actively invests in and disseminatesindigenous and Hakka cultures by organizing ethnic culture exhibitions and interviewing tribal elders to produce educational documentaries of indigenous tribes in Taiwan.Indigenous craftsmen are also invited to serve as teachers inand inject different opinions into indigenous culture classes at NUU; such measuresserve as a bridge between classes and the real world and cultivate high-caliber professionals with expertise in indigenous culture. Topass down Hakka characteristics to the new generation, local Hakka courses are rigorously promoted by compiling instructional materials on the Hakka language, for example “愛『拼』正會贏” (The Key to Success is to Work Hard) and “客家兒童啟蒙文學” (Hakka Literature for Children), to communicate the values of the Hakka language and culture. Furthermore, NUU has organized multiple Hakka arts and culture events as well as creativity exhibitions combining the cultural and creative elements of local Hakka culture in Miaoli. By creating links with the local culture, students are encouraged to create and gain hands-on experienceas a means to enrich their foundation for innovation and ideation and to put Hakka images into action, thus enabling innovation in traditional Hakka cultural industries. NUU also develops tourism apps in Mandarin, webpages, and instructional materials featuring the tourism options and cultures of 18 urban and rural townships and cities in Miaoli. Local tourism information is integrated into educational and digital platforms to help studentsbecome local tour guides who are capable of hosting tourist groups as well as to promote local culture, tourism, and local industries, thereby sustaining the local cultures of Miaoli County.
Subproject 3:Highlights of increasing the publicity of higher education
Newly enrolled students who are economically or culturally disadvantagedcomprise 14.9% of the student population at NUU, indicating an excellent outcome in terms of inclusion. NUU plans to establish a Vision Plan in the 2021 academic year to increase admission opportunities for children or grandchildren of low-income families, mid-to-low–income families, and families in hardship.Furthermore, the university has created a friendly and supportive space, called Grandma’s Bakery,which is used to provide disadvantaged students with opportunities to receive financial support and services. Thirteen workshops have been organized by the Indigenous Student Resource Center to help prepare students for their future careers. By exploring indigenous tribes in greater depth, students improve their understanding of the culture, which in turn assists them in applying the learned knowledge and skills in practice (i.e., in indigenous tribes). For increased information access, the university has improved its campus wireless network coverage to 72%, introduced foreign language interactive learning platforms, and provided 2,062 shared e-books to nine local rural schools.
Highlight 1: Implementing a library resource sharing program for education without distance to fulfill the responsibility of increasing access to higher education
This project draws on the concept of “local community care” and promotes prosperity in both urban and rural areas. The library resource sharing program offers a collection of interactive e-books in foreign languages through TumbleBookLibrary Premium toeliminate temporal and spatial constraints and enable distance education. The program also creates diverse situational contexts for learning. This foreign language learning platformis conveniently shared with neighboring schools in Miaoli through digital learning methods. In 2020, nine local senior high schools and vocational schools, including National Miaoli Senior High School and National Miaoli Senior Commercial and Vocational School, benefited from this program. Through this platform sharing program, schools have access to picture books, story books, and audio or visual files, thus making learning more diverse. The enjoyable elements of this platform (e.g., stimulating situational contexts and interaction methods) are expected to motivate students to learn foreign languages voluntarily and foster an interest in learning foreign languages. Thus, students’ ability to learn foreign languages in local schools can be improved to help close the foreign language gap among students in rural Miaoli areas. Ultimately, theuniversity can fulfill its responsibility to invest in thelocal communityand increase the visibility of higher education through the sharing of library resources.
Highlight 2: Promoting the organization of university admission, career, and cultural education development to improve the effectiveness of indigenous student counseling
A one-stop service for indigenous students has been established through the Indigenous Student Resource Center to provide indigenous students with the resources they require for campus life, their studies, and future careers. A wide range of activities for indigenous students were held in 2020, including personal counseling (four sessions), book club (six sessions), career talk (three sessions), cultural education workshop (five sessions), social events (three sessions), the on-campus indigenous cultural and festival event, and the year-end social event “Love in NUU: Winter Donations.” In total, 358 indigenous students used the university’s personal counseling service in 2020. The Indigenous Student Resource Center is committed to taking care of indigenous students and promoting indigenous culture. Effective counseling is provided to indigenous students to providethem with a friendly learning environment, improve their learning achievement, and boost their confidence.
Highlight 3: Building a sustainable smart campus and friendly learning environment where information transparency is highly valued
NUU has graduallyconducted a study of its general affairs. Information on general affairs is disclosed in the Information Section on the university’s official website. The Information Section provides a description of general affairs, financial analysis, miscellaneous fees and scholarships, and any other important information pertaining to NUU. To provide stakeholderswith more information, these general affairs data are analyzed and interpreted, and the results are presented to all NUU faculty members during administrative meetings and general affairs meetings. In addition, general affairs information has beencompiled into five video clips for public access; they are entitled Let’s Talk About NUU, Have you seen the president ride a scooter? Go live with the President of NUU!,Questions about NUU, Grandma’s Bakery, and Let’s Go Foraging Around NUU. In 2020, NUU organized the “Beauty of NUU Awaiting Your Discovery” orientation event for incoming students and their parents. In total, 74 new students and parents participated. The goal of this event was to communicate information concerning the university’s general affairs to new students and parents in a face-to-face manner.
Subproject 4: Highlights of fulfilling the university’s social responsibility
In 2020, NUU demonstrated its social responsibility through several projects that highlight the university’s care for the local community. The university organized a community-based fitness instructor training camp in response to the growing aging population in Taiwan. This activity was well-received thanks to its effectiveness in improving the health knowledge of older adults and in raising awareness of the importance of exercising. NUU also offered educational workshopsto teach new immigrants medical vocabulary in the Hakka language to facilitate communication between caregivers and those they care for. In the area of environmental sustainability, faculty members and students from the NUU Department of Safety, Health, and Environmental Engineering organized beach cleanupsand exchanged wastewater treatment techniques with local companies to reduce the harmful effects on the ecology. To promote environmental education, local environmental educators were trained and assisted in obtaining environmental education certification. Creativity workshops involving marine education courses were organized to impart knowledge, convert marine waste into artworks, and help local learners to develop creative ideas and the spirit of creativity.
Highlight 1:Organizing educational workshops to teach new immigrants medical vocabulary in the Hakka language to help them communicate better and work more efficiently
Sustained growth in Taiwan’s aging population has caused a considerable increase in the demand for long-term care givers. Numerous foreign workers and new immigrants in Taiwan are engaged in family nursing jobs; therefore, improving new immigrants’ language proficiency and communication skillsis essential. Miaoli is largely inhabited by Hakka people. To help new immigrants communicate more effectively with their patients when performing family nursing jobs, NUU has organized educational activities to teach new immigrants basic medical vocabulary in the Hakka language as well as basic nursing skills; the vocabulary includes medical terms commonly used in outpatient clinics and during hospitalization and treatment. These activities facilitateaccurate information exchange between new immigrants and their patients, which ultimately enhances patient convenience and satisfaction.
Highlight 2: Training community fitness instructors to raise community awareness of the importance of exercising
The health of older people influences the well-being of society. The dissemination ofappropriate health and physical fitness knowledge is key to making exercise a daily habit. NUU has organized a community-based fitness instructor training camp to ensure that those living in the community acquire the correct exercise concepts and methods. To promote the health awareness of older adults living in a community and help them make exercise a daily habit, students of NUU’scommunity-based fitness instructor training program shared their knowledge with the residents of Fuli Community and Chiasheng Community in Miaoli City; these eventsreceivedpositive feedback from the audiences. Even a 90-year-old grandmother was present. In the future, NUU hopes that this activity can reach all the townships in Miaoli City and benefitmany olderresidentsin Miaoli County.
Highlight 3: Addressing environmental sustainability issues by assisting with the training of local environmental educators
The continuous environmental deterioration in recent years and climate change have caused an increase in the frequency of large disasters, and the impact and threat of environmental problems are felt by people worldwide.Environmental education is the first step to solving environmental problems at their source. NUU has organized environmental educator training workshops to educate the general population on the importance of the environment so that they may learn to protect the environment and responsibly use natural resources. The core course content includes environmental ethics, an overview of the environment, environmental education course designs, activity plans and planning, and laws and regulations governing sustainable development and environmental education. In-house lecturers, industry experts, and government officials have been invited to lecture on environmental topics from different perspectives, and environmental education field trips have also been arranged. Through a series of dynamic and static courses, learners’ environmental knowledge has been strengthened so that they may provide more professional contributions to society in the future.
