Module Information for GE Elective Modules held by
School Of General Education and Languages
GEE5404 Literature & Modern China現代中國與文學
現代文學在中國社會曾經佔據非常重要的位置，擔負了啟蒙、救國、抒情的主要功能。本選修課旨在引領學生認識中國現代文學（小說、散文、新詩）的重要作家及作品，分析文學作品的思想文化意涵與藝術技巧，評析現代文學與中國社會變遷的關係。除了細讀、鑑賞中國現代文學作品外，學生還可以了解文學與作家人生、所屬時代的複雜關係，繼而反思個人對時代、生命的看法。
評估方式
| 評估方式 | 習作數量 | 所佔本單元之百分比 |
| 小組報告（書面報告） | 1 | 20% |
| 小組報告（口頭報告） | 1 | 15% |
| 課堂討論 | N/A | 15% |
| 個人習作 | 1 | 50% |
Note: This module is taught in Chinese.
GEE5405 The Modern World: History & Culture
The Modern World: History & Culture is taught as a three-hour combined lecture, reading and discussion seminar and introduces students to history as a form of storytelling and culture as a form of analysis. Through the tool of historical narrative, we will take a ‘big picture’ survey of modern world history and culture from the maritime revolution to the rise of popular and consumer culture in the late twentieth century.
The module will examine select topics in world history around three units of inquiry, which integrate history and culture into a historical chronology. These units of inquiry include the following topics/areas:
- The Origins of Global Interdependence, 1500-1800
- The Age of Industrialisation and Revolution, 1800-1914
- Contemporary Global Realignments, 1914 to the Present
Assessment Methods
| Component | No. of assessment | Weighting as a % of module mark |
| Active Class Participation | 1 | 15% |
| Role Play | 1 | 15% |
| Group Presentation | 1 | 30% |
| Research Essay | 1 | 40% |
GEE5409 Plants & Human Civilisations
Plants and Human Civilisations aims to provide students with a critical analysis on the role of plants as the single most influential factor that dominate human survival, rise and fall of civilisations and continuity of human societies. A selection of plants that played pivotal roles in mankind will be introduced and their impacts on human civilisations will be investigated with a combination of scientific, cultural and societal perspectives. Students are expected to articulate the impacts of plants on human civilisations and societies in the past, critically evaluate the contemporary issues both brought by and solved by plants at present, and project the advancement of mankind with breakthrough in plant sciences and agricultural biotechnology.
The following topics/areas will be covered:
The module is organized around the exploration and understanding of the intimate relationship between plants and humans. Fundamental concepts of life sciences, including the plant and human biological systems, will be introduced at the beginning and throughout the topics of the module, which support students in analysing the impacts brought by the uses and abuses of plants:
Plants as our green friends
Seed of change – plants that changed the course of human history
Seed of culture – plants that shaped the cultures of civilizations
Seed of future – How plants continue to boost mankind transformation
Assessment Methods
| Component | No. of assessment | Weighting as a % of module mark |
| In-class activity and participation | Continuous assessments | 10% |
| Debate | 1 | 10% |
| Experiments | 5 | 20% |
| Reflective Essay | 1 | 30% |
| Group assignment and project | 1 | 30% |
GEE5413 Service Leadership in a New Era
The concept of “service leadership” is highlighted in this course as service industry plays a dominate position around the world nowadays. This module aims at providing insights on becoming a service leader in a new era through cultivating appropriate knowledge skills, characters and compassion towards self, others and society. An effective service leader is expected to show commendable sensitivity in negotiating with the service provider and the recipient. Integrating the concepts of management, political sciences, psychology and sociology, the module will stimulate students’ reflections on how they can manage their personal and professional lives efficiently and develop sensitivity to oneself and to others.
Assessment Methods
| Component | No. of assessment | Weighting as % of module mark |
| Class Participation and engagement | N/A | 10% |
| In-class Mini Presentations | 1 | 20% |
| Mid-term Individual Reflective Note | 1 | 40% |
| Group Project Presentation | 1 | 30% |
GEE5414 Making Sense of Our World: Selected Topics in Sociology
This module is designed to inspire students to systematically and critically understand our world, human experience and various social issues through sociological perspectives and concepts. It aims at enabling students to make sense of human behaviours in the society, to discern the social relationship and interaction, and to comprehend the contemporary world.
The following areas/topics will be covered:
- Sociology and Our World
- Socialisation and Self Development
- Social Mobility
- Social Culture
- Races, Ethnicity, and Minority Groups
- Family and Intimate Relationships
- Sexuality and Gender
Assessment Methods
| Component | No. of assessment | Weighting as a % of module mark |
| Class engagement and participation | N/A | 15% |
| Group Presentation | 1 | 25% |
| Individual Essay | 1 | 60% |
GEE5420 Introduction to French Language & Culture
Bonjour!
This module teaches you French language and culture. The following are descriptions:
- For language, beginner’s French will be taught. You will learn how to introduce or talk more in depth about yourself, produce sentences using most-commonly used verbs, nouns and adjectives, and describe people.
- For culture, topics in French culture will be explored and discussed in English.
The following areas/topics on French culture* will be covered:
- Key facts and figures about the Francophone world
- Paris, the Eiffel Tower and more
- The French national flag and its history and symbolism
- The French revolution
- Music appreciation in French
- French film appreciation
- Food and wine culture in France
- France and Quebec and their cultural and linguistic contrasts
- French influence on English, its history and mechanism
- Verlan (talking backwards in French)
- French fashion brands and their influence in fashion
- French art appreciation
At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to use French at a survival level, analyse issues related to French culture and be engaged in self-language learning.
Assessment Methods:
| Component | No. of assessment | Weighting as a % of module mark |
| Independent Learning and Participation (participation in class and self-learning for French) | N/A | 10% |
Tests on French language
| 3 | 40% |
| Individual Essay (on culture written in English) | 1 | 25% |
| Group Presentation (on a cultural topic orally presented in English) | 1 | 25% |
*subject to change at the discretion of the teacher.
GEE5426 Entrepreneurship in Action
The module aims to provide students with a basic understanding of business concepts based on PBL (Project-based learning). Students will learn the fundamental and core ideas, concepts, and theories related to business operations that allow them to perform self-reflection and establish real-world connections. Students will be required to work in teams to develop a student-driven business operation (a service or a product) with interdisciplinary elements.
The following topics/areas will be covered:
- The PBL (Project-based learning) will be employed, and students are required to apply it in their business projects.
- The basic idea of design thinking will be incorporated in the course to help students develop their “empathy” to design their business ideas.
- Basic ideas and concepts of the business principles, including retail management, marketing, business plan, e-commerce and forecast, warehouse, logistics, and human resources management.
- Basic communication skills for solving organisational conflicts at different levels and contexts via case study of real examples.
- Students are required to carry out a group project for a business operation using the knowledge they have learnt in this module.
Assessment methods:
| Component | Weighting as a % of module mark |
| Class Participation and Engagement | 10% |
| Business Plan Proposal | 30% |
| Poster Presentation | 50% |
| Peer Evaluation | 10% |
GEE5427 Technology & the Future of Work
This module aims to provide students with a basic understanding of the impacts of technology on the future of organisation and work. Students will be exposed to basic ideas, concepts, and principles in technology and that allow both self-exploration and application to contemporary issues and professional life, with an emphasis on proposing technological solutions to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The following topics/areas will be covered:
- A basic understanding of the historical development and social evolution of technology and framework for technological impact assessment.
- Impacts of breakthrough technologies, e.g. artificial intelligence, big data analytics, internet of things, automation, genome editing, etc. will be analysed from the perspectives of work, health, safety, in/equality and sustainability.
- Blockchain simulation tools, e.g. Immunodex and StackEd, will be used to teach concepts and principles of blockchain, and its applications at business world.
- Advanced topics in blockchain, e.g. tokenization, smart contract, solution architecture and programming will be taught. Students will extend their learning by applying decentralised solution in resolving contemporary problems at their respective industries.
- Students might have a chance for hands-on experience in 3D prototyping.
- Students are required to carry out a group project using the knowledge that they have learnt in this module.
Assessment methods:
| Component | Weighting as a % of module mark |
| Class Class Participation and Engagement | 20% |
| Group Project | 30% |
| Individual Reflective Report | 50% |
GEE5428 From Language to Daily Life: Understanding Hong Kong Cantonese & Culture (認識香港粵語與文化)
本單元專為在香港升學以普通話(國語/華語)為母語的學生而設計，旨在提高學生的粵語能力和加深他們對粵文化的認識，以便他們在粵語環境中能應用所學進行有效溝通。本單元語言、文化並重，透過講授粵語本身的語言特點，以至社會所見粵語的特色，引導學生認識香港城市的表述形態。課程前半部分主要簡介粵語語音、詞彙和語法知識，輔以課堂互動練習，加強學生的粵語能力，讓他們認識粵語自身的語言魅力。課程後半部分主要探討粵語在香港社會的應用情況，討論範疇包括居住、飲食、歌影視娛樂等，並分析香港社會文化的變遷與走向，期望學生能深入認識香港粵方言所承載的文化。本單元以普通話授課。
本單元包括以下主題及學習重點：
第一部分：語音
- 粵語語音系統
- 粵語拼音方案簡介
- 粵普語音相同及相異之處
第二部分：詞彙
- 粵語詞彙的形式
- 從歷史的承傳、外來語的影響、文化的體現等方面看粵語詞彙
- 粵普詞彙差異
第三部分：句法
- 粵語的句法特點
- 粵普句法差異
第四部分：香港粵語所反映的社會文化
- 居住
- 飲食
- 娛樂 (粵語流行曲/港產片/電視劇)
- 戀愛
- 職場
- 社交
- 其他生活範疇
評估策略
評核包括錄音練習、課堂測驗、小組口頭報告和語文反思札記共四部分，用以考核學生是否能夠達到本單元的學習成果。
評估方式及其所佔本單元之百分比：
| 錄音練習 | 10% |
| 課堂測驗 | 30% |
| 小組口頭報告 | 30% |
| 語文反思札記 | 30% |