Newsletter No. 162

藥劑學系何淑珊教授 何淑珊教授指出，教師不能再像以 前那樣高高在上，必須經常和學生談論 各 種 問 題 ， 更 重 要 的 是 ， 必 須 關他 們。教師本身則要不斷提升自己，學習 新知和改進教學方法。 何教授在美國唸碩士學位時曾任助 教，取得一些教學經驗。她於九二年加入中大，成為藥劑學系的第一批教師。她說： 「我一邊教書，一邊摸索教學方法。我十分重視學生的科目評估，盡可能採納他們的意 見。此外，又會閱讀藥劑學期刊介紹的教學法，以及參加教學發展組和醫學院的工作 坊。」她覺得香港的學生比較被動，溝通技巧不足，但領悟力強。何教授又如此描述她 的教學經驗：「初為人師時，幾乎全是『單向溝通』，我在課堂拼命講書，內容是很充 實了，但學生卻吃不消。後來我慢慢學會了減省內容，多向學生提問，藉以鼓勵他們參 與，帶起話題後，討論氣氛自會熱烈起來。此舉有助學生自學、思考，及與別人溝通。 近年，我還特別加入了更多的個案研究。」 另外，她有感自己在資訊科技和網上教學方面的訓練不足，已計劃進修，以進一步 改良教學。 Prof. Leung Sing Fai, Department of Clinical Oncology Dubbed 'good doctor, enthusiastic teacher' and 'engineer of our souls' by his students, Prof. S.F. Leung or Dr. Leung as he prefers to be called — since that's what his students call him — said modestly that he wasn't sure why he won. He said medical teaching involves much team work and he is essentially part of the team. However he feels that effective teaching has a lot to do with skills, and the basis of all skills has to do with 'how well the student can learn' rather than 'how well the teacher can teach'. 'I find teaching workshops very useful. It is also eye-opening to see models in some other countries wherein teaching is developed in an extremely scientific, meticulous, and professional manner,' he pointed out. Dr. Leung's idea of the ideal student-teacher relationship is a mutually stimulating one that brings out the best in both parties. Describing his students as 'among the most resourceful young people in our society', he said his aim as a teacher is to help them realize their full potential so that they can live a life that brings happiness to others and to themselves, a life with the least regrets. When confronted with students with emotional and academic problems, he tries to give advice non-intrusively, but in order that any problem can be identified in the first place, the teacher would need to devote sufficient time for interaction with individual students. Getting to know more about the strengths and weaknesses of every student he teaches is his greatest wish, but time constraints are a serious problem for clinical teachers like him, who have to fulfil the triple roles as full-time doctors in a public hospital, as clinical researchers, and as teachers. 'It's like trying to cram 72 hours' work into 24 hours every day,' he said. Prof. Mamie Hui, Department of Microbiology Mentorship is Prof. Mamie Hui's ideal as a teacher, one she feels she still has a long way to achieving, despite the fact that she is clearly immensely popular among her s t u d e n t s. She's been d e s c r i b ed as enthusiastic, patient, and brilliant, willing to teach even during 'private' hours, and ready to help w i th emotional and academic problems. For her, any 'discrepancy' between students' and teachers' ideas of good teaching is due to teachers not putting themselves into the students' shoes, and the students' inability to appreciate their teachers' views. To resolve the two, communication is a must. 'Remembering what you were like during your student days is not enough. You need to understand their point of view regardless of whether you agree with them or not, and also explain your viewpoint to them. If you are reasonable and responsible, they'll listen to you,' she pointed out. Prof. Hui describes her students as smart, bright, and a lot of fun, but has difficulty describing her own teaching style. She explained, 1 don't really teach my students. I talk to them. I regard lectures as communication sessions where I do most of the talking while also consciously looking for their responses. If they appear relaxed, I know I can move on to more difficult material. If they appear tense or confused, HI slow down or re-explain in another way.' She added that there's no replacement for devoting time to students, which she certainly seems to have been doing. She arranges for students who are weak in understanding to drop by her office periodically to give her a review of any topic they have just revised so that she can correct any misunderstanding. Those who are weak in writing have to write her a page or two of essays periodically so that she can correct them. Teaching experience helps teachers improve, Prof. Hui believes, but the process takes time and effort. An easier way to learn good teaching techniques is through teacher training. 'I'veparticipated in Prof. Hazlett's teaching enhancement workshops almost from the beginning of my career here. I'm being very sincere when I say this. I highly recommend my colleagues to join future workshops. It saves the trouble of slowly learning the bits and pieces,' she said. 護理學系邵德英教授 好的教師該是怎樣的？邵德英教授迅即用了 四個字回應——「喜歡教書」。她認為，必須對教 學有很大的興趣，看作是一種使命，才會教得 好。 備課、輔導、與學生溝通都得花很多時間， 如何兼顧研究及其他重要工作呢？邵教授表示， 在大學教書殊不輕鬆，可說是一份每天廿四小時 的工作，必須學會分配時間。「我很愛教書，但我 明白要留在大學，就得拿出研究成果，幸好我也 很愛研究。」相信這就是邵教授克服時間不足的 最大動力。 贏得學生稱讃並非因多予遷就，「好的老師 外會有勇氣指出學生不對的地方。」邵教授說：「只要建立良好的師生關係，讓他們知 道你尊重和關心他們，學生便會接受你的意見。」而建立關係之難處，在於要因材施 教，以不同的方式對待不同性格的學生。總括而言，他們都是成年人，要受尊重。這一 代學生的特點，就是不高興時馬上表現出來；「有時我會根據他們的身體語言而調校我 的教學方法。」 邵教授加入中大前已有多年教學經驗，學生之中包括有豐富社會經驗的護士長。她 認為，教學方法需因應學習對象而改變，要了解他們的背境、知識基礎、特性等。學習 觀察學生的需要以達至教學相長，是邵教授努力的目標。 邵教授表示，獲獎是意料之外，很開心。 藥理學系楊鶴強教授 楊鶴強教授認為，一名好教師要知道學生的需要，再因應不同需要而調校教學方 法。另一方面，教師對學生的要求也必須嚴格，以確保他們的學業水準。而當學生在課 業上遇到困難時，必須給予支持和鼓勵，「亦師亦 友」就是最佳的師生關係。 楊教授表示，由於講課的時間有限，藥理課 程的內容已經很濃縮，特別是對醫科生而言。他 在八六年剛執教鞭時，曾雄心勃勃地準備了很多 教學材料，想全部教授予學生，於是在課堂上不 自覺地越講越快，後來才發現有些學生根本未能 跟上進度。「我隨即減慢速度，並加倍留意觀察學 生的反應，以作調節。」楊教授非常樂意為學生解 決問題，歡迎他們隨時給他電郵或約見。 隨著社會不斷轉變，楊教授認為，教師亦要 不斷更新講授的內容，不過，由於醫學發展速度 太快了，現在向學生介紹一種新藥，到他們畢業 時，可能已有更新的替代藥物了。因此，在課程 加入新元素之餘，最重要的是培養學生搜集資料 和自學的能力，以便他們日後能應用最新的醫學 知識和藥物。 解剖學系陳新安教授 陳 新 安 教 授 九 一 年 初 執 教鞭 時，學生只用一個字來形容他的教 學 「 悶 」 。 為了改善教學，他開始採用多 媒體輔助教學，再結合一些與課題 有關的實驗結果，務求引起學生的 興 趣 ， 使 他 們 更 易 理 解 講 授 的內 容。他又經常閱讀最新的神經科學 書籍和文獻以吸收新知識，並多學 習同事和著名科學家的演說技巧。 他的努力沒有白費，到了今年，他 當選學院內最傑出的教師之一。 陳教授認為好老師的首要條件 是有教學熱誠，能掌握學科知識， 有良好的表達能力，並喜愛接觸學 生。他兼任新亞書院輔導主任，對學生的情緒起落特別敏感。他表示，幫助學生「最重 要是聆聽」，然後盡辦法協助他們解決問題。而他在實驗課才有多些時間接觸個別醫科 學生，如發現他們有學習或情緒問題，會加以輔導或轉介予有關的單位。 陳教授不認同學生說「這些知識用不著」、「不要教那麼多內容」之類的話。他解 釋說，各科都有一些基本知識是必須掌握的，教師應多思考和討論教學的內容，不能隨 便附和學生的要求而將課程減少。他在備課時會衡量輕重，仔細思考如何取材，並發掘 合適的方法，去講授應該教授的內容。 陳新安教授（右）與一名醫科畢業生合照 中大通訊 第一六二期 二零零零年四月四日 4