Ho Huen, EECS Electronics Lab Manager, has been awarded the Excellence in Teaching Innovation Award for his re-development of the Electronics Lab for safe use during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Ho Huen
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Electronics Labs had not been in use over the summer and it was vital that work was undertaken to ensure that teaching and learning could be carried out in a safe and socially distanced way.
Ho worked with key members of staff to ensure that the Electronics Labs were ready for the start of the academic year in time for students to return to campus. Ho followed recommendations made by QM Health and Safety to ensure proper social distancing, and also formulated a schedule of opening times and cleaning to keep risk to a minimum.
In addition to the necessary social distancing and cleaning requirements, Ho has also implemented a new lab booking system. Students are able to book a time slot to use the Lab, ensuring clarity and transparency for all users. The School has also adopted this as a basic ‘’track and trace’’ system for any students attending labs in person. Furthermore, staff have also been given flexibility when travelling to and from work to ensure that they are able to avoid peak rush hour. All of these initiatives have been vital in ensuring that the Labs can continue to operate safely, resulting in Electronic Engineering students stating that they felt safe in the Labs in a recent faculty survey.
Ho has also pioneered the use of personal and remote Lab technology and supported academic colleagues during the summer to convert to home-based lab kits. This has meant that all students, can access their learning remotely, even if they have been unable to make it onto campus due to the pandemic. Converting to the mini electronics lab has also made it easier for staff to teach as it uses one method rather than multiple. In addition, it has also enabled students to access their lab materials at any time, giving them more flexibility in their studies. Since the start of term, over 150 kits have been sent to students in 10 different countries. This initiative has been vital to the School’s ability to facilitate a blended learning offering.
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