Page 37 - FSTE A5 Handbook

(3) Distributional Requirements
To prepare students to meet the challenges presented by an ever-changing society and to
provide breadth in their GE training, the eight UGC-funded universities tend to stipulate certain
distribution requirements for their students. To understand how distribution requirements aim
to allow students to develop a broader exposure to different disciplines, four common domains
of the distribution requirements are identified:
i. Arts and Humanities;
ii. Social Sciences, Culture and Organization;
iii. Science and Technology; and
iv. China-related studies
Although the above domains are identified as some common distribution requirements,
different institutions have different practices in terms of the total numbers of all domains, the
names of each domain, or the placement of particular courses in certain domains.
Integrative and Interdisciplinary Learning Approach

There is a growing trend for universities to adopt an integrative and interdisciplinary learning
approach in delivering GE education, for which there is a strong rationale. First, the breadth
of knowledge can be enhanced because the integrative learning process has linked up various
disciplines in an organic manner. Second, they are keen to nurture their students to have an
open and integrative mind to deliberate on knowledge acquired from different fields; and,
finally, this approach allows students to practice understanding and solving problems in
everyday life from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Contextualizing GE: Kereluik’s 21 Century Knowledge Framework
st
No matter what GE model is adopted by the universities, a clear consensus has emerged in
recent decades that GE should be well designed not only to focus on “what students need
to know” as a form of knowledge-content, but also to target the more advanced goal for
“what students need to know and be able to do” upon their completion of university study
(Weissman & Boning, 2003). The higher education community as a whole takes the attainment
of learning outcomes by students as the key performance indicator of a learning programme
(Yin & Volkwein, 2010).

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