Building a community engagement portfolio for GCAP 3056 (Fall 2023)
Simon Ho Wang
Empower university students to make a difference in our communities with writing and research skills
Near the end of the Fall semester, it is time for students taking GCAP 3056 Taking a Stand: Turning Research Insights into Policy Recommendations to curate their work and build a community engagement portfolio. This is the first time I invite students to spend considerable amount of time and efforts to engage the community in LinkedIn and hope the students will take the opportunities to not just showcase their work in this course but to explore the professional network.
Celebrate your first Credly badge in LinkedIn for professional networking
Students are encouraged to earn this badge by taking a number of steps in LinkedIn and share this badge with the community. Then they can add the link to the comment section of this post. In addition to adding the link, they may also briefly discuss the process of earning the badge, e.g. personalising their HKBU email addresses and how it can help their professional networking.
Developing one's LinkedIn profile
Remember, LinkedIn is more than just a social media platform; it's a powerful tool for professional growth and networking. Make the most of it!
Engaging the HK government under the Code on Access to Information
In our course, "Taking a Stand: Turning Research Insights into Policy Recommendations," we place great emphasis on real-world interactions and experiential learning. One of our key learning experiences is interacting with Hong Kong's government. Such engagements provide students with invaluable insights into the realities of policy-making and the complexities of social issues in our city.
To document and reflect upon these experiences, we encourage students to share entries from their reflective learning journals on LinkedIn. These posts serve as a public documentation of their learning journey and a platform for dialogue with a wider audience. In these posts, students are encouraged to discuss their experiences, insights, and even challenges faced during their interactions with the government.
Remember to mention your tutor in these posts. This helps create a linked network of discussions and ensures your insights reach a broader audience, including your peers and professionals in the field.
When you create project posts related to our course, please add the links to these reflective journal entries as comments. This will provide a richer context to your project and allow others to follow and contribute to your learning journey.
This practice not only improves your reflective writing skills but also helps build your professional online presence. It showcases your ability to engage critically with real-world policy issues and your commitment to social change. Links to the PDFs of the email communication with the government can also be added as long as your personal information such as phone numbers is not revealed.
Writing for the public as a service for the community
One of the core aspects of our course is learning how to communicate effectively with the public. Writing for the public is more than just sharing ideas; it's a service to the community. Through clear, concise and compelling writing, we can inform, engage, and perhaps influence public opinion on important social issues.
We strongly encourage our students to repost messages about their letters to the editor that have been published or are under review in reputable platforms such as the South China Morning Post. This is an excellent way to contribute to public discourse and to gain visibility for your ideas and perspectives.
These posts do not need to be long. A short comment reflecting on your writing experience, the responses you've received, or the impact of your letter is more than enough. Remember, the goal is to share your journey and engage in dialogue, not to overwhelm your audience with lengthy posts.
Furthermore, if you plan to submit a report to the Legislative Council, announce your intention on LinkedIn. Share your thoughts about the process, the issues you're addressing, and your expectations. This will not only make your network aware of your efforts but also create a sense of anticipation for your upcoming work.
Finally, be sure to share the link to the LinkedIn article that I will publish for each project. This will provide a comprehensive view of the project and allow others to follow its progress, contribute their thoughts, and learn from our collective experience. Remember, your engagement on LinkedIn is not just about building your professional profile; it's also about contributing to a community of learners and engaged citizens.
Consult ChatGPT and seek its help to polish your writing
In our course, we firmly believe in utilizing all available resources to enhance your learning experience. One such resource is the ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. We encourage and expect students to use this chatbot to help refine and polish their written work.
ChatGPT can be an invaluable tool to help you improve your language skills, present your ideas more clearly and effectively, and even generate new ideas. You can use it to draft paragraphs by providing it with bullet points and supporting details, or you can use it to review and improve text that you have already written.
Before posting any text on social media, make sure to run it through ChatGPT. This will ensure your posts are well-written, clear, and engaging. Remember, good writing is crucial for effective communication, especially in professional and public platforms like LinkedIn.
Finally, when you use ChatGPT, please remember to acknowledge its help in your posts. This not only shows your commitment to ethical practices but also helps others understand the use of AI in improving communication and learning.
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Keep a record of your chat history with ChatGPT. I may request a copy of your records as a part of your course assessment. This will provide a valuable insight into your writing process and show how you have utilized AI to enhance your learning and communication skills.
In embracing AI tools like ChatGPT, you are not just improving your writing skills; you are also preparing for a future where AI will be an integral part of our work and learning processes. (chat history)
How to submit your community engagement portfolio
In our course, "Taking a Stand: Turning Research Insights into Policy Recommendations," we strive to integrate learning with real-world engagement. A crucial part of this learning experience is the creation and curation of a Community Engagement Portfolio. This portfolio is designed to showcase your engagement with various stakeholders, your understanding of social issues, and your ability to propose policy recommendations based on evidence and research.
However, there's no need to formally submit your portfolio in a traditional sense. Instead, you should curate all the links to your various posts, reflections, and engagements as comments to the project posts I have written for your projects. This innovative approach allows for a more dynamic, interactive, and real-time assessment of your work.
When assessing the portfolios, I will review all your comments added to the project posts as well as your LinkedIn profile, posts, and activities. I will evaluate your understanding, critical thinking, and engagement with the issues discussed in the course. I will also assess your ability to communicate effectively, collaborate with your peers, and engage with the community.
Please note, the cutoff date for assessing the portfolio is 18th December. However, this date should not be seen as the end of your community engagement. Instead, I hope that you will continue to engage with the community on LinkedIn, fostering dialogues, sharing your insights, and learning from others. Your effort in community engagement should extend beyond this course and become a part of your lifelong learning journey.
Remember, your Community Engagement Portfolio is not just a course requirement; it's a testament to your commitment to social issues, your ability to engage in informed discourse, and your potential to influence policy-making in the future.
List of projects (links to LinkedIn posts and posters)
to be updated