sign in sign up
<<
Home , Alex Law, Andrew Lau, John Woo, Mabel Cheung

VF106_Subject Index Master 03/03/2017 13:01 Page 8

feature CINEMA MOOC Gina Marchetti, Aaron Han ost MOOCs originate in transnational American studies, and institutions with international women’s studies, Stacilee Ford’s Troubling Joon Magnan-Park and M reputations in specific fields, American Women: Narratives of Gender so a course devoted to Hong Kong cinema and Nation in Hong Kong (2011) includes Stacilee Ford, from the proposed by a department (Comparative connections between Hong Kong and US Literature) known for its teaching and cinema as well as analyses of Hong Kong , research in that area seems logical. In women in the US. In the MOOC, we also fact, as the major stakeholder and source showcase research and teaching on Hong explain the thinking behind of funding for the MOOC, the University Kong film carried out by other HKU of Hong Kong (HKU) benefits most from colleagues, including Jason Ho their brand new MOOC, making this fact better-known by (Comparative Literature), Esther Yau publicising research and teaching on a (Comparative Literature), Wendy Gan Hong Kong Cinema Through subject of interest to many learners (English), and Giorgio Biancorosso (Music) across the globe. through recommended readings, a Global Lens. When bringing together the core quotations, interviews and guest lectures. teaching staff for the MOOC, showcasing Of course, many other HKU colleagues original scholarship on Hong Kong cinema conduct research on Hong Kong cinema, as well as making that research accessible and we plan to feature their scholarship to a wide variety of learners were in future online courses (Mirana Szeto, primary concerns. Gina Marchetti Sylvia Martin, Denise Tang, Marco Wan, publishes on Hong Kong-Hollywood Fiona Law and Winnie Yee, among connections, the Chinese diaspora and others). American minority communities, gender, Our location gives us unique access to race, sexuality and the cinema. Aaron local film professionals, archival materials Han Joon Magnan-Park writes on and other resources. HKU hosts the Confucianism and (‘The Heroic Visiting Artists Scheme in the Faculty of Flux in John Woo’s Trans-Pacific Passage: Arts, and several celebrated filmmakers, From Confucian Brotherhood to who appear in the MOOC, also American Selfhood’, 2007), Hong participated in that program, including Kong film and French-speaking viewers actor/producer John Sham, director (‘The HK Venture: The Francophone and director/ Cine-logocentric Nexus’, 2009), as well as . We have strong connections to Hong Kong-Korean film connections. With the Hong Kong International Film Festival, a background in cultural history, and its executive director, Roger Garcia,

Core teaching staff for the MOOC: Stacilee Ford, Gina Marchetti and Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park.

8 viewfinder March 2017 No 106 Learning on Screen VF106_Subject Index Master 03/03/2017 13:01 Page 9

feature

appears in two units to discuss the coherence, flow and importance of the festival to Hong Kong address. We wanted cinema’s global reach. Film written text to be lively, director/cinematographer accessible and also chats about the global reception of engaging as well as (Andrew Lau and Alan intellectually Mak, 2002) and its American remake, THE stimulating and DEPARTED (, 2006). academically sound. In designing the MOOC, we thought To accomplish this, carefully about translating the key Stacilee Ford took elements of our HKU on-campus, charge of all ‘know - interdisciplinary and comparative core ledge capture’ (quizzes, course on the same topic to a worldwide instructions for written audience of learners with different assess ments, peer cultural and educational backgrounds. review rubrics, The instructional design team encouraged welcome messages us to start with key outcomes, which we and connecting text) refined to focus on thinking critically and in order to insure a historically about globalisation and local consistent voice lives through Hong Kong cinema, with an throughout the emphasis on questions of identity course. (gender, race, class, ethnicity and One of the major hurdles we the most part, enrollment statistics show language). encountered, of course, involved the use our typical learner to be around 30 years Needless to say, many of our original of copyrighted material in the MOOC. old with at least a college degree. Clearly, ideas for the MOOC evolved during the MOOCs exist somewhere in a grey area we are addressing a very different process of preparation, production and between college courses open only to student body than we do in our on- dissemination. After attending MOOC registered students and internet campus, undergraduate classrooms. seminars organised by HKU, edX, and broadcasts. Service providers, such as Although non-profit, edX depends on Coursera as well as reading the current edX, leave questions of fair use up to content provided free of charge by high- scholarly literature on MOOCs and individual institutions. In film studies, the ranking universities in order to generate participating in MOOCs ourselves, we free use of frame grabs for critical and some income from verified student areed to cut back on our original plan. instructional purposes is the norm. For certificates, which only a small fraction of The lecture videos now average one hour other still images, we chose materials learners opt to obtain. HKU, clearly, per unit, roughly half of the online clearly marked as ‘fair use’ on the wants to solidify its position as a leading quizzes do not count toward certification internet in the public domain. However, research university that can provide a of completion of the course, short peer- clips, as longer ‘quotations’ from feature gateway to the potentially lucrative assessed papers replace projects, and all films, push against the limit of fair use for mainland Chinese educational market. As reading material is optional. Therefore, educational purposes, so, to err on the evidence of this, Hong Kong Cinema the MOOC does not provide a learning side of caution, we secured and paid for Through a Global Lens provides Chinese experience equivalent to an entry-level use of all of our motion picture clips from translations using the simplified character college course. However, it does offer an the copyright holders. system favored by the People’s Republic academically informed introduction to The availability of the films for viewing of . The individuals involved want to the topic, ample opportunities for online also posed a problem. Learners must showcase their research on Hong Kong discussion and feedback on the mastery take it upon themselves to find and view cinema, develop their online teaching of basic concepts. the films discussed in the course. We skills and explore the uses that can be In deciding on the specific topics for recommend specific features, and two made of MOOCs in addressing the needs each unit, we chose to highlight material units deal with close analyses of specific of learners worldwide. that had a close connection to our own films (AN AUTUMN’S TALE and INFERNAL Film courses occupy a small fraction of research and publication record. Stars AFFAIRS). However, because of possible the MOOCs currently available. However, and , directors John barriers to accessing films, we redesigned film studies MOOCs, such as Hong Kong Woo and Wong Kar-Wai, as well as the MOOC to enable learners to find Cinema Through a Global Lens, do specific films such as INFERNAL AFFAIRS alternatives from a pool of options for promise to provide new approaches to and Mabel Cheung’s AN AUTUMN’S TALE viewing. understanding the role specific (1987) stood out, since they reflect our The various stakeholders in the MOOC universities can play in providing greater interests as scholars as well as providing – online learners, edX, HKU, and the access to local film industries and global superb illustrations of the local-global individual members of the teaching, film cultures to learners worldwide. dialectic at play in the Hong Kong film research, instructional design and industry. In designing the course, we production team – all have different Gina Marchetti, Aaron Han Joon devoted considerable attention to definitions of success for the course. For Magnan-Park and Stacilee Ford

Learning on Screen March 2017 No 106 viewfinder 9