Associate Professor Loy Hui Chieh: New-found Hobbies and Perspectives from the Other Side of the E-classroom
By Ashley Goh Lee Ann (Pharmaceutical Science + USP, Class of 2022)
Ashley is a student writer for USP Highlights.
Published: 25 September 2020
Updated: 2 October 2020
A/P Loy Hui Chieh graduated from NUS with a BA (Hons) and a MA in Philosophy, and went on to complete his PhD in Philosophy at the University of California Berkeley. He then returned to NUS and has since called it home, literally. Prof Loy is currently the Vice Dean of External Relations and Student Life at the Faculty of Arts and Social Science and a faculty member at the Department of Philosophy. He has also been a teaching faculty at USP since 2011 and a Residential Fellow (RF) at Cinnamon College (USP) since 2014. Prof Loy is a familiar face around USP but he is also always busy with something. Student writer Ashley Goh (Pharmaceutical Science + USP, Class of 2022) hops on a zoom call with Prof Loy to find out what he has been up to since the circuit breaker period in Singapore, his role as a RF in the USP community, and his take on e-learning!
What hobbies did you pick up during Circuit Breaker?
Back in December 2019, my family and I went to Taiwan for vacation. While I was there, I found out about Miniature Model Houses when shopping at Eslite. They were so intriguing that I had to buy one back. In December, I made a kitchen. After circuit breaker kicked in and things settled down a bit in the college, I worked on a study room model (ordered from an online shop). Building a bit of the module each day was a therapeutic hobby for me.
I enjoy cooking too. My girls love Taiwan-style Beef Noodles. Every time I ask them what they would like me to cook, they would suggest that. I mean I do like this but inside I’m just thinking: “again?” Well, the girls are very sweet and never fail to brighten up the days at home.
During the circuit breaker, I also attempted to recreate one of my favorite Taiwanese street snacks: Cong Rou Bing, i.e "Scallions-Minced Meat-Buns". At home, you can add as much meat as you please – arguably the best part of making them yourself. I also dabbled in making pasta sauce. I even tried making hand-pulled noodles from scratch, like those you see in Haidilao. The Chinese youtubers demonstrating dough stretching made it look so easy! But so far, I've not had much success. There is definitely more than meets the eye to this craft!
Of course, the previous batch of Residential Assistants (RA) at Cinnamon College would remember the chicken stew we shared. Back then when we could still have gatherings in the Master’s Commons, I prepared chicken stew and Mrs Loy baked bread buns and cookies for all the RAs, as a small token of appreciation to them for working tirelessly to deliver food to everyone on Stay-Home-Notice. We ordered fried chicken too. Not the healthiest but once in a while, right? Later, after the circuit breaker kicked in and everyone settled in for vacation stay, I would just blast a message on the RA chat group: "Who wants chicken stew? Leave your lunchboxes outside my door, we’ll settle the rest." Over the past six months, our RAs really put in a lot of grueling behind-the-scenes work. I salute them for being so steadfast in volunteering and I’m very proud of our USP students!
What were some challenges you faced during Circuit Breaker?
The worst part was from February to March, when the situation was unfolding into DORSCON Orange. It wasn't just the situation itself, but the uncertainty. The circumstances changed every day and very fast, with new restrictions being introduced all the time to reflect the rapidly evolving nature of the pandemic. Those students who took University Scholars Seminar (USS) last semester would remember that some of the classes were split into two groups to give students and instructors the chance to meet in person. It was very tough on instructors who had to teach 4 hours straight but given that we were already mostly done with the modules, we thought it was worth the trouble. The instructors did not have the luxury of time to carefully think through how to implement effective online learning. But as time went by, people start to find their bearings, there’s a new routine, and the new normal didn't feel that hard anymore!
Over the long vacation break, Cinnamon College (USP) housed 200 incoming students who were displaced from their residence at Prince George’s Park House (PGP House). The Residential Fellows (RFs) stepped in to relieve the RAs who had already been working throughout the semester. We started Telegram chats for the new residences, QR codes for all incoming students to sign in, made sure everyone was checked in and transitioned as smoothly as possible. The RF team worked together to make sure that everyone was properly settled into vacation stay.
As a professor, how is the transition to online learning like?
The Special Term was the first time I taught a complete module fully online. My USP class “UHB2204 Virtue and Leadership” saw 21 enrolled students and a few auditors meeting four times a week over the second part of the summer vacation. To ensure that the module proceeds properly, I practiced using Zoom, invited students to join me in stress tests, and gave pre-module briefings to make sure that all who were interested knew what they were getting themselves into. Sometimes, people will ask me how I ensure that students pay attention during a class on Zoom. To me, this is the wrong question in the sense that if this is what you are worried about as an instructor in a university, you’ve already lost half the battle! As the instructor, I need to be sincerely enthusiastic about the things I teach—because they concern subjects at the heart of our own intellectual passions. If we aren’t showing perceivable energy and passion for the things we talk about, why should we expect students to be? This battle is the same no matter whether the class is taught in person or on an online platform like Zoom. In any case, getting familiar with the affordances of the platform—understanding in a careful and precise way exactly what it can and cannot do—empowers me to plan for a sufficiently engaging class. Keep in mind that by tradition, this class is built mainly around student facilitated discussions—and we managed to do all that on Zoom. Although we could not have the end of class pizza party—also a tradition of this module going back a decade, the summer module went smoothly.
Whether teaching online or in person, I must first think carefully about what learning goals I want to achieve—and I want the students to achieve—and explore what are the best ways to make them happen using whatever means at my disposal. Online classes are not suitable for some learning goals, but they are hardly inferior for others learning goals too! These days, you have Microsoft Teams, Skype, Zoom, PollEV and many other platforms. Deliberate planning and stress testing are critical to ensure success.
Also, not all the things we need to do are directly related to online tools either. In this semester’s "USS2105 University Scholars Seminar (USS)", all students have been allocated to small groups of 4-6 which will be the case throughout the academic year (for the module). Every group consists of students from the same House, but otherwise of diverse backgrounds, a veritable microcosm of USP. Since many students are not able to meet each other in person in the physical classes, it’s thus important to make sure that they have the chance to bond in teams and work together—and in the process, get to know peers from across the campus!
All in all, online classes can be more efficient than people realise, but only if people—both instructors and students—are properly prepared. Special thanks to Dikaios (Law + USP, Class of 2021) for being such a helpful and dedicated teaching assistant!
How has this semester been for you?
This semester includes significant teaching for me. I am teaching “GET1029 Life, the Universe, and Everything” – the philosophy exposure module under the Faculty of Arts and Social Science. We have about 460+ students taking the module (which is normal). Since we have to use Zoom Webinar to accommodate the numbers, we could not see the students’ ‘live’ reactions e.g. hear them laugh or even watch their reactions as they suffer through one existential crisis after another in the module. And they can't hear each other too, which is a far cry from the dynamics of a traditional classroom. But, this just means that it is important for the instructor to be energetic. I use widgets like “PollsEverywhere” and “Archipelago” to take questions from the floor periodically during the webinar, to make sure the engagement level remains high. I do make it a point to end after 1h 35 mins, but always welcome students to stay behind to ask questions. So far, there's always a group that stays past an hour after the lecture—it’s always good to see enthusiastic students! My tutors and I have also been recording podcasts in which we discuss some of the questions students send in that are slightly beyond the syllabus.
Aside from teaching, I am editing a special issue for a journal, with publication set for 2022. If not for COVID-19, I would have been in Hong Kong at some point to speak at a conference providing commentary on a book that has an interesting case against equality and democracy. It’s now been shifted to online. I am also co-authoring a paper with another researcher from the US on the idea of ’staying good’ (think "not backsliding"). We’re pulling ideas together from Aristotle, Confucius and Adam Smith. If this piques your interest, you are more than welcome to approach me for a chat!
What would you like to say to the freshmen who entered this year but have not had a chance to meet their USP professors or classmates in person?
This is an unusual time. While hoping that it would go away and life will go back to something more normal, we should also make the best of the situation. Don’t wait until the pandemic is over to make friends or get to know the rest of the USP community. By the way, the RFs and RAs cannot help you make friends—at best, we can create opportunities. Make the effort even if it seems very troublesome or awkward. Don’t be shy: text each other or initiate zoom calls with your floor mates, house mates or seniors. If you learnt something new in class that you thought was special, approach your professors for a chat! And that includes me. Don’t worry—if we are busy, we will let you know, or look for a better time later in the semester. Even before the pandemic, I’m always open to having breakfast with my USP students. I don’t believe there has to be a deep disadvantage to being an ‘online’ batch—as long as you don’t let it get to you. Let’s continue to be that critical, curious, courageous—and engaged—community that we pride ourselves to be!