Dr Meng-Wong Taing
To address the 2019 theme "creativity' for UQ Teaching and Learning Week we highlighted innovative teachers who enhance student learning in UQ's Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences.
Q&A with Dr Meng-Wong Taing
1. What kind of innovative teaching and learning practices do you incorporate?
As a pharmacist, my philosophy of better healthcare delivery is mirrored in my teaching interactions where I value the student voice and see the student as a member of the curriculum team and as an active participant in their own learning. I have based many of my teaching innovations on the feedback provided to me by my undergraduate and postgraduate students. The foundation of these innovations involves contextualising learning material to everyday pharmacy practice. I specialise in simplifying and succinctly explaining new and/or difficult concepts to students, and integrate this knowledge within real-life situations and contexts to create an ‘authentic learning experience’ to prepare students for their trained profession.
2. How do you hope to influence the student experience at UQ?
My goal as a teacher is to nurture and develop within students a lifelong interest in learning. I hope to develop passionate clinical pharmacists who become leaders within the profession and most importantly, look after the wellbeing of our patients and the most vulnerable in society.
3. What do you enjoy about teaching students?
For me, the enjoyment process comes not only from face-to-face contact with students, but begins when I spend time creating and revising student learning material. I continually engage the views of practicing pharmacists and reflect on my personal experience to create workshops, lectures and tutorials embodying ‘authentic learning experiences’ which students find interesting and can relate to (and also makes my teaching enjoyable).
4. What are your career highlights so far?
The fact that I contribute to the learning and career development of my students, is a professional highlight/accomplishment for me. Enabling these young people is a noble process, for which the rewards are priceless. Receiving positive and constructive teaching feedback from students is also a humbling and extremely rewarding experience.