What did the students say?

The General University Requirements (GUR) is the core general education component of the new four-year undergraduate curriculum at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) commencing from 2012/13 academic year. The major objective of the GUR is to widen students’ horizons and promote their holistic development in their undergraduate years. To evaluate the perceived effectiveness of the GUR in its second year implementation, 18 focus group interviews (n = 74 students) were conducted in 2013/14 academic year. Findings showed that subjects under the GUR framework were overall welcomed by students for the well-designed subject contents, dedicated teaching staff, and collaborative and experiential learning methods. Students perceived that the GUR was beneficial to their development ineffective communication, critical thinking, problem solving, lifelong learning, and ethical leadership. Some challenges encountered by students were noted to further revamp the GUR curriculum in the future.