Redology Expert Wins Open Education Consortium “Educator Award”

Department of Chinese Literature Prof. Li-Chuan Ou (歐麗娟) was recently awarded the Open Education Consortium 2015 “Educator Award” for Open Education Excellence. Prof. Ou has been part of the open education movement since 2012 and has provided courses such as “Red Chamber Dreams” and the “History of Chinese Literature.” She has so far made more than 100 video and handout materials available online. Ou’s innovative and inspiring teaching methods have been well received by students from all across the world.

In addition to teaching, Ou has also written and published several books on Redology. Her most recent publication, A Grand View of the Red Chamber: A Comprehensive Introduction (unofficial title, 2014, NTU Press), is a collection of her accumulated knowledge throughout her ten years’ experience as a scholar. Her interpretation of the Chinese classic has inserted new life into the 18th century novel. The OEC has therefore described Ou as both “an excellent teacher and a prolific scholar.”

Prof. Ou believes that good teachers should always be grateful to their students since “it is the student’s positive energy that allows for the teacher to grow.” As a result, Ou has always taken each and every question raised in the classroom seriously; she also cherishes all opportunities to interact with her students, even when ideas clash. She quotes the Chinese philosopher Mencius in saying, “books should be read with reservation” to remind her students to not take knowledge taught in the classroom for granted, and to look at the same question from different perspectives. Outside the classroom, Ou treats her students as if they were her own children. She never shies away from rectifying their actions, adding that “Those who take the time to criticize you in person are the ones who really care about you.” It is because of these reasons that Ou is loved and respected by her students.

National Taiwan University was previously awarded the Open Education Consortium “Outstanding Site” in 2014.

Related: NTU wins “Outstanding Site” for 2014 Awards for OpenCourseWare Excellence (2014/04/25 NTU Spotlight )