From Balancing 'Skills' and 'Principles' to Paradigm Shift: A Case Study of Hong Kong Baptist University in Teaching Communication and Media

Abstract

Based on the case study of the pedagogical practices of the School of Communication of Hong Kong Baptist University, this paper scrutinizes how teaching of media and communication keeps pace with the rapid changes of the media industry and social realities under the impact of technological advancement, and in particular artificial intelligence. From the perspective of the sociology of knowledge, we analyse the transformations and evolutions in media and communication education during the three stages of the development of the School, starting from balancing 'Skills' and 'Principles', namely the struggles between practice-driven teaching and theory-based teaching, to the paradigm shift with the dominance of new knowledge and curriculum design that creates synergy of teaching and technology. Apart from theoretical and practical implications on media and communication education, the study suggests a new balance in the new paradigm.