Digital Learning & Information Technology

This article belongs to the "HKU Wild History" project's Module 12 (Miscellany), and focuses on HKU's digital learning (MOOCs, online courses) and IT infrastructure (IT services). Information current as of June 2026; founding dates and course numbers reflect official primary sources, with annual fluctuations noted where applicable.

HKU's digital education operates along two tracks: ① outward-facing MOOCs (HKUx, etc.), serving learners worldwide; and ② the University's internal learning management system and IT services (Moodle, ITS, learning commons), which underpin day-to-day teaching. This article addresses both in turn. For distance and continuing education (HKU SPACE), see continuing-education-and-affiliates.md.

# 1. HKUx: HKU's MOOCs on edX

# 1.1 Origins

According to an HKU press release (28 April 2014)^※, the University developed a suite of massive open online courses branded as HKUx, launching on edX, the non-profit online learning platform founded by MIT and Harvard. The initial offerings included:

• Epidemics — the first to open for registration;
• The Search for Vernacular Architecture of Asia;
• Humanity and Nature in Chinese Thought.

The press release is dated 28 April 2014, marking the date registration opened for the first HKUx course.

# 1.2 Scale (Current Position)

Based on aggregated public information, HKU now offers over 40 MOOCs and around 5 Professional Certificate programmes across platforms such as edX and Coursera. The University's external online course catalogue can be found via HKU Online Learning (Teaching and Learning platform)^※ and the edX HKUx page^※.

Note on scope: "Over 40 MOOCs and around 5 Professional Certificates" represents a snapshot; course numbers fluctuate year by year. Refer to the edX/Coursera platforms and the University's Teaching and Learning division for current-year disclosures. This site does not extrapolate course numbers forward.

# 2. The Internal Learning Management System: Moodle

Per the HKU Information Technology Services (ITS) Moodle page^※, Moodle is the University's central learning management system (LMS) supporting teaching and learning. Integrated with the Student Information System (SIS), every academic course defined in SIS automatically generates a corresponding Moodle course. Moodle supports forums, assignments, tutorial sign-up (Choice), and other functions. Staff and students can also access select Moodle features (News Forum, Forum, Choice, Feedback, Quiz, URL, Wiki, etc.) on mobile devices via the HKU app. Lecture capture is supported through tools such as Panopto.

# 3. Information Technology Services (ITS) and the Learning Environment

According to HKU Information Technology Services (ITS)^※, ITS coordinates campus-wide IT services, encompassing:

• Learning Environment Services (LES): manages central learning spaces including classrooms, lecture theatres, and the Chi Wah Learning Commons;
• Digital Literacy Laboratory (DLL): equipped with high-performance iMacs, a multimedia production studio, and technical support;
• Campus Network & Wi-Fi: supporting laptop connectivity across campus; the uPrint laser printing service is accessible via Wi-Fi from public or personal computers.

# 4. From "Ban First, Open Later" to Full Embrace: HKU's Generative AI Policy

Following the explosive popularity of ChatGPT in late 2022, the University's teaching policy underwent a clear reversal. According to a "Message from the Vice-President (Teaching and Learning)" issued by HKU's Teaching and Learning division in March 2023^※, HKU initially adopted a cautious, even restrictive, stance on the use of ChatGPT and similar generative AI tools in coursework, instructing teaching staff to design assessments that guarded against such use.

Yet only months later, the policy direction shifted. Per an HKU press release^※ and a 2023 South China Morning Post report^※, the University announced it would provide free access to ChatGPT and other generative AI tools (including Microsoft OpenAI, Dall-E, etc.) for all staff and students, with an initial quota of around 20 free prompts per month for students. According to an August 2023 report by the Hong Kong Free Press^※, HKU became one of the first universities in Hong Kong to explicitly abandon a "coursework ban on ChatGPT" position.

This pivot was formally confirmed by the HKU Senate in June of that year: according to the full official policy published by HKU's Teaching and Learning division in October 2023^※, the Senate approved the "Policy on Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence for Teaching and Learning," establishing "AI literacy" as a "fifth literacy" expected of HKU students — alongside the existing oral, written, visual, and digital literacies. The policy's core principles include: equal access, safe use of AI, cultivation of AI literacy, pedagogical redesign, assessment redesign, and upholding academic integrity.

On assessment, the policy requires teachers to clearly communicate the permitted boundaries of AI tool use to students, and to provide specific guidance on declaring and citing AI contributions within coursework. It concurrently encourages teachers to adopt alternative assessment formats — including device-free exams, oral examinations, impromptu in-class demonstrations and presentations, and peer review — to mitigate the impact of generative AI on the validity of traditional written assignments. Students using AI tools in their work must note the tool's specific contribution and explain how human judgement and oversight intervened in the final output.

The logic behind this policy shift aligns with the trajectory of HKU's decade-long investment in digital teaching infrastructure (HKUx, Moodle, ITS). Rather than "containing" new technology, HKU's recent approach to digital teaching has tilted towards "institutional absorption": first hosting new technology on its infrastructure, then regulating its use boundaries through policy, rather than simply banning it. This path shows a stylistic coherence with the "embrace open technology, underpin with governance norms" strategy HKU has consistently applied to MOOCs and online learning platforms.

# 5. See Also

• Continuing Education and HKU SPACE (incl. distance learning) → continuing-education-and-affiliates.md
• Library Digital Collections (Hong Kong Journals Online, etc.) → libraries-and-museums.md, academic-journals.md
• Teaching in Faculties → ../01-academics/