We are grateful to the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC Taiwan) for initiating the 2025 Digital Course Collaboration Between Overseas Schools and Local Universities. This programme arrived just as our school was facing challenges in organising study tours to Taiwan, offering us a much-needed new pathway forward. This marks our first such initiative since the school’s reopening in 2018, and our first exploration of cross-regional, cross-national, and cross-time-zone distance teaching using cloud technology. Though this collaboration lasted only three months, it greatly supported teachers wishing to further their studies in Taiwan and students hoping to join cultural or study tours. It helped reduce their financial and time burdens, alleviating pressures related to family, work, and continued learning. The partnership provided a more flexible and accessible learning experience for both teachers and learners.
The programme was conducted during our summer term, from late April to early July 2025. Taking into account the time difference and our Sunday class schedule (10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.), instructors from Tzu Chi University’s Chinese Language Centre taught one hour per week – from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Taiwan time – supporting three of our classes. These included the primary-level Let’s Learn Mandarin and the adult-level Contemporary Chinese courses, covering listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Lessons were jointly planned with our teachers to ensure seamless integration. In addition, the adult class participated in an online Handmade Book Culture Workshop, taught remotely by a cultural instructor from the Chinese Language Centre. The workshop introduced the history of handmade books, guided students through hands-on crafting, and showcased completed works.
As our first collaboration partner, Tzu Chi University enabled our teachers to benefit from its professional teacher-training system, international teaching experience, and strong foundation in Tzu Chi humanistic education. This strengthened our teachers’ Mandarin-teaching skills, deepened their understanding of Tzu Chi culture, and helped address our challenges of limited teaching staff and varying levels of instructional experience. Meanwhile, instructors in Taiwan gained valuable firsthand experience teaching overseas students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds—without the need to travel abroad.
Teachers in our primary division shared that by interacting directly with instructors physically based in Taiwan, our students developed a more tangible sense of connection with Taiwan. Meeting “real teachers in Taiwan”—rather than Taiwanese teachers living in the UK—enhanced their cultural identity, increased their understanding of Taiwanese culture, and sparked greater curiosity about Taiwan.
Overall, this pilot programme was an invaluable experience. Teachers often find their teaching styles shaped by habit and past experience, but this cross-national collaboration allowed instructors on both sides to broaden their perspectives, learn from one another, and rediscover the importance of teaching approach and methodology. The hybrid model of combining online and in-person learning received very positive feedback. It is fair to say that the students were the greatest beneficiaries of this collaboration.
The teachers from Tzu Chi University’s Chinese Language Centre demonstrated excellent online teaching skills—their lessons were smooth, engaging, and delivered with warmth and charisma, offering students a truly refreshing learning experience.
The Handmade Book Culture Online Workshop, taught remotely by a cultural instructor from Tzu Chi University’s Chinese Language Centre, introduced the history and development of handmade books, provided hands-on crafting activities, and concluded with a presentation of the students’ finished works.
