Rate My Professor Kwok-Wing Lai

Emeritus Professor Kwok-Wing Lai is affiliated with the University of Otago College of Education, where he served as Professor of Education and Director of the Centre for Distance Education and Learning Technologies. He holds a BSocSc, MA, CertEd (HK), MEd (Queen's University), and EdD (University of Toronto). His academic career began as a high school teacher of economics and political science in Hong Kong, followed by postgraduate training in educational technology in Canada. In 1986, he joined the University of Otago as a lecturer in computers in education and was appointed Professor of Education in 2007. During his tenure, he designed several distance learning programmes for the College of Education, including the Master of Teaching and Doctor of Education programmes. He delivered his Inaugural Professorial Lecture titled 'The Myths of e-Learning' in 2008.

Professor Lai's research specializations include ICT in education, distance teaching and learning, knowledge building communities, and informal learning. He has published widely on these topics and served as principal investigator for three research grants, including a two-year Teaching and Learning Research Initiative grant focused on knowledge building in senior secondary classes. Key publications encompass 'Digital technology and the culture of teaching and learning in higher education' (Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2011), 'Technology use and learning characteristics of students in higher education: Do generational differences exist?' with K.-S. Hong (British Journal of Educational Technology, 2015), 'Blending student technology experiences in formal and informal learning' with F. Khaddage and G. Knezek (Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 2013), 'Knowledge construction in online learning communities: A case study of a doctoral course' (Studies in Higher Education, 2015), and edited volumes such as e-Learning Communities: Teaching and Learning with the Web (University of Otago Press, 2005) and Words Have Wings: Teaching and Learning with Computer Networks (University of Otago Press). His contributions have shaped pedagogical practices in digital and distance education environments at the University of Otago and beyond.