Proposed by a student group enrolled in the Academic English: Project-based Learning course (EELC2010),  “ParkEZ” is a comprehensive parking optimization program implemented at the University of Macau to address challenges posed by unregulated parking of e-scooters and bicycles on campus, particularly in the E6 area. The project aims to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment while providing convenient parking spaces for e-scooter and bicycle owners and it has gained support from the university community.

The parking spaces ParkEZ group created

To regulate and optimize parking behavior, the student group implemented several measures. They conducted observations and calculated the precise number of required parking spaces. Additionally, they meticulously planned the layout of these spaces, considering aisle width and vehicle size to maximize convenience and efficiency. The group designed visually appealing posters to raise awareness about responsible parking practices, as well as set up an informative booth to engage with the community and provide insights into changes made within the parking area. Furthermore, they established a dedicated website serving as a centralized hub for all relevant parking information, along with creating an engaging video presentation and an Instagram account aimed at further promoting responsible parking habits.

During their project, the student group effectively demonstrated both the practicality and efficacy of their participation in the Academic English: Project-based Learning course (EELC2010). This particular course focuses on developing essential skills such as academic writing, academic speaking, and critical thinking abilities while fostering teamwork dynamics among students. Through experiential learning, students apply these skills to observe, collect information, persuade, and create impactful written and spoken projects.

“By participating in the EELC2010 course, we gained valuable skills in presentation and recognized the impact a small team can have on our campus. Most importantly, it encouraged us to identify areas that need improvement in our daily lives and inspired us to strive for positive change,” said Chen Hailun, the group leader of this project. “It kindled my love for UM as well.”

With the implementation of this project, the campus can look forward to improved parking efficiency, orderly parking of electric scooters and bicycles, and a safer and more pleasant environment for everyone.

The website of ParkEZ: https://zoning.great-site.net

Text: Chen Hailun

Photo: Chen Hailun

Uniting Local and non-local Students at University of Macau

Last Friday, students from EELC2010-003, Better Communication team, successfully organized a Cross-Group Carnival aimed at promoting communication and cooperation between local and non-local students. This event provided students with a platform to strengthen their connections through a series of interactive games and dessert-making experiences.

This event attracted enthusiastic participation from students from all over the world, not only students from Macao, but also students from Mainland China, Japan and Malaysia. This event brought together a variety of languages and cultures, providing a diverse and liberal communication platform for participants.

Interactive games were an important part of the Carnival. In order to ensure that all participants can get in touch with as many new friends from different regions as possible, the organizers took great care in controlling the ratio of local students to non-local students in each activity. Through different grouping arrangements, participants could make new friends from different regional backgrounds during the activities, so that each participant could enjoy spending time with students from different regions.

The program started with a warm-up game called “Remember Me.” Through this simple but interesting warm-up game, participants created individual gestures that others had to repeat when their names were called out. The game was meant to be a way for participants to remember a wonderful night and new friends long after the event was over. As the game progressed, participants were challenged to keep focus and memorize the previous gestures. This not only tested the participants’ concentration and memory, but also built bonds through friendly competition.

“Remember Me” was followed by another interactive game, “Don’t Fall,” which was a group competition game where each group had to discuss how to utilize the few yoga bricks available to them to walk together from a designated starting point to a designated finishing point.

Annie, one of the Carnival organizers, said that “the use of yoga bricks symbolizes the limited resources and abilities we have. Through cooperation and support for each other, we can overcome challenges and reach common goals.”

The game of “Don’t Fall” also symbolizes that even though there are many cultural differences and language barriers between local and non-local students, students from different regions can support each other in a multicultural environment and try to maintain a balance without giving up easily.

This Carnival also included a dessert-making activity where students learned and experienced the process of making Strawberry “Dafu” together. Dafu implies a meaning of happiness and cheerfulness, and by making and tasting this dessert together with their partners, happiness was passed on to each participant. This activity was another opportunity for local and non-local students to gather together and build friendship.

The grand finale of the event was “Guardian Angel.” The Carnival organizers paired a local student with a non-local student in advance, and the participants had to guess who they thought was their guardian angel by inviting this person to come forward to receive their Dafu. The other person had the option of accepting the Dafu or rejecting it. When a participant finds their guardian angel, they take a Polaroid photo as a souvenir. This session brought fun and excitement to the students while deepening their connection with their guardian angels. Through this activity, students could understand and support each other, build a closer relationship and at the same time leave a precious memory.

The success of the Cross-Group Carnival was due to the enthusiastic participation of the students and the excellent planning by all members of the Better Communication Team, Dr. Alice Lee and the ELC office. Together, they created a colorful and interactive environment where every participant could enjoy the fun and meaning of intercultural communication.

Karin and Sylvia, event participants from Japan and Malaysia, said, “The organizers were very thoughtful, the planning was great and fun, and it was great to meet new people at the event. It was such a wonderful evening!”

At the end, all members of the Better Communication team would like to express their heartfelt thanks to all the participants, professors and supporters. This event not only enriched the students’ university life, but also promoted cross-group communication on campus!

By Zhilin (Annie) Zhang