Immersive technology plays an increasingly important role in design education, supporting digital literacy and experiential learning in higher education, particularly in the post-COVID-19 context. Many design disciplines, such as Architecture and Landscape Design, which used to rely heavily on physical field trips, and dialogic studios as signature pedagogies, had to adapt to the proliferation of innovative educational technologies due to the suspension of face-to-face teaching and learning. Augmented reality and virtual reality are now extensively used in technology and design education to support a more interactive, collaborative, and student-centred approach to learning. This paper expands on a pilot research study on the transition from traditional signature pedagogies of studio-based design education to technology-enhanced collaborative learning to support experiential learning. Based on Kolb’s experiential learning framework concerning four learning modes, namely, concrete experience (CE), reflective observation (RO), abstract conceptualisation (AC), and active experimentation (AE), this paper analyses data from 75 undergraduate students across four cohorts in three different higher education institutions in Hong Kong. They were surveyed on their experiences of synchronous hybrid virtual experiential learning with design and technology curricula. Furthermore, six students were interviewed about their experiences. The research findings confirm two research hypotheses showing that immersive experiential learning could constructively align RO and AE, thus bringing an overall positive impact on the experiential learning process, but shows no conclusive influence on promoting CE, especially AC. The quantitative findings and qualitative results gave new insights into the discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of the study.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the positive externalities of adaptive reuse of heritage buildings and the economic impact on adjacent residential property prices as adaptive reuse is emerging as a significant heritage management and cultural heritage conservation practice recognized by the International Council on Monuments and Sites.Design/methodology/approach: Through mixed methodologies of hedonic price model and case studies of three tenement houses in Hong Kong, this paper argues that the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings increases the values of residential properties within the district and revitalizes the area economically and culturally because of the positive externalities generated from the cultural heritage.Findings: The findings have identified key cultural heritage values of adaptive reuse via the case studies as well as the major intangible cultural values associated with the heritage assignment. On the other hand, the hedonic regression also verifies that key variables such as heritage completion and distance from heritage show significance to the property prices of adjacent residential units.Practical implications: The research is useful for heritage conservationists, policy makers and urban planners in other cities with regards to management and implementation of sustainable cultural heritage revitalization schemes for economic benefits.Originality/value: The research is original in its scope and context, and is one of the first of its kind for a high-density metropolitan context in Hong Kong and is significant in demonstrating the economic impact of the heritage practice of adaptive reuse.

This research investigates the impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) on digital literacy development and holistic competencies in Architecture education. The research design focuses on applying GenAI tools such as ChatGPT, Midjourney, BricsCAD BIM, and VR/AR software and their influence on architectural students' overall competencies. This paper uses a mixed research approach combining a case study of Architecture students' progress in a residential revisitation project, using Midjourney, BricsCAD BIM, and VR/AR software, with an online questionnaire survey administered to 350 undergraduate students at two leading universities in Mainland China and Hong Kong in the 2023-2024 school year. This approach aims to deepen understanding of GenAI's influence on conceptual creativity, initiative, self-management, and stress tolerance within a holistic competency framework. The research results indicate that architecture students frequently use GenAI tools during the design concept stage, suggesting their relevance to specific pedagogy in-studio learning and conceptual creativity. Additionally, the findings reveal a potential correlation between frequent GenAI tool usage, improved time management, and reduced anxiety among Architecture students. The results enhance understanding of digital technology in Architecture education while providing valuable insights for future GenAI implementations. The study highlights the potential benefits of incorporating GenAI, emphasizing their role in fostering creativity, effective time management, and stress tolerance among Architecture students.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, horticulture and landscape management programmes in higher education experienced a huge drawback because of the impossibility of organising field studies and conducting site research. To pursue a more sustainable method of teaching, immersive technology such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) has been increasingly adopted as an effective approach for multimodal experiential learning. This study examines student perceptions on the use of digital technology in team-based hybrid learning to achieve sustainability in tree management using data collected from students of horticulture and landscape management in a higher education institute in Hong Kong. Key theoretical principles on Kolb’s experiential learning cycle as an interactive process are discussed, followed by an empirical analysis of student survey results. This research deepens the understanding of how immersive technology enhances both environmental sustainability and learning innovation. The results demonstrate that innovative ideas in instructional methods such as ARVR simulation can enhance the environmental sustainability of how tree management can be conducted, promoting a more environmentally conscious, experiential, collaborative and digital learning experience in higher education.

Advancing urban scholarship and addressing pressing challenges such as gentrification, housing affordability, and urban sprawl require robust predictive models. In urban sciences, the performance of these models depends heavily on hyperparameter tuning, yet systematic evaluations of tuning approaches remain limited. This study compares two traditional hyperparameter tuning methods, Random Search and Grid Search, with Optuna, a more recent and advanced optimization framework, using housing transaction data as an illustrative case. Our findings show that Optuna substantially outperforms the other methods, running 6.77 to 108.92 times faster while consistently achieving lower error values across multiple evaluation metrics. By demonstrating both efficiency and accuracy gains, this research underscores the potential of advanced tuning strategies to accelerate urban analytics and provide more reliable evidence for policy-making.