Approaches to Learning and Teaching

4.2.1 TE learning is always purposeful: with a problem as the context of study. TE learning always has a deliverable - either an artefact or a system. It involves the use of both the hands and the mind. It consists of a variety of learning activities, such as classroom teaching, reading and information collection, designing and processing, out-of-school activities, etc. The series of learning activities achieving a common purpose is generally referred to as a learning task.

4.2.2 In considering the organization of a learning task, it is important to make reference to a number of essential factors. Some suggestions are given in the following framework as a reference for planning. The factors are grouped under six headings.

Key Features:

• What is the focus of this task?

• What is/are the learning target(s)?

• What is/are the best context(s) to be chosen as the platform of learning?

Task Definition:

• What is the nature of learning?

• What is the resource implication for this task?

• What is/are the final deliverable(s) of this task?

Integrated Dimensions of Technology:

• Which TE learning element(s) is/are associated with this task?

• How many dimensions of TE learning will be involved in this task?

• How can students nurture their generic skills and values and attitudes through this task?

Intended Learning Objectives:

• What is the evidence of student learning?

• Do these learning objectives reflect the learning target(s)?

Learning a specific skill/concept/

principle; or developing generic skills, etc.

A case study, project work, debate and discussion, learning game, small group activity or individual task, etc.

Task(s) to be conducted in a classroom, special room, outside school, or a combination of these venues

Emphasis on knowledge, process and impact

Classifying the learning objectives into knowledge, process and impact

Activity Sequence:

• How can the task be structured into a series of activities to provide a logical sequence of learning as well as to overcome various constraints, such as timetabling, availability of resources, etc.?

Evaluation:

• How can evaluation be included to provide timely and constructive feedback to facilitate student learning?

• Is it necessary to construct evaluation instruments for these events?

Illustrations of the organization of TE learning tasks are given in Exemplars 4 to 8.

4.2.3 A useful learning sequence in TE, which is referred to as Technology Learning Activities (TLAs) was proposed in the consultation document Learning to Learn - Key Learning Area Technology Education (2000). TLAs help students to understand the process of developing technologies, to construct knowledge and to nurture their creativity. A brief description of TLAs is at Appendix A.

4.2.4 The Four Key Tasks

The Learning to Learn - The Way Forward in Curriculum Development (2001) recommends Four Key Tasks i.e. Moral and Civic Education, Reading to Learn, Project Learning and Information Technology for Interactive Learning, to help students develop independent learning capabilities through TE and across Key Learning Areas (KLAs). The Four Key Tasks can be flexibly embedded into different learning activities as stated in Booklets 3A to 3D, Basic Education Curriculum Guide - Building on Strengths (2002). Illustrations on how to incorporate the four key tasks in TE learning activities are given below.

Observation checklists, student worksheets, etc.

4.2.6 Through TE, students are exposed to topics such as environmental protection, media education, ethics and healthy living. More importantly, students would develop a global outlook of the world, a sense of identity associated with their family, society and nation; as well as their personal qualities, responsibilities, and good characters to serve the society.

Example 15 Developing Civic Mindedness through TE Learning Activities

In a TE lesson, which aims to p ro v ide o p p o r t u n i t ie s fo r s t u d e n t s t o e x p l o r e t h e conservation of resources for environmental protection, students select an old garment and identify its characteristics.

They then plan and decide what

Reading to Learn

4.2.7 Reading is an important learning skill in TE. There is a large repertoire of reading materials within the technological context such as:

• The historical development of technology;

• The latest developments in technology and their applications;

• The manipulation of new technologies, etc.

Reading such materials could help students to see how the development of technology is related to geographical locations and natural resources, and it can help them to understand its impact on social and economic development.

to do with it - repair, restyle or recycle. After designing and making something out of it, students introduce and discuss the "new" and innovative article with their classmates.

At the beginning of the school term, students select a topic on a new technology in line with their own interests. They then collect reading materials on it from sources such as websites and magazines, and prepare reports in their spare time. Presentation of reports is done in the second term. Teachers may also make arrangements for students to share their readings.

Project Learning

4.2.8 A project is a tool for both learning and assessment in TE. Project learning enables students to construct and connect knowledge, concepts and skills in TE and across different KLAs, and to nurture values and attitudes through a variety of learning activities.

Example 17 Learning TE through Projects at the Primary Level In a General Studies lesson, students work

on a small group project to design, assemble and test different toy models. Students are required to design and develop a toy car which can overcome various artificial hurdles such as ditches, grease, tunnels, etc. Through t h e p r o j e c t , s t u d e n t s d e v e l o p a n understanding of how various energy sources are used in their daily life.

Information Technology for Interactive Learning

4.2.9 Information Technology (IT) can provide students with access to the vast network of information on knowledge, skills and application of technologies and enable them to explore different learning resources. The teacher is no longer the sole provider of knowledge

At the beginning of a product design project, students practise evaluating different product designs by exploring an interesting website www.baddesigns.com, which provides many examples of bad designs. Through this mode, students can learn more about design.

Life-wide Learning

Schools may refer to "Issues about Life-wide Learning" in Booklet 6, Basic Education Curriculum Guide - Building on Strengths (2002) for guidelines on organizing life-wide learning activities for their students.

4.2.10 TE learning should not be confined to the school. Life-wide learning aims to offer opportunities for students to learn:

• in real contexts;

• by doing; and

• through interactions with people from different sectors.

4.2.11 Schools can make arrangements for their students to visit or be attached to different organizations to understand the application of technologies in their daily life and to gain experiences by doing.

4.2.12 Alternatively, professionals and experts from different fields can be invited to give talks and conduct activities in schools. Arrangements can also be made for students to visit these experts in their work places so as to have a wider exposure in different fields related to TE.

1. Visits to different organizations (e.g. power plants, switch stations, control stations, model homes, model offices, research laboratories, etc.)

2. Talks, seminars and public lectures by practitioners or professionals

3. Participation in technology-oriented competitions

4. Work attachment

5. Mentorship programmes by professionals

1. To expose students to different specialized areas to understand how technologies are actually applied to solve real life problems

2. For students to gain up-to-date and contextual knowledge and experiences about different technologies and to communicate directly with

professionals

3. For students to apply knowledge and skills acquired and to learn through team work and collaboration

4. For students to gain first hand knowledge and work experiences and acquire the skills in working with others

5. For students to have a better understanding of a certain TE knowledge area, to work under the guidance of professionals and to be aware of the strong competition in different fields

Life-wide Learning Activity Objectives

Technology Competition - Smart Home for Today and Tomorrow The Technology Competition - Smart Home for Today and Tomorrow is designed to promote students’ interests in exploring the innovative development of technology and to raise their awareness of the impact of technology on quality of life. To provide student participants with life-wide experiences, the organizing committee arranges:

1) a practising professional engineer as a mentor for each school team, and 2) a series of visits and talks on Smart Home Technologies by professionals in the business and industrial sectors.

The mentor regularly discusses with students about their proposal and progress, giving advice from the perspective of a practitioner. Students benefit from their exposure to the views of frontline practitioners on t e c h no l o g y de v e l o p me n t a nd applications. The series of visits and talks provide background and stimulation for students to put into practice ideas that they think worth exploring.

4.2.14 Life-wide learning activities can be organized according to the specific condition of schools. Some examples of the activities conducted in schools include:

• learning outside school hours

• additional and follow-up work (e.g. out-of-school activities, etc.)

• technology week (e.g. exhibition of students' design work and portfolio, etc.)

• technology club

• workplace experiences (e.g. visits to technology sites and attachments, etc.)

• integrated learning with other KLAs (e.g. the study of technological artefacts in different time periods in China)

• internal and external competitions

4.2.15 Professional development of TE teachers

To support TE teachers in planning the learning and teaching of TE, it is essential for In the summer of 2000, KYW Secondary School organized a job attachment programme for ten S.3 students to apply their classroom knowledge in an authentic context. The programme placed students in jobs in local organizations, preparing them for future studies and employment. During their job attachments, the ten students served in the following divisions of a charitable organization and an electronics manufacturer.

Organization Charitable Organization:

Electronics Manufacturer:

Division Community Services Medical Services Auditing

Finance

Administration Store

Human Resources Engineering Marketing

No. of Students 1

1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1