Chapter 6 Learning & Teaching Resources
4. To enhance peer learning
Common collaborative lesson preparation periods are very helpful for enhancing peer learning. To promote peer learning, a panel chairperson can take the lead in offering lesson observations and invite feedback from other members. Informal discussion after class also allows teachers to share their experience fruitfully without pressure.
Appendix 8
A Role-play Activity in an ASL Liberal Studies Lesson
A teacher in SKH St. Benedict‘s Secondary School designed a role-play activity for Liberal Studies, in which students take different roles and engage in a debate on a controversial issue.
The design
The issue: ―Should the Northern Link be built to connect Kam Sheung Road terminus to Lok Ma Chau?‖
Preparation: Students are divided into five groups of four to five. They collect information about opinions on the construction of the Northern Link
Teachers prepare role-specification sheets with background information and the views held by the following parties: representatives from the Transport Department, the Environmental Department, the railway, local residents and truck drivers.
Class activity: Students study the role sheets in groups. Two members from each group take part in a debate on the issue, with the rest forming the audience. Before the debate, students are asked to write down whether they are for or against the proposal; during the debate, they have to jot down the views of the different parties; and after it, they are asked if they have changed their views and, if so, why.
The advantages of role-play
The teacher considers that role-play can widen students‘ perspectives. While they may not change their stance on an issue after a short activity, they are at least exposed to other viewpoints, and have an opportunity to develop empathetic thinking and understand the positions taken by different parties.
The key to success
The teacher advises that the issue chosen should be close to students‘ daily lives, so that
views and consolidate their own understanding. Please refer to the section on ―Teachers‘
Debriefings‖ in Section 4.4.2 on p. 105.
A detailed description of the role-play activity can be accessed in the Web-based Resource Platform for Liberal Studies. Please refer to the link http://ls.edb.hkedcity.net. After selecting the language, choose ―Learning and Teaching‖, then ―Exemplar‖, for further information.
Appendix 9
A Group Discussion Activity in Integrated Humanities (IH) (S4–5)
An IH teacher in C&MA Sun Kei Secondary School shared her experience in conducting group discussion.
Choosing a topic for discussion
Poverty alleviation was one of the key social policies mentioned in the 2005–06 Policy Address. The teacher wanted to arouse students‘ interest in the Policy Address and their awareness of poverty in Hong Kong. She arranged for students to hold a group discussion on the issue: ―What should the government do to solve the youth poverty problem?‖
Securing a knowledge base
Students‘ discussion can end up in empty talk if they are not well informed about the topic.
So the teacher asked the students to collect information on poverty in Hong Kong and bring it back to class for discussion. She also briefed them on some key concepts related to the issue, such as absolute poverty and relative poverty.
Further input for a balanced discussion
The teacher noticed that the information collected by students presented only one side of the issue. She also noted that the topic of poverty and the discrepancies between the rich and the poor were rather remote from the experience of some students.
She, therefore, provided supplementary information on the factors leading to poverty, the impact of poverty on families and the risk of intergenerational poverty. To provide additional perspectives, she showed students a TV programme produced by Radio Television Hong Kong on the services provided by local voluntary organisations to help the unemployed to seek jobs. The programme also introduced the measures taken by the government, which were to be the focus of the upcoming discussion.
As the students were now equipped with factual information about the topic, the views of
Students’ interactions
In group discussion, students learnt not only to formulate and present their own positions on the issue, but also to respect others‘ views and face challenges and queries from their peers.
For example, when one group suggested that schools could provide job-related training to young students, another group argued that this would limit students‘ academic learning. Yet another group also expressed doubts about the kinds of job-related training that could be provided by a school. This kind of peer interaction helped students to develop multiple perspectives.
Appendix 10
A Concept Map Drawn by a Student
The following concept map represents the attempt of a student of Integrated Humanities (IH) (S4–5) to summarise his learning about the topic ―economic development and wealth distribution‖.
Appendix 11
Learning Liberal Studies through a Study Tour
Hon Wah Middle School conducts a ―Mainland Study Tour‖ annually as part of the overall S6–7 curriculum, to complement the academic subjects and link to cross-curricular project learning. Through the years, they have visited various parts of China, and the subjects studied have included Liberal Studies, Chinese Language and Culture, Geography, English Language, Chemistry, Chinese History, History, Economics, Physics and Chinese Literature.
The students have responded positively to this annual event, which has helped to promote their understanding of the country and enhanced their sense of national identity. The school attributes the success of the study tour to the following factors:
Links with subject curricula
The themes and content of the tour are closely linked to students‘ learning in subject curricula, including Liberal Studies (especially the module ―China Today‖). The tour provides them with first hand experiences of what they have learnt in the classroom.
Links with project learning
Students undertake project learning during the study tour and finish their reports afterwards.
They go through the whole process from defining the enquiry question, collecting and selecting information, to presentation. This makes the study tour an active learning experience.
Personal relevance
Students indicated that their understanding of the country had been deepened through the study tour, and their sense of belonging to the country enhanced.
Collaboration and commitment among teachers
Cross-department collaboration is needed to organise the study tour. Through the preparatory process, the tour itself, and the evaluation afterwards, a strong sense of commitment and a team spirit are developed among teachers of different subjects and functional groups.
Appendix 12
Quality Feedback by Teachers
A teacher in St. Antonius Girls‘ College shared her experience in helping students to conduct an Independent Study in Science and Technology (S&T) (S4–5) through timely feedback which addressed students‘ strengths and weaknesses, and prompted them to move forward.
The teacher grouped together students who chose the same mode and similar themes to brainstorm and share their ideas. One group was for students who chose to do creative writing on health and exercise. The teacher listened to their discussion and found that their work lacked scientific and technological elements, and that they had not considered the social implications of the issues involved.
The teacher refrained from giving instructions for improvement right away. Instead, she suggested that the group list the scientific and technological terms and concepts in their writing. At first, the students were not sure what to do. The teacher therefore reminded them about some health-related concepts they had learnt, such as obesity, eating habits and eating disorders. The students responded by citing more relevant scientific terms and concepts, though in a disorganised manner.
The teacher encouraged them to elaborate, and to suggest ways of organising the concepts in their stories, such as linking up the main ideas with concept maps or tables. One student linked up one of the major themes of her story (weight control) with the factors affecting body weight, namely nutrition, exercise and genetic factors. Some students added the concept of balance between daily energy intake and output, so as to highlight the importance of scientific knowledge to making informed decisions on health-related issues.
Students found that, with the teacher‘s guidance, their stories were now enriched with more scientific elements.
The teacher also helped to channel peer discussion into constructive feedback on each other‘s work. For example, a student disclosed in a peer discussion that she ate as little as possible in order to control her weight. Her peers disagreed with this, saying that if she lost her appetite in the process, she could become too thin. The teacher took the opportunity to intervene and asked them to discuss the side-effects and symptoms of eating disorders. The
Appendix 13
Quality Debriefing to Guide Issue-enquiry
A Science and Technology (S&T) (S4–5) teacher in St. Antonius Girls‘ College spent a lesson on slimming as a health issue. The lesson aimed to develop students‘ ability to critically evaluate information and data on the topic. The teacher designed several learning activities for the lesson and supplemented her debriefings between the activities.
The lesson started with a role-play activity. Students discussed and presented their preconceived criteria for selecting slimming products. Most of the groups listed criteria such as ―effectiveness‖, ―no side-effects‖ and ―low price‖. Only one of the groups mentioned ―scientific evidence‖ as an important criterion. In a debriefing, the teacher drew students‘ attention to this important but often neglected aspect. With this awareness, the class then focused on how to scientifically evaluate data and information in the next stage.
In the activity which followed, the students were asked to deliberate on the meaning of
―reliable scientific evidence‖ and identify its key criteria from a list of descriptors. In another debriefing, the teacher consolidated their understanding of the criteria they chose by prompting them to clarify their meaning. For example, students explained that a
―representative sample‖ refers to a group of subjects that is statistically acceptable in a scientific study for making estimates about the population as a whole.
The lesson closed with a group discussion in which they evaluated the scientific evidence claimed in the advertisements for some slimming products provided by the teacher. One group applied the notion of ―representative samples‖ in its analysis, commenting that, since the advertisers did not provide the number and gender of the subjects tested, the reliability of the data could not be evaluated.
The debriefings conducted by the teacher between activities in this lesson guided the students to consolidate key concepts and necessary skills for further exploration of the topic.
Appendix 14
Supporting Student Learning through Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)
Two Science and Technology (S&T) (S4–5) teachers in Shun Tak Fraternal Association Yung Yau College experimented in the use of technology to help students learn. In a fieldwork with their students in the Hong Kong Wetland Park, the teachers made use of PDAs to enhance students‘ learning and promote teacher-student interaction.
In this activity, the school provided each student with a PDA, and all subsequent follow-up learning activities could be conducted by using the school‘s computer facilities. Prompted by a set of pre-entered questions in the PDAs, the students were asked to find out collaboratively the characteristics of the Wetland Park from the exhibits, and to input the answers into the PDAs, via which they should send their answers to a mobile laptop computer serving as a network server for consolidation and compilation. Through the network server, data were transmitted by the router to the teachers, who could monitor progress and give immediate help to students who had problems. Students could discuss the teacher feedback and revise their answers if needed.
The PDAs also enabled students to record their experience in the fieldwork with photographs, drawings and audio recordings saved in the memory card of the PDA instead of in writing. For example, a group of students discovered a bird in the mangrove which they could not name. They took a picture or a video clip of the bird and sent it out from the PDA via the wireless intranet to the teachers and other classmates, and those who knew about the bird made prompt responses. In other cases, the students described orally what they found during the field study and recorded it in their PDAs. They shared their findings with each other afterwards, and the teachers monitored and assessed their progress based on the recordings.
This arrangement facilitated the learning of the students who were weak in writing and had difficulty in jotting down their observations and the data collected. They were able to record their learning experiences during the outdoor activities in different digital formats, and consolidate their learning outcomes in post-fieldwork learning activities. The PDAs also allowed instant interaction among teachers and students, which was important for students who needed more support from others in learning.
Appendix 15
A Classroom-based Learning Community Approach
A teacher in T.W.G.Hs. Mr. & Mrs. Kwong Sik Kwan Secondary School described his experience in adopting a classroom-based learning community approach in IH (S4–5).
Establishing common learning goals
● The teacher emphasises that the building of a learning community needs to start early.
He briefs the S4 students at the start of school year on the nature and aims of the subject.
He makes it clear from the start that he only plays a facilitating role and that what they learn from the subject depends on their own contribution to the learning process.
● The teacher involves the students in deciding on the breadth and depth of the curriculum.
Thus, students have a strong sense of ownership of the learning goals.
Fostering a sharing culture
● The teacher encourages the students to share their views in class. Students are complimented for views with proper arguments, and are assured that they do not have to look for ―correct‖ answers to the questions under discussion.
● Students are invited to comment on each other‘s views, but they have to observe a ―code of manners‖. Respect for others is the key rule, and any personal criticism is strictly prohibited.
● As a model, the teacher always gives recognition and positive feedback to students‘
contributions. He does not reject students‘ ideas, even when they seem odd. Instead, he picks up their views as far as possible to stimulate further discussion.
● The teacher establishes an open and trusting atmosphere in the class. He addresses the students by their first names or nicknames during discussion; and, whenever appropriate, he encourages them to share their experiences by first sharing his own.
● He structures the learning tasks in a way that requires students to be interdependent. For example, he assigns each group of students to discuss only one dimension of an issue, so that they have to rely on other groups for a comprehensive understanding of the issue.
● He often selects examples of students‘ work to show to the class. The examples are chosen to illustrate some special insights and merits, but they do not necessarily receive the highest marks. The authors are invited to share their ideas, and the class is asked to discuss the strengths of the work and make a collective effort to improve it – a process which greatly expands the class‘s knowledge of the area being studied.
Appendix 16
An Extended Learning Community
St. Catharine‘s School for Girls, Kwun Tong, has established close links among students and former students of Liberal Studies. They demonstrate the sense of a learning community, in which they not only share common learning goals, but also endeavour to extend the goals and pass them on to others.
A learning community with a tradition
It has become a tradition for S6 students of Liberal Studies to attend an orientation camp organised for the subject at the start of their sixth form study every year. The camp is organised by S7 students and some former students of the school, under the guidance of teachers, to acquaint the S6 students with what is involved in studying Liberal Studies. The camp provides a platform for students and alumni to share their experiences in learning the subject, and to pass on valuable learning goals across cohorts of students.
Contributions of members
The school enables the members of this learning community to contribute in various ways, e.g.,
● The school sets up a resource corner for Liberal Studies, and leaves it to the students to organise and manage it. The students contribute materials to the resource corner for everybody‘s reference and work in close collaboration to update and maintain it.
● The school lines up some former students to be the tutors for the Liberal Studies project.
These alumni share their experiences and expertise with the S6 students and realise that they can learn from each other.
Extending the learning community
The Liberal Studies students once organised a ―Green School Campaign‖ for primary schools in the neighbourhood to help the pupils to understand environmental protection.
They took on different roles (e.g. master of ceremonies, activity designers, helpers on the site etc.) to make the programme a success. When planning the programme, the students engaged in considerable thinking, discussion and negotiation. Through sharing what they had learnt with the younger children, and applying their expertise in conducting the
programme, their confidence and self-esteem were enhanced. The programme allowed students to share knowledge and expand their knowledge to new horizons.
Sustaining the learning community
The alumni have a strong commitment to contribute to the learning and teaching of Liberal Studies in their mother school. Such enthusiasm has an immense impact on the students who have benefited from their interactions in the learning community. Therefore, with teachers as coordinators and advisors, students and former students from different cohorts are pleased to sustain the endeavour and are supportive of exploring the possibility of setting up a ―Liberal Studies Student Society‖ in their mother school.
This example illustrates point E in Figure 4.3 on p. 92.
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Glossary
Term Description
Applied Learning
(ApL, formerly known as Career-oriented Studies)
Applied Learning is an essential component of the three-year senior secondary curriculum. ApL uses broad professional and vocational fields as the learning platform, developing students‘
foundation skills, thinking skills, people skills, positive values and attitudes and career-related competencies, to prepare them for further study/work as well as lifelong learning. ApL courses complement the 24 senior secondary subjects, adding variety to the senior secondary curriculum.
Assessment objectives The outcomes of the curriculum to be assessed in the public assessments.
Co-construction Different from the direct instruction and construction approaches to learning and teaching, the co-construction approach emphasises the class as a community of learners who contribute collectively to the creation of knowledge and the building of criteria for judging such knowledge.
Core subjects Subjects recommended for all students to take at senior secondary level: Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics and Liberal Studies.
Curriculum and
Assessment (C&A) Guide
A guide prepared by the CDC-HKEAA Committee. It embraces curriculum aims / objectives / contents and learning outcomes, and assessment guidelines.
Curriculum interface Curriculum interface refers to the interface between the different key stages/educational stages of the school curriculum (including individual subjects), e.g. the interface between Kindergarten and Primary; Primary and Secondary; and Junior Secondary and Senior Secondary. The Hong Kong school curriculum, made up of eight key learning areas (under which specific subjects are categorised), provides a coherent learning framework to enhance students‘ capabilities for whole person development through engaging them in the five essential learning experiences and helping them develop the nine generic skills as well as positive values and attitudes. Thus when students move on to senior secondary education, they will already have developed the basic knowledge and skills that the study of various subjects requires.
When designing the learning and teaching content and strategies,