Final Report (Version: 3.0)

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Phase (I) Study on Evaluating the

Effectiveness of the ‘Empowering Learning and Teaching with Information Technology’ Strategy (2004/2007)

Final Report

(Version: 3.0)

by Project Team

Department of Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences and Technology The Hong Kong Institute of Education

on

17 April 2007

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Research Team

Principal Investigators Dr. LI Kai Ming

Dr. KONG Siu Cheung

Project Managers Mr. HO Chung Yip

Ms. LAI Lai Ming

Senior Research Assistant Miss CHEUNG Sau Ying

Research Assistant Miss KWOK Wai Ying

Consultants

Prof. LEE Kar Tin, Professor and Head of the School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology

Dr. LAM Yiu Sing, Chairman of Education Development Platform Limited

Dr. CHEUNG Chi Keung Alan, Associate Professor of the Department of Educational Policy and Administration, Hong Kong Institute of Education

Honorary Advisers

Mr. CHOI Kai Chun, Principal of Yaumati Catholic Primary School

Mr. KWOK Wing Keung, Principal of Carmel Holy Word Secondary School Dr. LAU Wai Kin, Former Principal of La Salle College

Mr. LAU Wai Tong, Teacher of S.K.H. Lam Kau Mow Secondary School.

Prof. Nancy LAW, Director of the Centre for Information Technology in Education (CITE) and Head of Division of Information and Technology Studies of the Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong (HKU)

Prof. LEE Fong Lok, Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Information Technology in Education and Associate Professor of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)

Dr. LEUNG Chan Wing, Principal of H.K.T.A. Chan Lui Chung Tak Memorial School Dr. LI Siu Cheung, Associate Professor of the Department of Education Studies, The Hong

Kong Baptist University (HKBU)

Mr. NG Hok Ling, Chairman of the Hong Kong Association for Computer Education (HKACE)

Dr. NG Kwok Hung, Principal of Caritas Lok Kan School (Special school)

Mr. PUN Sai Wing, Senior Instructor of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, CUHK

Mr. YIP Shing Biu, Principal of Shak Chung Shan Memorial Catholic Primary School (Sorted by alphabetical order)

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List of Symbols List of Appendices

Executive Summary... i

報告摘要 ...viii

Chapter 1 Background of the Study ... 1

1.1 Introduction ...1

1.2 Scope and Objective of the Study...2

Chapter 2 Literature Review... 4

2.1 Impact of Information Technology (IT) in Education ...4

2.2 Some Common Areas of Concern for the Evaluation of IT in Education (ITEd) ...6

2.3 The Second ITEd Strategy...12

Chapter 3 Conceptual Framework and Research Questions ... 17

3.1 Description of the Conceptual Framework...17

3.2 Indicators for Evaluation ...19

3.3 Research Questions...23

Chapter 4 Research Design and Methods ... 26

4.1 Overview ...26

4.1.1 Stages of the Study ...26

4.1.1.1 Pilot Study ...26

4.1.1.2 Main Studies (I) and (II)...27

4.2 Data Collection Methods ...27

4.2.1 Questionnaire Surveys...28

4.2.2 Review of EMB Documents...33

4.2.3 Focus Group Interviews...33

4.2.4 Arrangements for Special School Sector...33

4.3 Data Analysis Methods...34

4.3.1 Analysis of Quantitative Data ...34

4.3.1.1 Questionnaire Surveys...34

4.3.1.2 Weighting Measures ...35

4.3.1.3 Reliability ...35

4.3.2 Analysis of Qualitative Data ...36

4.3.2.1 Review of EMB Documents...36

4.3.2.2 Open-ended Items in Questionnaire Surveys ... 36

4.3.2.3 Focus Group Interviews...37

4.4 Quality Assurance (QA) Measures ...37

4.4.1 Consultants and Honorary Advisers ...37

4.4.2 Data Accuracy and Reliability Measures of Web-based Evaluation System ...37

4.4.3 Measures to Ensure Data Quality and Contingency Measure ...38

4.5 Limitations of the Study ...39

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Chapter 5 Research Samples, Sampling Methods and Response Rates... 40

5.1 Research Samples ...40

5.2 Sampling Methods...40

5.2.1 Coverage...41

5.2.2 Sampled Schools...42

5.3 Sampling Scheme and Response Rates for Target Stakeholders ...42

5.4 Sampling of Community Group Interview...46

Chapter 6 Major Findings and Discussion for Primary School Sector... 49

6.1 Empowering Learners with IT...49

6.1.1 Proficiency in Computing Skills ...49

6.1.2 Attitude towards Social and Ethical Issues of Using IT...53

6.1.3 Belief and Attitude towards Use of IT for Learning...55

6.1.4 Learning Activities with IT...61

6.1.5 Confidence in the Use of IT to Perform Learning Tasks...63

6.1.6 Learning Support ...68

6.1.7 School ITEd Curriculum ...70

6.2 Empowering Teachers with IT...73

6.2.1 Teachers’ IT Competency ...73

6.2.2 Perceived Application of IT in Teaching ...76

6.2.3 Belief and Attitude towards Using IT for Learning and Teaching ...78

6.2.4 Teaching with IT...80

6.2.5 Confidence in Using IT for Learning and Teaching ...85

6.2.6 School Professional Development in ITEd for Teachers...88

6.2.7 School ITEd Sharing and Collaboration among Teachers...90

6.2.8 Areas for Improvement of ITEd Development...91

6.3 Enhancing School Leadership for the Knowledge Age...93

6.3.1 School ITEd Plan...93

6.3.2 Activities to Promote IT Culture ...101

6.3.3 Resources and Support ...102

6.3.4 School Professional Development in ITEd for School Heads...103

6.3.5 School Heads’ Willingness to Promote ITEd ...104

6.4 Enriching Digital Resources for Learning...105

6.4.1 Sources of Digital Resources...105

6.4.2 Digital Resources Repository ... 111

6.4.2.1 School e-Learning Platforms ...111

6.4.2.2 Educational e-Portal: Hong Kong Education City (HKEdCity)...113

6.5 Improving IT Infrastructure and Pioneering Pedagogy Using IT... 116

6.5.1 Access and Connectivity in Schools... 116

6.5.1.1 Quantities and Locations of Hardware ...116

6.5.1.2 Connectivity and Internet/Intranet Services ...119

6.5.1.3 Computer Consumables...121

6.5.1.4 Provision of Computer Facilities beyond School Hours ...121

6.5.2 Management and Maintenance of IT Facilities and Technical Support Services...122

6.5.3 Upgrading IT Facilities and Exploring Advanced IT Technology ...125

6.6 Providing Continuous Research and Development ...128

6.7 Promoting Community–wide Support and Community Building...131

6.7.1 Home-school Co-operation and Parents’ Involvement...131

6.7.1.1 Home-school Co-operation...131

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6.7.1.2 Parents’ Use of IT as a Communication Tool ...135

6.7.1.3 Roles of Parents to Ensure Students’ Understanding of Ethical, Legal and Health Issues Involved in Using IT ... 136

6.7.1.4 Parents as Supporters and Motivators for Students’ Learning with IT 137 6.7.2 Community-wide Involvement...140

6.7.2.1 Community-school Collaboration ...141

6.7.2.2 Community Resources...142

6.7.2.3 Students’ Participation in Activities Provided by the Community ...146

6.7.3 Digital Divide ...147

6.8 Summary of Discussion...149

6.8.1 Strategic Goal 1 Empowering Learners with IT...149

6.8.2 Strategic Goal 2 Empowering Teachers with IT...151

6.8.3 Strategic Goal 3 Enhancing School Leadership for the Knowledge Age...153

6.8.4 Strategic Goal 4 Enriching Digital Resources for Learning...154

6.8.5 Strategic Goal 5 Improving IT Infrastructure and Pioneering Pedagogy Using IT ...156

6.8.6 Strategic Goal 6 Providing Continuous Research and Development ... 158

6.8.7 Strategic Goal 7 Promoting Community–wide Support and Community Building ...158

Chapter 7 Major Findings and Discussion for Secondary School Sector .... 161

7.4.2 Digital Resources Repository ...231

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7.5 Improving IT Infrastructure and Pioneering Pedagogy Using IT...237

7.5.1 Access and Connectivity in Schools...237

7.8 Summary of the Section ...271

Chapter 8 Major Findings and Discussion for Special School Sector ... 281

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8.4.2 Digital Resources Repository ...374

8.5.1 Access and Connectivity in Schools...384

8.8 Summary of the Section ...429

Chapter 9 Major Findings from the Community Group Interviews... 441

9.1 Contributions of the Community Group towards ITEd in Hong Kong...441 9.2 Opinions and Suggestions Regarding the Implementation of ITEd in Hong Kong444

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Chapter 10 Summary and Recommendations ... 449

10.8 Conclusion ...465

References ... 466

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List of Symbols

Statistical Symbols:

25% P’ile Value in 25% of percentile 75% P’ile Value in 75% of percentile /LCL/ Lower 95% confidence limit /Max/ Maximum value

/Min/ Minimum value

/N/ Total number of valid responses /n/ Frequency count

/SD/ Standard deviation /SE/ Standard error

/UCL/ Upper 95% confidence limit

Symbols for Special School Sector:

/H/ Hospital School

/HI/ School for Children with Hearing Impairment /ID/ School for Children with Intellectual Disability -

the special schools implementing special curriculum which include ID-M, ID-Mmod, ID-Mod and ID-S

/ID-M/ School for the Mildly Intellectually Disabled

/ID-Mmod/ School for the Mildly and Moderately Intellectually Disabled /ID-Mod/ School for the Moderately Intellectually Disabled

/ID-S/ School for the Severely Intellectually Disabled

/NC/ Normal Curriculum (NC) schools - the special schools implementing mainstream curriculum which include the H, HI, PD, SSD and VI

/OC/ Occupational therapist

/PD/ School for Children with Physical Disability /PHY/ Physiotherapist

/SPH/ Speech therapist

/SSD/ School for Social Development

/VI/ School for Children with Visual Impairment

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List of Appendices

Appendix 1 Overall Summary of Descriptive Analysis of the Questionnaire Surveys for Main Study (I) ...A1

Appendix 1.1 Primary School Sector

Appendix 1.1.1 School Head’s Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Part 1) (Primary) [P1] ... A1.1-1 Appendix 1.1.2 School Head’s Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Part 2) (Primary) [P2] ... A1.1-4 Appendix 1.1.3 School Information Technology in Education Survey (Primary) [P3]... A1.1-9 Appendix 1.1.4 Information Technology in Education Team Teachers’ Questionnaire

(Primary) [P4] ... A1.1-16 Appendix 1.1.5 Teachers’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Primary) [P5] ... A1.1-19 Appendix 1.1.6 Students’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Primary) [P6] ... A1.1-30 Appendix 1.1.7 Parents’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Primary) [P7] ... A1.1-41

Appendix 1.2 Secondary School Sector

(Part 1) (Secondary) [S1] ... A1.2-1 Appendix 1.2.2 School Head’s Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Part 2) (Secondary) [S2] ... A1.2-4 Appendix 1.2.3 School Information Technology in Education Survey (Secondary) [S3]... A1.2-10 Appendix 1.2.4 Information Technology in Education Team Teachers’ Questionnaire

(Secondary) [S4] ... A1.2-17 Appendix 1.2.5 Teachers’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Secondary) [S5] ... A1.2-20 Appendix 1.2.6 Students’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Secondary) [S6] ... A1.2-31 Appendix 1.2.7 Parents’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Secondary) [S7] ... A1.2-44

Appendix 1.3 Special School Sector

(Part 1) (Special) [E1-1/E1-2]... A1.3-1 Appendix 1.3.2 School Head’s Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Part 2) (Special) [E2-1/E2-2]... A1.3-4 Appendix 1.3.3 School Information Technology in Education Survey (Special) [E3] ... A1.3-10 Appendix 1.3.4 Information Technology in Education Team Teachers’ Questionnaire

(Special) [E4-1/E4-2] ... A1.3-17 Appendix 1.3.5 Teachers’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Special) [E5] ... A1.3-20 Appendix 1.3.6 Students’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire (Special)

[E6-1/E6-2/E6-3/E6-4/E6-5/E6-6]... A1.3-37 Appendix 1.3.7 Parents’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire (Special)

[E7-1/E7-2] ... A1.3-55 Appendix 1.3.8 Therapists’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire (Special)

[E8] ... A1.3-62

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Appendix 2 Overall Summary of Descriptive Analysis of the Questionnaire Surveys for Main Study (II)...A2

Appendix 2.1 Primary School Sector

(Part 1) (Primary) [P1] ... A2.1-1 Appendix 2.1.2 School Head’s Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Part 2) (Primary) [P2] ... A2.1-4 Appendix 2.1.3 School Information Technology in Education Survey (Primary) [P3]... A2.1-9 Appendix 2.1.4 Information Technology in Education Team Teachers’ Questionnaire

(Primary) [P4] ... A2.1-16 Appendix 2.1.5 Teachers’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Primary) [P5] ... A2.1-19 Appendix 2.1.6 Students’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Primary) [P6] ... A2.1-30 Appendix 2.1.7 Parents’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Primary) [P7] ... A2.1-41

Appendix 2.2 Secondary School Sector

(Part 1) (Secondary) [S1] ... A2.2-1 Appendix 2.2.2 School Head’s Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Part 2) (Secondary) [S2] ... A2.2-4 Appendix 2.2.3 School Information Technology in Education Survey (Secondary) [S3]... A2.2-10 Appendix 2.2.4 Information Technology in Education Team Teachers’ Questionnaire

(Secondary) [S4] ... A2.2-17 Appendix 2.2.5 Teachers’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Secondary) [S5] ... A2.2-20 Appendix 2.2.6 Students’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Secondary) [S6] ... A2.2-31 Appendix 2.2.7 Parents’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Secondary) [S7] ... A2.2-44

Appendix 2.3 Special School Sector

(Part 1) (Special) [E1-1/E1-2]... A2.3-1 Appendix 2.3.2 School Head’s Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Part 2) (Special) [E2-1/E2-2]... A2.3-4 Appendix 2.3.3 School Information Technology in Education Survey (Special) [E3] ... A2.3-10 Appendix 2.3.4 Information Technology in Education Team Teachers’ Questionnaire

(Special) [E4-1/E4-2] ... A2.3-16 Appendix 2.3.5 Teachers’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Special) [E5] ... A2.3-19 Appendix 2.3.6 Students’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire (Special)

[E6-1/E6-2/E6-3/E6-4/E6-5/E6-6]... A2.3-36 Appendix 2.3.7 Parents’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire (Special)

[E7-1/E7-2] ... A2.3-54 Appendix 2.3.8 Therapists’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

(Special) [E8] ... A2.3-61

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Executive Summary

Purposes of the Study

This Study was commissioned by the Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to review the progress of the Information Technology in Education (ITEd) initiatives in Hong Kong as put forth in the strategic document “Empowering Learning and Teaching with Information Technology” (Second ITEd Strategy). The main purposes of this Study were:

a. to review the application of ITEd as related to school, teacher and student practices as well as the involvement of the community sector in ITEd;

b. to review the progress of the ITEd projects from 2004/05 to 2006/07 school years; and c. to recommend necessary adjustments to the implementation of relevant projects as

appropriate.

Methodology

A cross-sectional research design with two intervals of data collection, Main Study (I) (MS1) in October 2005 and Main Study (II) (MS2) in October 2006, was adopted in this Study. The data collected in MS1 became the base-line data of this Study, which were used for systematic review of the progress of various ITEd initiatives or projects at the first stage of the Second ITEd Strategy.

The cross-sectional data collected in MS2 were subsequently compared with the data garnered in MS1 for tracking the progress of the implementation of ITEd from 2004/05 to 2006/07 school years.

Quantitative and qualitative methods were adopted in this Study to collect data during the two data collection periods. With regard to the collection of quantitative data, information about the application of IT in different school sectors (i.e. primary, secondary and special) in Hong Kong since the 2004/05 school year and the progress of the implementation of ITEd between the 2004/05 and the 2006/07 school years was gathered from school heads and school representatives/ITEd Team heads/IT coordinators (ITCs) of all school sectors as well as ITEd Team teachers, teachers (including therapists in special schools), students and parents of selected schools via anonymous questionnaire surveys. Eight separate sets of questionnaires were designed for different types of stakeholders correspondingly. A web-based platform, Self-evaluation Platform (SEP) on ITEd for Schools^∗ developed by the EMB, was used for administering the online questionnaires for all stakeholders in schools. For parents and the majority of special school students, paper-based surveys were administered.

All schools in the three school sectors were invited to complete the School Head’s ITEd Questionnaires and the School ITEd Survey (i.e. full enumeration) and around 10% to 15% of the schools were randomly selected for other stakeholders’ surveys. The total number of schools in respective school sector involved in different surveys in MS1 and MS2 was as follows:

∗ The SEP was fully integrated into the E-platform for School Development and Accountability in 2006. For details, please visit http://www.emb.gov.hk/sep/eng (English version) or http://www.emb.gov.hk/sep/chin (Chinese version).

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MS1

y Full enumeration

623 primary schools (including Aided Schools, Direct Subsidy Schools and Government Schools); 471 secondary schools (including Aided Schools, Caput Schools, Direct Subsidy Schools and Government Schools); and 61 special schools [special schools were classified into six categories: Hospital School (H), School for Children with Hearing Impairment (HI), School for Children with Intellectual Disability (ID), School for Children with Physical Disability (PD), School for Social Development and School (SSD) for Children with Visual Impairment (VI)]

y Sampled schools

68 primary schools, 72 secondary schools and 10 special schools

MS2

y Full enumeration

549 primary schools, 468 secondary schools and 60 special schools y Sampled schools

72 primary schools, 72 secondary schools and 10 special schools

Generally speaking, the response rates of the questionnaire surveys for most of the stakeholder groups were over 70%. Table E.1 summarises the overall response rates of different stakeholder groups for MS1 and MS2.

Table E.1 Summary of overall response rates of different stakeholder groups for MS1 and MS2

MS1 MS2

Questionnaire types Stakeholder groups

Total no. of responded stakeholders

Response rate

Total no. of responded stakeholders

Response rate

A. Full enumeration

1. School Head’s Information Technology in Education Questionnaire (Part 1)

1002 87% 851 79%

2. School Head’s Information Technology in Education Questionnaire (Part 2)

School Heads

School Heads 987 85% 843 78%

3. School Information Technology in Education Survey School representatives/ITEd

Team heads/ITCs

992 86% 843 78%

B. Sampled schools

4. Information Technology in Education Team Teachers’

Questionnaire

ITEd Team Teachers 713 83% 592 70%

Teachers 5. Teachers’ Information Technology in Education

Questionnaire

4748 70% 4053 57%

6. Therapists’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

Therapists 25 83% 27 96%

7. Students’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

Students 10143 81% 9375 74%

8. Parents’ Information Technology in Education Questionnaire

Parents of selected students

9501 76% 8214 65%

With respect to the collection of qualitative data, information about the involvement of the community in the implementation of the Second ITEd Strategy was garnered from the Community Group through focus group interviews. Nine focus group interviews (involving two IT-related organisations, three non-governmental organisations, two publishers and two tertiary institutions) were organised and conducted parallel to the data collection periods of MS1 and MS2. Opinions of the interviewees on the goals and roles, relevant work, contributions and suggestions of the Community Group regarding the implementation of ITEd in Hong Kong were collected.

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Summary of Findings

Empowering Learners with IT

The findings showed that primary and secondary school students were generally capable of using different types of software with different degree of proficiency. However, the fundamental skill, such as Chinese input was expected to be strengthened especially at the lower primary class levels.

Students from special schools of Normal Curriculum (NC)^** showed similar level of proficiency in using software and hardware as the primary and secondary school students whereas the students with Intellectual Disability (ID) rated themselves as not proficient.

Students’ level of proficiency in using software for communication and information searching purposes increased from P4 to P6 and kept steady in the secondary classes. The findings also showed that students’ level of proficiency in information processing and analysis software declined from S2 to S6. The above phenomena might be the result of the increased project-based learning activities in the primary schools and the examination-driven curriculum in the upper secondary classes.

The findings illustrated that students had a reasonable level of awareness of the social and ethical issues relating to the use of IT. However, primary and secondary school students were less concerned about the inappropriateness of sending or forwarding unnecessary e-mails or messages and secondary school students even showed less concern about using pirated software.

The surveyed students showed positive perceptions of learning with IT. The major positive impacts of the use of IT on learning, as perceived by the students, were widening perspective through more interaction with the outside world, enhancing students’ interest in self-learning of subject content and enhancing information processing ability. In contrast, the level of agreement on the effect of using IT to enhance communication and presentation skills was found to be the lowest among the primary and secondary school students.

The design of content and pedagogy for the IT curriculum was, in general, suitable for students.

The findings showed that primary and secondary schools closely followed the guidelines as stated in Information Technology Learning Targets (CDC, 2000) to prepare learning and teaching activities in order to develop the capability of students in using IT. However, it was found that there was room for improvement in the current teaching practices which had not completely addressed the social and ethical issues relating to the use of IT.

The diversity of student learning activities which involved the use of IT was generally rich. This Study showed that students had engaged in different types of learning activities which involved the use of IT. However, the nature of these activities was mainly confined to tasks about information search. The number of activities related to information selection, information collation and analysis, report and presentation as well as self-evaluation on learning outcomes were relatively less. Nonetheless, it was encouraging to see that more student-centred activities which required the basic information literacy skill in information search were becoming popular and such a phenomenon had not been obvious in the previous evaluations.

Empowering Teachers with IT

The measures to equip teachers with the capacity of and confidence in embedding IT in teaching were effective in general. This Study showed that most of the surveyed teachers met the IT competency requirements. Teachers were well-trained and were capable of conducting teaching

** Normal Curriculum (NC) schools - the special schools implementing mainstream curriculum which include the H, HI, PD, SSD and VI

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with the use of IT. The findings also revealed that teachers generally had confidence and were ready to incorporate higher-order learning opportunities with the use of IT.

It was found that IT was used frequently to support subject teaching like language subjects by the surveyed teachers in the three school sectors as well as General Studies in primary and special schools and quite a number of the surveyed teachers gave assignments that required the use of digital resources for subject learning at home.

The measures to provide teachers with the ITEd-related professional development opportunities were successfully implemented. The surveyed teachers asserted that the current ITEd professional development programmes and activities were practical and generally adequate. They believed that such programmes and activities could enhance their mastery of IT knowledge and skills and their capability of using IT for learning and teaching. The teachers also expressed that future ITEd professional development programmes or activities could focus on the use of new technology in teaching and the applications of IT in subject or cross-curricular teaching.

Enhancing School Leadership for the Knowledge Age

The measures to guide and support school heads and their associates to establish and realise visions and goals concerning the integration of IT into school contexts were generally effectual.

The surveyed school heads were satisfied with their school ITEd plans covering the infrastructure requirements of the schools. However, the school heads showed a relatively lower level of satisfaction, but they were still very positive, with their school ITEd plans for having derived the content or measures for integrating IT into learning and teaching and for evaluating the effectiveness of the ITEd plans seriously.

The measures to support school heads and their associates to promote IT culture in school were effective to some extent. This Study revealed that the promotion of IT culture among schools and the education community was, to a certain extent, achieved at the school level. The surveyed primary and special school heads were satisfied that their schools continuously promoted collaborative team work and sharing among teachers on the use of IT for teaching whereas secondary school heads were slightly less satisfied with these aspects.

The measures to provide school heads and their associates with more flexibility in the allocation of resources for school-based IT plans were implemented successfully. The findings showed that the merging of various IT grants and the allowance for the flexible use of grants effectively enhanced schools’ flexibility in allocating resources to support school-based ITEd plans. The findings also indicated that schools had made use of various funds, such as those from parents and other organisations, to support school-based ITEd initiatives apart from the Government funding.

Enriching Digital Resources for Learning

The measures to bring digital educational resources closer to the needs of individual schools were effective. The findings revealed that the surveyed school heads, teachers and students were quite satisfied with the provision of digital resources in schools. The findings also showed that although many digital resources had been developed during the period of the present study, there was still a great demand for suitable digital resources which could assist in teaching subject knowledge and facilitating students’ development of higher-order thinking skills and generic skills.

Improving IT Infrastructure and Pioneering Pedagogy Using IT

The measures to improve the IT infrastructure of schools were effectual. The findings indicated that with extensive input and support from the EMB, IT infrastructure had been well set up in schools and improved significantly. Well-built IT infrastructure was available and ready for use in learning and teaching. The student-to-computer ratios were comparable to many advanced countries in the world and many of our general classrooms were installed with digital projectors.

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Different groups of stakeholders showed their general satisfaction of the sufficiency in IT facilities and the Internet connectivity of IT equipment. The findings also revealed that schools had been improving the IT infrastructure by upgrading and replacing the obsolete hardware and adopting advanced technology to enhance the effectiveness of learning and teaching in schools.

Providing Continuous Research and Development

The measures to conduct research on the effectiveness of the ITEd strategy and the impact of IT on students’ learning outcomes were successfully implemented in general. The EMB had initiated some researches and studies with the aim to consolidate and disseminate good practices for pioneering pedagogies, and commissioned a number of projects to relevant organisations to support the implementation and continuous development of ITEd in Hong Kong.

There was a piece of encouraging finding that some schools began to participate in or to initiate pilot projects or schemes for exploring the effectiveness of the innovative use of IT for the enhancement of learning and teaching. Although the percentage of schools which initiated ITEd-related projects was still low, it was found that pilot projects which involved school collaboration with other schools, local tertiary institutions, local community organisations and local commercial organisations were prevalent.

Promoting Community-wide Support and Community Building

The measures to promote co-operation between schools and parents in the implementation of school ITEd plans were effective in general. This Study revealed that the home-school collaboration and parents’ involvement in the promotion of ITEd had been enhanced. Regarding the development of ITEd-related programmes for parents, the surveyed parents perceived that ITEd activities were quite sufficient and they were quite positive towards the outcomes derived from such programmes. The Study also revealed that the surveyed parents were concerned about the ethical, legal and health issues involved in children’s use of IT. Regarding the enhancement of communication between schools and parents through the use of IT, the findings showed that the use of electronic means for such purpose was still uncommon.

The measures to encourage schools to enhance partnership with the IT industry on teacher training, digital resources and other related fields were generally effectual. The IT-related organisations in the community, such as those in the tertiary education, private and non-government sectors, showed different level of contribution to ITEd in terms of providing learning activities for students, training activities for teachers, and digital resources as well as conducting research projects. It was encouraging that quite a number of schools had involved in such community-school collaboration activities in pilot schemes or sharing activities related to the use of IT for teaching.

The measures to address digital divide among students were implemented successfully. This Study revealed that digital divide was less obvious in terms of the possession of home computers. Home computers were quite widely available for the surveyed students. However, when compared to the opportunities for students of other income group families, those for students of the low income group families to use IT for learning through the Internet at home were still relatively limited because of the unavailable Internet access or the slow Internet connection at home.

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Major Recommendations

y Empowering Learners with IT: To equip students with the up-to-date knowledge about IT and the necessary skills of using the latest technology, it is worthwhile to make IT as a separate subject. In fact, the Study revealed that nearly all schools offered Computer/IT subjects. However, there is a need to reduce the repetition of learning contents of IT curriculum for primary and secondary school students by investigating the contents of IT curriculum for primary and secondary education so as to make a smooth and coherent transition between the curriculum for Computer Awareness in primary schools and the curriculum for Computer Literacy in secondary schools.

y Empowering Teachers with IT: To increase/maintain the competency and confidence of teachers in making good pedagogical use of IT, it is suggested that further professional development in ITEd should be continuously offered to teachers. The future direction of such professional development activities should focus on the use of IT for exploratory teaching, student-centred learning, assessments, and the teaching of social and ethical issues. In addition, opportunities for sharing and exchanging experiences, observing and reflecting on good practices, collaborating in curriculum and pedagogical innovations among the education community should be provided for teachers to enhance their understanding and experience in connection with effective use of IT for learning and teaching.

y Enhancing School Leadership for the Knowledge Age: To increase the effect of leadership work on the implementation of IT in school curriculum, it is suggested that an explicit ITEd plan should be made for the design of school ITEd curriculum by taking into consideration the curriculum aims and contents, the promotion of sharing culture, and the evaluation of school achievement. To evaluate the effectiveness of school ITEd plans, schools are recommended to conduct relevant school-based self-evaluations periodically with the use of the online survey platform “Self-evaluation Platform (SEP) on ITEd for Schools”.

y Enriching Digital Resources for Learning: To sustain the perpetual enrichment of quality digital educational resources for the needs of individual schools, financial support such as the

“electronic Learning Credits” Scheme should be continuously provided for schools to develop a school-based digital resources repository in order to enhance and support learning and teaching.

y Improving IT Infrastructure and Pioneering Pedagogy Using IT: To promote the use of new technology in teaching as well as the innovative applications of IT among schools, opportunities for innovation and trials of new technologies and equipment that enhance learning and teaching should be provided by schools. In such situation, schools should make an explicit ITEd plan which outlines the requirements of IT infrastructure, the maintenance and replacement schedule for the computing facilities, and the design of ITEd curriculum and pedagogy.

y Providing Continuous Research and Development: To keep on investigating the impact of IT on students’ learning outcomes, it is recommended that the EMB should continue to initiate and commission research projects, at the school level, on the effect of innovative use of IT on students’ learning outcomes in terms of academic subject knowledge, higher-order thinking skills and generic competencies.

y Promoting Community–wide Support and Community Building: To elicit more support from parents for the implementation of the ITEd strategy, it is suggested that home-school collaboration through parents’ education programmes and communication should be strengthened to increase parents’ understanding of the value of information literacy and

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parental support in promoting information literacy. To keep up the community-wide involvement in the implementation of the ITEd strategy, it is recommended that community-school collaboration activities for creating IT-embedded environment in school and reducing digital divide among students should be promoted.

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報告摘要

研究目的

這項研究是香港特別行政區政府教育統籌局(教統局)委託進行的，目的是檢討在《善用資訊新科技開拓教學新世紀》(第二個資訊科技教育策略) 文件發表以來，香港各項資訊科技教育措施的進展。這項研究的主要目的是：

i. 檢視學校、教師和學生有關應用資訊科技教育的實踐及社會各界的參與情況；

ii. 檢視由 2004/05 至 2006/07 學年各項資訊科技教育計劃的進度；及

iii. 就各項推行的計劃，提出適合的調整建議。

研究方法

本研究採用橫斷面式的研究設計，分兩個階段收集數據。第一及第二主要階段研究分別在 2005 年 10 月及 2006 年 10 月進行。第一主要階段研究所收集得到的數據為本研究的基線數據，用以系統化檢視在第二個資訊科技教育策略第一階段中各項資訊科技教育措施或計劃的進度。第二主要階段研究所收集得到的橫斷面數據及後與第一主要階段研究的數據作出比較，用以追蹤由 2004/05 至 2006/07 學年間推行資訊科技教育的進度。

這項研究於兩個數據收集階段均同時採用「量性」和「質性」的研究方法收集數據。在收集

「量性」數據方面，有關香港不同學校界別(即小學、中學及特殊學校)自 2004/05 學年起應用資訊科技的情況，以及在 2004/05 至 2006/07 學年期間推行資訊科技教育的進展，是經由各學校界別的校長和學校代表／資訊科技教育組組長／資訊科技統籌員，以及被選取學校的資訊科技教育組教師、教師 (包括特殊學校的治療師)、學生及家長填寫的不記名問卷調查收集得來。這包括八套為不同持份者而設計的獨立問卷。本研究應用一個由教統局開發的網

上系統，稱為「學校資訊科技教育自評系統 (自評系統)^∗」，以進行不同學校界別持份者的

網上問卷調查。至於家長及大部分特殊學校學生則使用印刷版本的問卷。

三個學校界別的所有學校均被邀請填寫校長資訊科技教育問卷調查和學校資訊科技教育調查（即全面調查），而其中被隨機抽樣的約 10% 至 15% 的學校，則會再進行其他持份者組別的問卷調查。參與第一及第二主要階段研究的不同學校界別的學校總數如下：

第一主要階段研究

y 全面調查

623 間小學(包括資助學校、直資學校及官立學校)、471 間中學(包括資助學校、按額津貼學校、直資學校及官立學校)，以及 61 間特殊學校 [特殊學校分六個類別：醫院學校 (H)、聽障兒童學校 (HI)、智障兒童學校 (ID)、肢體傷殘兒童學校 (PD)、群育學校 (SSD) 及視障兒童學校(VI)]

y 樣本學校

68 間小學、72 間中學及 10 間特殊學校

∗ 「自評系統」於 2006 年與「學校發展與問責」數據電子平台結合，詳情可參閱網址： http://www.emb.gov.hk/sep/eng (英文版) 或 http://www.emb.gov.hk/sep/chin (中文版)。

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第二主要階段研究

y 全面調查

y 樣本學校

整體而言，大部分持份者組別的回應率都超過 70%。表 E.1 概括地列出第一及第二主要階段研究的不同持份者組別的整體回應率。

表 E.1 第一及第二主要階段研究的不同持份者組別整體回應率概要

第一主要階段研究第二主要階段研究

問卷類型持份者組別

有回應的持份者總數

回應率有回應的

持份者總數

回應率

A. 全面調查

1. 校長資訊科技教育問卷調查 (第一部份) 1002 87% 851 79%

2. 校長資訊科技教育問卷調查 (第二部份)

校長

校長 987 85% 843 78%

3. 學校資訊科技教育調查學校代表/

資訊科技教育組組長/

資訊科技統籌員

992 86% 843 78%

B. 樣本學校

4. 資訊科技教育組教師問卷調查資訊科技教育組教師 713 83% 592 70%

5. 教師資訊科技教育問卷調查教師 4748 70% 4053 57%

6. 治療師資訊科技教育問卷調查治療師 25 83% 27 96%

7. 學生資訊科技教育問卷調查學生 10143 81% 9375 74%

8. 家長資訊科技教育問卷調查被選學生的家長 9501 76% 8214 65%

在收集「質性」數據方面，有關社區參與推行第二個資訊科技教育策略的資料是從社區組別透過焦點小組訪問搜集得來。在進行第一及第二主要階段研究數據收集的同時，合共進行了 9 次焦點小組訪問（包括 2 間與資訊科技相關組織、3 間非政府機構、2 間出版社及 2 間大專院校），收集社區組別被訪者就該等機構於推行香港資訊科技教育所訂定的目標及角色、

相關工作、貢獻及建議等意見。

研究結果摘要

利用資訊科技加強學習者的能力

研究結果顯示中、小學生一般都具備資訊科技能力，能夠在不同掌握程度上應用不同類型的電腦軟件。然而，一般仍期望學生能加強學習基本技能，例如中文輸入法，特別在初小階段。

在特殊學校就讀主流課程（Normal Curriculum, NC）^** 的學生，在使用電腦軟件和硬件方面

都表現出和中、小學生相似的掌握程度；惟就讀智障兒童學校(ID)學生的自評結果則顯示他們並不熟練。

小四至小六學生使用軟件進行溝通和搜尋資訊的掌握程度漸次增強，而中學生則保持平穩。

研究結果亦顯示中二至中六學生應用資訊處理和分析軟件的掌握程度卻漸次下降。以上的現

象可能是因為小學加強專題研習活動，而高中課程則以考試為主導而導致的結果。

**提供主流課程的特殊學校包括 H, HI, PD, SSD 及 VI

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研究結果顯示學生對於與使用資訊科技有關的社會和道德操守議題有合理的關注程度。然而，中、小學生較少關注不當地發放或轉寄不必要的電子郵件或訊息；而中學生則甚至更少關注使用侵權軟件的問題。

接受調查的學生對使用資訊科技學習顯示正面的看法。學生認為在學習上使用資訊科技最大的正面影響是能夠與外界有較多的互動而擴闊視野，提升他們自學學科內容的興趣，以及加強他們處理資訊的能力。相反地，中、小學生對於使用資訊科技可增強溝通和演示技巧則賦予最低的認同。

資訊科技課程的內容設計和教學法大體上適合學生的需要。研究結果顯示中、小學在預備學與教活動時能緊貼「資訊科技學習目標」(CDC, 2000)的指引，以發展學生使用資訊科技的能力。然而，研究結果也顯示現時的教學尚未能充份談及與使用資訊科技有關的社會及道德操守議題，故仍有改善的空間。

學生使用資訊科技進行的學習活動大致上頗為豐富。研究顯示學生參與不同類型而又涉及使用資訊科技的學習活動，但這些活動性質大部分局限於資訊搜尋，而有關資訊選擇、資訊整理及分析、報告及演示，以及對學習成果的自我評估等活動數目則相對地少。然而，研究結果顯示以學生為中心而又需要資訊搜尋等基本資訊素養技能的活動已經漸漸普及，這是可喜的現象；而這現象並沒有明顯地出現在以往的評估研究中。

利用資訊科技加強教師的教學能力

為裝備教師使其具備將資訊科技融入於教學的能力及信心而推行的措施普遍是有效的。研究顯示大部分接受調查的教師能達到資訊科技能力的要求，他們均接受了良好的培訓，並能於教學上運用資訊科技。研究結果也顯示教師普遍有信心，並作好準備使用資訊科技結合高層次的學習活動。

研究發現三個學校界別中接受調查的教師經常使用資訊科技支援學科教學，如語文科，以及小學及特殊學校的常識科。一些接受調查的教師曾給學生指派作業，要求學生在家裏使用數碼資源學習學科內容。

為教師提供有關資訊科技教育的專業發展機會而推行的措施是成功的。接受調查的教師表示現時的資訊科技教育專業發展課程及活動都很實用和大致足夠。他們相信這些課程和活動能加強他們掌握資訊科技的知識及技能，並提升他們運用資訊科技於學與教的能力。教師也表示未來的資訊科技教育專業發展課程或活動宜集中於在教學上應用新科技，以及在學科或跨課程教學上應用資訊科技。

配合知識年代提升學校領導能力

有關指導及支援校長及有關人員建構及實現把資訊科技融入學校環境的理想及目標的措施，普遍是奏效的。接受調查的校長對於學校的資訊科技教育計劃能達致學校基礎建設的要求感到滿意。然而，校長對於學校的資訊科技教育計劃涵蓋將資訊科技融入學與教，以及學校能嚴謹地評鑑資訊科技教育計劃的成效的內容及措施，則表示較低的滿意程度，但仍持有十分正面的態度。

有關支援校長及有關人員推動學校資訊科技文化的措施在一定程度上是有效的。研究顯示在學校間及教育界推動的資訊科技文化在某程度上於學校層面取得一定的成果。接受調查的小學及特殊學校校長對於學校持續推動教師團隊協作及互相分享在教學上使用資訊科技的經驗感到滿意，而中學校長則對這方面表示略低的滿意程度。

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為校長及有關人員提供彈性調撥校本資訊科技計劃的資源的措施，也能成功地推行。研究結果顯示，合併各類資訊科技津貼及容許彈性使用津貼的措施確實有效地提高學校為支援校本資訊科技教育計劃而調撥資源的彈性。研究結果亦顯示學校除了獲取政府撥款外，也會運用各類資金，例如來自家長及其他機構的資源，用以支援校本資訊科技教育計劃。

豐富數碼學習資源

有關提供更切合個別學校需要的數碼學習資源的措施是具成效的。研究結果顯示，接受調查的校長、教師及學生都頗滿意學校提供的數碼資源。研究結果亦顯示，雖然在這研究期間已經開發了很多數碼資源，但仍然需求一些合適的數碼資源，以協助教授學科知識，及引導學生發展高層次思維技能和共通能力。

改善資訊科技基礎設施及利用資訊科技創新教學法

關於改善學校資訊科技基礎設施的措施是奏效的。研究結果指出教統局大規模投放資源和提供支援，讓學校的資訊科技基礎設施得以建立，並顯著改善。這些良好的資訊科技基建已隨時可應用於學與教上。現時，學生與電腦數目的比例已經與世界很多先進國家看齊，很多普通課室內更裝有數碼投影機。不同持份者組別對於學校有足夠的資訊科技設施及資訊科技設備與互聯網的連接均普遍表示滿意。研究結果亦顯示學校經已透過提升及更換陳舊的硬件以改善資訊科技基礎設施，並採用先進科技增強學校學與教的效能。

進行持續研究及發展

就研究資訊科技教育策略成效及資訊科技對學生學習成果的影響所進行的措施，大致上是成功的。教統局曾開展一些研究和探討工作，目的是整合及分享優秀案例，從而開創教學法；

也委託一些相關的機構進行研究及發展計劃，以支援香港資訊科技教育的推行和持續發展。

有一項研究結果很令人感到鼓舞，一些學校已開始參與或開創一些先導計劃或方案，目的是探討使用資訊科技促進學與教的嶄新方法的成效。雖然現時開創有關資訊科技教育計劃的學校比率仍然較低，但研究發現學校與其他學校、本地大專院校、本地社區組織和本地商業機構進行協作先導計劃的現象十分普遍。

推動社區支援及社群建立

就實施學校資訊科技教育計劃方面，推動學校與家長合作的措施大致上是有成效的。研究顯示，家校協作和家長參與推動資訊科技教育兩方面都有所加強。對於為家長而設有關資訊科技教育活動的發展，接受調查的家長認為，現時的資訊科技教育活動頗為足夠，而且他們對這些活動所達到的成果持頗正面的看法；同時，接受調查的家長亦關注兒童在使用資訊科技時所涉及的道德操守、法律和健康的議題。對於透過使用資訊科技以加強學校與家長的溝通這方面，研究結果顯示，使用電子渠道作此用途仍未普及。

鼓勵學校在教師培訓、數碼資源和其他相關範疇上加強與資訊科技業界伙伴合作的措施大致上是具成效的。社區內與資訊科技有關的組織，例如高等教育、私人及非政府界別內的組織，

對資訊科技教育都有不同程度的貢獻，例如提供學生學習活動、教師培訓活動和數碼資源，

以及進行研究計劃。研究發現，在有關教學上使用資訊科技的先導計劃或經驗分享活動方面，不少學校曾參與這些學校與社區的協作活動，情況令人鼓舞。

為解決學生「數碼隔閡」問題而進行的措施已成功實施。研究顯示，就家庭擁有電腦的情況來看，「數碼隔閡」問題沒有以前顯著。接受調查的學生大致上都有家庭電腦可供使用。然而，對於低收入家庭組別的學生而言，他們較其他家庭收入組別的學生在家中使用資訊科技

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及透過互聯網學習的機會仍然相對較低，這是由於他們家中沒有連接互聯網或網絡連線速度較慢。

主要建議

y 利用資訊科技加強學習者的能力：為讓學生獲得最新的資訊科技知識和掌握應用最新

科技所需的技能，將資訊科技作為一個獨立學科仍具其價值。事實上，這研究顯示差不多所有學校均已提供電腦／資訊科技科。然而，我們需要探討中、小學教育的資訊科技課程，以減少中、小學於有關學科重複的學習內容，使小學的電腦認知課程與中學的普通電腦科課程能順暢和緊密地銜接。

y 利用資訊科技加強教師的教學能力：為提升／保持教師在教學上善用資訊科技的能力

和信心，研究小組建議應持續為教師提供資訊科技教育專業發展的進修課程。未來的教師專業發展活動的方向應集中在使用資訊科技以進行探究教學、以學生為中心的學習、

評估和教授有關社會和道德操守的議題。此外，為加深教師對有效使用資訊科技進行學與教方面的理解和體驗，亦應讓他們在教育社群內分享和交換經驗、觀察和反思優秀案例，以及協作課程和嶄新教學法。

y 配合知識年代提升學校領導能力：為提升在學校課程內推行資訊科技的領導工作的效

能，研究小組建議學校應制定明確的資訊科技教育計劃，以便學校設計其資訊科技教育課程。在制定計劃時，學校可切實考慮課程目標和內容、分享文化的推廣，以及學校表現的評估。至於評估學校資訊科技教育計劃的成效方面，研究小組建議學校定期使用網上調查平台「學校資訊科技教育自評系統」以進行相關的校本自我評估工作。

y 豐富數碼學習資源：為持續不斷豐富優質的數碼學習資源以符合個別學校的需要，研

究小組建議應繼續向學校提供財政上的支援，例如繼續推行「電子學習金」計劃，使學校發展校本數碼資源庫，從而提升和支援學與教。

y 改善資訊科技基礎設施及利用資訊科技創新教學法：為在學校間推廣使用新科技教學

及創新的應用資訊科技的方法，學校應開創及試用有助提升學與教效能的新科技和設備。在這情況下，學校應制訂明確的資訊科技教育計劃，以概述對資訊科技基建的要求、

電腦設施的維修保養和更換時間表，以及其資訊科技教育課程和教學法的構思。

y 進行持續研究及發展：為持續探究資訊科技對學生學習成果的影響，研究小組建議教

統局應繼續展開及委託進行研究計劃，並在學校層面上探討創新使用資訊科技對學生在學科知識、高層次思維技能，以及共通能力方面的學習成果所帶來的影響。

y 推動社區支援及社群建立：為得到家長更多的支持從而推行資訊科技教育策略，研究

小組建議應透過家長教育計劃和溝通工作加強家校協作，使家長對資訊素養有更深入的了解，以及獲得更多家長支持推廣資訊素養。為使社區各界更積極參與推行資訊科技教育策略，研究小組建議應推廣社區與學校的協作活動，以建立資訊科技融入學校的學習環境，及減少學生之間的「數碼隔閡」。

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Chapter 1 Background of the Study

1.1 Introduction

In the twenty-first century, the strategy of promoting Information Technology in Education (ITEd) is motivated by three developments in society: the new knowledge society, the growing popularity of digital culture and the globalisation of the world economy. Since the growth of the Internet in the 1990s, information has readily been accessible for every subject. The acquisition of requisite skills to process and apply information for problem-solving has become an important part of integrating Information Technology (IT)¹ in school education. Such skills are highly related to how to find and use resources for learning in a mass education context.

In order to equip our younger generation to face the challenge of an increasingly knowledge-based and competitive world of tomorrow, the Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB) of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (Hong Kong SAR Government) has placed significant investment in ITEd. At present, the basic IT infrastructure for all primary and secondary schools have been established in Hong Kong since the launch of Information Technology for Learning in a New Era: Five-Year Strategy – 1998/99 to 2002/03 (EMB, 1998) (the Five-Year Strategy). Most of the primary and secondary schools have put into practice the guidelines suggested in the Information Technology Learning Targets [Curriculum Development Council (CDC), 2000] via their school-based IT curriculum. These two achievements reflect that schools have laid down a solid foundation for further integration of ITEd.

This statement echoes with the findings from the report of the Overall Study on Reviewing the Progress and Evaluating the Information Technology in Education (ITEd) Projects 1998/2003 (EMB, 2005b) (Overall Study). Up-to-date and high performance infrastructure has been installed in most of the schools. All teaching staff have been trained on the use of IT in learning and teaching. However, the report also affirms that the use of technology in actual classroom is still related more to teacher-centred than student-centred learning, involving predominantly didactic expository teaching such as explanation and demonstration. There is relatively less opportunity for individual interaction with computers and even less for collaborative interaction which focuses on facilitating learning and assessment or for tasks requiring higher-order thinking skills (EMB, 2005b). Building on such findings, the report further suggests ways to guide the strategic development of ITEd in Hong Kong. These suggestions are incorporated into the policy document, Empowering Learning and Teaching with Information Technology (EMB, 2004), published in July 2004 by the EMB as appropriate. The document set out seven strategic goals and respective measures with the vision of using “IT effectively as a tool for enhancing the effectiveness of learning and teaching, with a view to preparing our students for the information age, turning schools into dynamic and interactive learning institutions, and fostering collaboration among schools, parents and the community”.

As the Government has placed significant investment in the promotion of ITEd, it is important to allow the public to have an idea of how effective various ITEd initiatives on learning have been.

Hence, one of the major strategic goals of the above policy document is to research on the effectiveness of the use of ITEd strategy and the impact of IT on students’ learning outcomes (Goal 6: Providing Continuous Research and Development) (EMB, 2004). It is also worth establishing a mechanism for tracking the progress of various strategic measures taken place in the community in order to achieve a better understanding of the effectiveness of various

1 The term ‘Information Technology’ (IT) is used in this report to align with that used by the Education and Manpower Bureau in Hong Kong. It is synonymous to the term ‘Information and Communication Technology’

(ICT) commonly used in western countries.

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implementation measures under respective strategic goals. In this respect, the EMB of the Hong Kong SAR Government commissioned the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) to conduct Phase (I) Study on Evaluating the Effectiveness of the ‘Empowering Learning and Teaching with Information Technology’ Strategy (2004/2007) (Second ITEd Strategy) for systematic review of the progress of various ITEd initiatives or projects and timely recommendations on the way forward for ITEd. The findings collected will be used by Phase (II) Study on Evaluating the Effectiveness of the ‘Empowering Learning and Teaching with Information Technology’ Strategy (2004/2007)² as appropriate. Moreover, this Study has established a mechanism to track the progress of various ITEd initiatives or projects and retrieve useful information from the school, student and community levels with a well-defined knowledge management model for upkeeping and analysing relevant data for subsequent continuous evaluation to inform future policies.

1.2 Scope and Objective of the Study

The main objectives of the Study are:

a. to review the application of ITEd as related to school, teacher and student practices as well as the involvement of the community sector in ITEd;

b. to review the progress of the ITEd projects as from 2004/05 to 2006/07 school years; and c. to recommend necessary adjustments to the implementation of relevant projects as

appropriate.

Given the above main objectives, the scope of this Study is as follows:

a. to draw up a set of indicators for evaluating the effectiveness of the Second ITEd Strategy with respect to each of the following seven strategic goals -

y Empowering learners with IT;

y Empowering teachers with IT;

y Enhancing school leadership for the knowledge age;

y Enriching digital resources for learning;

y Improving IT infrastructure and pioneering pedagogy using IT;

y Providing continuous research and development; and

y Promoting community-wide support and community building;

b. to develop instruments with respect to the target stakeholder groups [including school heads, ITEd Team members, teachers, students and parents of primary, secondary and special schools as well as the Community Group such as tertiary institutions, publishers, IT-related organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs)] based on the set of indicators identified in (a) for cross-sectional data collection to be conducted at 2 intervals, i.e.

October 2005 and October 2006;

2 Phase (II) Study on Evaluating the Effectiveness of the ‘Empowering Learning and Teaching with Information Technology’ Strategy (2004/2007) aims at evaluating the impact of IT on empowering students’ learning in selected key learning areas and drawing on the results of Phase (I) Study to conclude the overall effectiveness of the Strategy as well as to recommend the way forward beyond 2006/07 school years.

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c. to devise representative and statistically significant sample schemes of target stakeholders in each type of schools (i.e. primary, secondary and special) as well as other community groups and organisations and to conduct -

y a pilot test prior to the data collection as mentioned in (b) to test the instruments designed as well as to refine (a) and (b) above; and

y two cross-sectional studies in October 2005 and October 2006 in accordance with (a), (b) and any necessary refinements on the instruments and logistics for the second data collection;

d. to establish a mechanism to collect the requisite data on a continual basis in respect of the seven goals of the Second ITEd Strategy and to classify such data into a data bank based on a knowledge management model; and

e. to recommend necessary adjustments to the implementation of the ITEd projects as appropriate.