Perusall, a web-based collaborative reading platform characterised by its social annotation functionalities, was introduced in a postgraduate teacher-training language-awareness course in Hong Kong during the shift to online teaching and learning brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Tasks were designed on Perusall to engage the…

Instructional technologists can succeed in implementing 21st-century skills instruction only when those skills are seen as relevant to the pressing agendas that coexist in their schools. Otherwise they run the risk of being just more noise that teachers must respond to and may filter out. So how can they be seen as part of the solution instead of…

Despite the common belief that information and communication technology (ICT) has the potential to support certain fundamental changes in learning, few have examined ICT implementation conceptually within a wider context of educational change. Methodologically, we are by and large limited to building simple models that accommodate only a single…

Since the last decade, the use of computer algebra systems at the Hong Kong school level is still very limited. Among various reasons behind, the lack of exposure of this kind of software to local school teachers should be taken into account. In this article, we describe how to introduce MAPLE in a BEd module of a local teacher-training programme.…

To ensure their teaching quality, it is important for student teachers to undertake self reflection on their teaching performance after supervised teaching sessions. With the goal of sharpening the teaching competence of student teachers, a dual function system that uses web based and video based technologies is being developed to facilitate self…

This article presents the reports from the international research correspondents (IRCs) on the topic of second-language issues and multiculturalism through an informal polling using a questionnaire in six countries. The participating IRCs include: (1) Marta Infante of Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Chile; (2) Anita Poon of Hong Kong…

Presents an overview of the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in Hong Kong's education, focusing on the school sector. Discusses the recent history of using computers in Hong Kong, explaining the government's current ICT policy and reviewing the status of ICT implementation in terms of access and connectivity, teacher…

Describes the enthusiastic support of parents and early childhood educators for including computer activities in programs for young children in Hong Kong. Describes the current status of computer environments in Hong Kong kindergartens, noting the lack of curriculum guidelines for integrating computers into classrooms, the lack of resources to…

Examines the integration of information technology (IT) at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, presenting the rationale for this move, characteristics of IT integration, and program development issues for making IT application a critical component of contemporary teacher education. The paper presents a framework for program development and…

The integration of technology into the curriculum is a key issue in today's schools. Whether technology should be used in schools is no longer an issue. Instead, the current emphasis is ensuring that technology is used effectively to create new opportunities for learning and to promote student achievement (The North Regional Educational…

This paper discusses the amount of vocabulary required by students learning in a second language to comprehend academic texts, explaining that a wide vocabulary is essential for reading comprehension and for speaking and writing clearly. It highlights an assessment of the vocabulary levels of students entering Hong Kong University, which found…

This article describes "Words in Your Ear," a vocabulary learning program for tertiary Chinese students who are learners of English at the University of Hong Kong, noting the University's 3-year partnership agreement with IBM to provide notebook computers to first-year students and provide new collaborative research opportunities for…

Outlines the development of information technology (IT) in education in Hong Kong from its beginnings in the 1980s. Reports on how Hong Kong's schools have moved toward online learning and analyzes difficulties they have been encountering in the process. Suggests that the major impediment to technology integration in education comes from beliefs…

Describes examples of electronic field trips for elementary and secondary school students taking place during the 1996-97 school year. Topics include Mayan civilization, wildlife migration, geothermal hot spots, Antarctica, sailboat voyages, baseball and math, viruses, Hong Kong, and offerings from National Geographic. (LRW)

Formerly known as the AB Learning Institute, the University of ABC (ABCU), was established by the ABC Government in 1989. ABCU offers courses leading to numerous academic qualifications through the distance education mode using mainly print based materials that are supplemented by audio, video, computer assisted elements, and increasingly, the…