Professional development of ICT integration for secondary school teachers in Hong Kong: Towards a peer support enhanced model

Although information and communication technology (ICT) has gradually become a standard teaching technology in schools in many countries and regions like Hong Kong, the implementation of ICT in teaching and learning in schools still fails to meet high government and public expectations. This study was an investigation into the potential of peer support to enhance professional development of ICT integration for secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. The study utilized peer support as a social approach to professional development and employed action research to examine the experiences of ten secondary school teachers who worked in five peer support groups for sixteen months. A peer support model was introduced to the participants who then applied these principles in their own contexts. Data on participants' reflections and evaluations of the peer support process was collected through individual interviews and peer-group conferences. Each participant was interviewed at the beginning, middle and end of the research period and each peer group was interviewed at the end of the project. By employing a grounded theory approach, themes related to the participants' experiences of peer support for ICT integration and the impact of peer support as a means of professional development were generated from the data. The study's findings indicate that the participants responded positively to peer support as a means of professional development. Peer support was successful in: increasing professional interactions; broadening perspectives of ICT; increasing reflection; and providing personal and emotional support. From an analysis of the study's findings, in conjunction with a review of the appropriate literature, a teacher professional development model for ICT integration has been developed that may be helpful in furthering the goal of successful ICT integration. This model focuses on the importance of intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic incentives and is based on a developmental process in which individual teachers determine their own practice through peer support enhanced critical reflection that continually expands their personal context of ICT integration

Confidence in assessment decisions when using ICT

The central question addressed in this paper is: How can teachers and schools have confidence in their assessment decisions when using information communication technologies (ICT)? The answer centres on what makes quality assessment. Assessing and evaluating children’s achievement and progress is critical to development of sound curriculum programmes that focus on student outcomes. With the increasing use of ICT in schools and classrooms for a range of assessment purposes such as recording, data analysis and online activities, teachers and school leaders must be assessment capable in order to make informed decisions about assessment design, selection and modification that utilises ICT. Based on examining assessment purpose and the three principles of quality assessment (validity, reliability and manageability), this paper offers guidelines for classroom teachers, those with responsibility for student achievement and those who lead ICT policy and practice in schools to be critical consumers of ICT-based assessment tools, strategies and evidence. Vignettes of assessment practice using ICT are used to illustrate sound school and classroom practices in relation to validity, reliability, and manageability. Drawing from the work of assessment writers such as Crooks, Sutton, and Darr, the guidelines will assist teachers in the effective use of ICT for both formal and informal information gathering as well as for analysis and interpretation of information for summative and formative purposes. This knowledge is needed to underpin teacher confidence in their assessment decisions when using ICT towards ‘best fit’ for purpose

Meeting the growing demand for engineers and their educators: the potential for open and distance learning

As with all teaching, open and distance approaches are successful only if based on good pedagogical design addressing the purpose, structure and pace of the material, hence engaging students and encouraging active learning. For distance learning such pedagogical design is often expensive, and can only be justified by comparatively large student numbers. Much open and distance teaching offers meagre student support. To be successful, course developers must integrate student support into the learning materials, including such elements as a modest number of face-to-face sessions or electronic communication at a distance. This presentation discusses these issues in the context of SET distance teaching and presents examples of good practice from the UKOU, including: • an introductory course in ICT that adopts an issues-based approach, in order to de-mystify the subject and make it more attractive to students • resource-based approaches in engineering education • team projects at a distance • an emphasis on ‘active learning’ An argument is also to be made for the importance of openness if we really wish to promote engineering. In this context ‘openness’ means making programmes available to all students (even those without formal school-leaving qualifications) that will ultimately enable them to qualify as a professional engineer or an educator of engineers. The traditional approach to engineering education has been hierarchical and linear: a good school leaving certificate in mathematics / science followed by an often very theoretical university education plus an application-oriented final project. If we are serious about attracting new engineers, this will no longer do. An open and distance approach to engineering formation, based on outcomes rather than input educational levels, and with an emphasis on lifelong learning and professional development, can make a major contribution to chang