Education for all – but not Hong Kong’s ethnic minority students

Abstract: School participation rates in Hong Kong are acknowledged to be high but not always for the city’s ethnic minority students. Case study was used to portray the ‘out of school’ phenomenon for ethnic minority students at a secondary school in Hong Kong through the experiences of one such ethnic minority student. Morshed, a Pakistani student, participated with the researchers in an unstructured in-depth interview. In addition, interviews were also conducted with the principal, two teachers, and one support staff from the school. The study showed the complex interaction of school contexts and personal life issues that influenced Morshed’s dropping out of school. Implications are drawn for providing better school support that can facilitate more positive schooling experiences for Hong Kong’s ethnic minority students

Chapter 35 Digital Learning for Developing Asian Countries

Education – that is, the development of knowledge, skills, and values – is an important means by which to empower individuals in a society. As both a means towards and an outcome of gaining the capabilities necessary to participate in and contribute to society, education is an essential enabler in many social aspects, such as economic growth, poverty reduction, public health, and sustainable development, especially in today’s knowledge society. At the same time, however, education can still be a social institution that reflects and reproduces the social, cultural, and economic disadvantages that prevail in the rest of society (Bourdieu & Passeron, 1990). For example, students who are discriminated against socio-culturally or who are economically poor are more likely to receive an education that is characterized by inadequate infrastructure, few qualified teachers and encouraging peers, and outmoded pedagogical practices, which often results in a lower quality of life

Educational digital technologies in developing countries challenge third party providers

In this conceptual paper, we consider issues and challenges of third party and governmental organisations in planning and implementing access to and uses of digital technologies for learning and teaching in developing countries. We consider failures and weaknesses in the planning and implementation processes highlighted by research in developed countries (as well as successes supporting implementation). We problematise these issues and challenges, conceptualise them in order to focus on longer-term rather than shorter-term ones, and offer new alternative models and ways of conceiving these practices for future sustainability

Spin-orbit torque in Pt/CoNiCo/Pt symmetric devices

Current induced magnetization switching by spin-orbit torques offers an energy-efficient means of writing information in heavy metal/ferromagnet (FM) multilayer systems. The relative contributions of field-like torques and damping-like torques to the magnetization switching induced by the electrical current are still under debate. Here, we describe a device based on a symmetric Pt/FM/Pt structure, in which we demonstrate a strong damping-like torque from the spin Hall effect and unmeasurable field-like torque from Rashba effect. The spin-orbit effective fields due to the spin Hall effect were investigated quantitatively and were found to be consistent with the switching effective fields after accounting for the switching current reduction due to thermal fluctuations from the current pulse. A non-linear dependence of deterministic switching of average Mzon the in-plane magnetic field was revealed, which could be explained and understood by micromagnetic simulation

Electric field control of deterministic current-induced magnetization switching in a hybrid ferromagnetic/ferroelectric structure

All-electrical and programmable manipulations of ferromagnetic bits are highly pursued for the aim of high integration and low energy consumption in modern information technology1, 2, 3. Methods based on the spin–orbit torque switching4, 5, 6 in heavy metal/ferromagnet structures have been proposed with magnetic field7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and are heading toward deterministic switching without external magnetic field16, 17. Here we demonstrate that an in-plane effective magnetic field can be induced by an electric field without breaking the symmetry of the structure of the thin film, and realize the deterministic magnetization switching in a hybrid ferromagnetic/ferroelectric structure with Pt/Co/Ni/Co/Pt layers on PMN-PT substrate. The effective magnetic field can be reversed by changing the direction of the applied electric field on the PMN-PT substrate, which fully replaces the controllability function of the external magnetic field. The electric field is found to generate an additional spin–orbit torque on the CoNiCo magnets, which is confirmed by macrospin calculations and micromagnetic simulations

Piezo voltage controlled planar hall effect devices

The electrical control of the magnetization switching in ferromagnets is highly desired for future spintronic applications. Here we report on hybrid piezoelectric (PZT)/ferromagnetic (Co2FeAl) devices in which the planar Hall voltage in the ferromagnetic layer is tuned solely by piezo voltages. The change of planar Hall voltage is associated with magnetization switching through 90° in the plane under piezo voltages. Room temperature magnetic NOT and NOR gates are demonstrated based on the piezo voltage controlled Co2FeAl planar Hall effect devices without the external magnetic field. Our demonstration may lead to the realization of both information storage and processing using ferromagnetic materials

Intercultural sensitivity and prosocial behavior towards South Asians in Hong Kong: mediating mechanisms of warmth and stigma

Previous research shows that intercultural sensitivity is associated with a myriad of positive outcomes. However, few studies have examined the mechanisms for why and how it is related to positive experiences. To fill the gap in the literature, the present study tested the mediating roles of warmth and stigma between intercultural sensitivity and prosocial behaviors towards South Asians in Hong Kong. A total of 151 Chinese university students in Hong Kong (107 female, 70.86%), ranging in age from 18 to 26 years (M = 21.31; SD = 1.77), completed a self-report questionnaire that assessed the variables under study. Structural equation modeling was conducted to investigate the mediation model. The findings revealed that intercultural sensitivity was related to greater warmth towards South Asians. Greater warmth was, in turn, related to lower stigma, which was then associated with greater prosocial behavior towards South Asians in Hong Kong. Bootstrapping analysis further showed that warmth and stigma were mediators between intercultural sensitivity and prosocial behavior. The present study adds new evidence to the literature by demonstrating the correlates of intercultural sensitivity. Specifically, the findings demonstrate the mediating roles of warmth and stigma between intercultural sensitivity and prosocial behavior towards ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. As a practical implication, this study calls for policies to increase positive intercultural encounters in the public and across service sectors in the society. To holistically understand and enhance positive intercultural encounters, it is therefore crucial to examine both positive and negative correlates between ethnic groups

Chapter 35 Digital Learning for Developing Asian Countries

Education – that is, the development of knowledge, skills, and values – is an important means by which to empower individuals in a society. As both a means towards and an outcome of gaining the capabilities necessary to participate in and contribute to society, education is an essential enabler in many social aspects, such as economic growth, poverty reduction, public health, and sustainable development, especially in today’s knowledge society. At the same time, however, education can still be a social institution that reflects and reproduces the social, cultural, and economic disadvantages that prevail in the rest of society (Bourdieu & Passeron, 1990). For example, students who are discriminated against socio-culturally or who are economically poor are more likely to receive an education that is characterized by inadequate infrastructure, few qualified teachers and encouraging peers, and outmoded pedagogical practices, which often results in a lower quality of life

Educational Digital Technologies in Developing Countries Challenge Third Party Providers.

In this conceptual paper, we consider issues and challenges of third party and governmental organisations in planning and implementing access to and uses of digital technologies for learning and teaching in developing countries. We consider failures and weaknesses in the planning and implementation processes highlighted by research in developed countries (as well as successes supporting implementation). We problematise these issues and challenges, conceptualise them in order to focus on longer-term rather than shorter-term ones, and offer new alternative models and ways of conceiving these practices for future sustainability.13 Halama