New Interpretation of Extracurricular Activities via Social Networking Sites: A Case Study of Artificial Intelligence Learning at a Secondary School in Hong Kong

During the COVID-19 pandemic, attending after-school activities now becomes a luxury to students, which used to establish interests, friendships and social networks in an informal setting. Students lost contact with peers and teachers and were forced to attend blended courses at home, which may constitute threats to their non-academic issues, especially social needs and mental health of the most vulnerable students. This article overviews a new interpretation of extracurricular activities (ECAs) to teach artificial intelligence (AI) via a social networking site (SNS) among junior secondary school students in Hong Kong. A three-stage action research with the use of semi-structured interviews, motivational surveys and lesson observation was conducted. Based on how students perceived such pedagogical changes, the teachers employed various strategies to transform the “after-school” activities online. The investigation presented the planning processes on how to transform the informal learning activities to an online mode via SNSs that can reach the roles of ECAs in schooling. Our study indicated that meaningful activities rely on teachers’ leading role to build a collaborative social media environment in order to facilitate social engagement among students

Technology education in Hong Kong: trends, challenges and potentials

While education promotes technological changes, it also responds to technological changes. Technology education, with the concept of applying technology to solve problems and satisfy needs and wants, aims to develop individuals’ knowledge, skills, attitudes and values in order to maximizing their adaptability and flexibility for future employment. As a field of study, technology education was internationally recognized in the 1980s, but the history of teaching craft-based and skill-oriented subjects in secondary schools in Hong Kong began in the 1920s. Students at that time were simply needed to acquire basic technical skills and gain practical experience to prepare for earning a living. Not until the mid-1970s was the higher order design element integrated into the curriculum of the local technology education to provide students with opportunities to practise problem-solving skills. Now, technology education is a part of general education in Hong Kong. In alignment with the global education trend, by combining science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, STEM education is currently being highly promoted in local schools. Besides, sustainability is a global issue of immense importance. Hong Kong, like many other cities in the world, has implemented various strategic measures to achieve sustainability. Theoretical perspectives on sustainable development under three topics, namely value position, nature of the proposed responses and structure of the proposed responses to this issue, as suggested in the literature, revealed that technology education can effectively contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD). A coherent and cross-curricular approach across all STEM subjects can be adopted in local secondary schools for ESD. This paper reviews the trends and challenges of technology education and STEM education in Hong Kong, discusses overseas experiences on integrating ESD through technology education into the school curricula, and describes case studies in the context of STEM education for introducing green design and green products as recommended in the literature to be beneficial to the future ESD

Physical Rehabilitation in the Management of Symptomatic Adult Scoliosis

Scoliosis is prevalent in elderlies over the age of 60. Of the different curve types, the thoracolumbar curve is the most common curve type operated upon, as it is associated with marked trunk shift and disability. Current physiotherapy treatments consist of electrotherapy, aquatic exercises, core-strengthening exercises, and dry needling. Outcome of these treatments has not been satisfactory. Long-term successful rate of conservative treatment of symptomatic adult scoliosis is low, as the treatment addresses symptoms but not the biomechanics involved in adult scoliosis. Recent studies have shown that physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercises (PSSE) and bracing stabilized the curves in 80% of the subjects. Thus PSSE and bracing should be added to the standard physiotherapy care in the management of symptomatic adult scoliosis. For asymptomatic patients with thoracolumbar curve that has an increased risk of progression, PSSE should be considered as preventative exercises. Patients who do not respond to conservative treatments and have significant spinal stenosis should be referred for surgery

Designing 3D-Printed Smart-Sole Shoes for the Elderly: Examining Appearance Acceptance in Hong Kong

This research seeks to investigate the footwear appearance preferences of elderly individuals in Hong Kong to develop comfortable 3D-printed midsole smart sole shoes. By analyzing the participants’ design requirements on shoe aesthetics, the findings will aid footwear manufacturers in developing shoes that meet the design preferences of elderly individuals, thereby improving their comfort and style. This study highlights the significance of considering shoe aesthetics as a crucial parameter in footwear design for the elderly population. Ultimately, the successful development of comfortable and stylish shoes can promote increased mobility and enhance the quality of life for this demographic group

Morphological characterization of nevi on the caruncle conjunctiva under in vivo confocal microscopy

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the microscopic structure and characteristics of nevi on the conjunctiva of the lacrimal caruncle by in vivo confocal microscopy.MethodsIn total, four patients with nevi growing on the lacrimal caruncle conjunctiva were recruited. The morphological characteristics of the nevi were evaluated by in vivo confocal microscopy before excision surgery; the results were compared with histopathological analyses of the surgical specimens.ResultsThe nevi of the four patients were all located at the conjunctiva of the lacrimal caruncle, with a slightly nodular surface, mixed black and brown color, and clear boundary. The nevi were round and highly protruded on the surface of the lacrimal caruncle, with an average diameter of 4.5 ± 1.29 mm. Under in vivo confocal microscopy, the pigmented nevus cells on the conjunctiva of the lacrimal caruncle were observed to be clustered in nests with irregular boundaries. The cells were round or irregular, with clear cell boundaries, hyper-reflective at the periphery, with low reflectivity in the center. Vascular crawling was observed in some regions. Histopathological analysis showed that nevus cells were roughly equal in size and distributed in a nodular pattern. Melanin granules were observed in the cytoplasm. No atypia or mitotic figures of the cells were found.ConclusionThis study revealed that the microstructure of nevi growing on the conjunctiva of the lacrimal caruncle can be identified by in vivo confocal microscopy

Optimal Investment in Defined Contribution Pension Schemes with Forward Utility Preferences

Optimal investment strategies of an individual worker during the accumulation phase in the defined contribution pension scheme have been well studied in the literature. Most of them adopted the classical backward model and approach, but any pre-specifications of retirement time, preferences, and market environment models do not often hold in such a prolonged horizon of the pension scheme. Pre-commitment to ensure the time-consistency of an optimal investment strategy derived from the backward model and approach leads the supposedly optimal strategy to be sub-optimal in the actual realizations. This paper revisits the optimal investment problem for the worker during the accumulation phase in the defined contribution pension scheme, via the forward preferences, in which an environment-adapting strategy is able to hold optimality and time-consistency together. Stochastic partial differential equation representation for the worker's forward preferences is illustrated. This paper constructs two of the forward utility preferences and solves the corresponding optimal investment strategies, in the cases of initial power and exponential utility functions

從《閱微草堂筆記》探析清代同性戀形象

在嚴格的禁娼令下，清代曾發展出一股與別不同的風潮：男風。這份同性間的情欲與現代的同性戀頗有相似，卻在根本定義上迥然不同。《閱微草堂筆記》從傳統士大夫的視野出發，記載了清代不同階級下的同性戀風貌，為讀者塑造出全面而深入的清代同性戀形象。本論文將透過這本小說所反映的情感結構，探析清代同性戀的文學及現實形象，並就故事情節、作者立場等角度還原他們的生存環境及社會主流思想，從而分析清代與現代在同性戀問題上的異同，以及女同性戀在文學作品中被忽略的現象

論《剪燈新話》中人鬼婚戀對女性文學形象的重建 : 〈以金鳳釵記〉、〈牡丹燈記〉和〈綠衣人傳〉為例

《剪燈新話》成於明洪武十一年，隨即因其獨特的思想題材而受到當時文人歡迎。作者瞿佑在序中提及《剪燈新話》旨於「勸善懲惡」，所記之事都是「遠不出百年，近止在數載」，能一定程度上反映元明時期的社會現實。凌雲翰亦以「造意之奇，措詞之妙，粲然自成一家」評之，可見其具有相當的文學價值。再者，《剪燈新話》興起後不斷出現如《剪燈餘話》、《覓燈因話》等仿效之作，甚至流傳到海外促使諸如越南之《傳奇漫錄》、日本之《奇異雜記談》、朝鮮之《金鰲新話》等作品，不但為明清小說發展甚至漢文化區文學帶來深遠影響。 雖然《剪燈新話》中的愛情題材作品共有九篇，然而涉及人鬼婚戀卻只有金鳳釵記、牡丹燈記與綠衣人傳三篇。本文將先論證中國傳統文學對女性形象的建構，再就上述三篇分別論證《剪燈新話》對女性形象的重建。首先借西方社會學家福柯Michel Foucault對權力和知識(Power/Knowledge)的理論分析金鳳釵記的兩性地位。然後，借西方電影批評家勞拉·穆爾維(Laura Mulvey)的男性凝視(male gaze)分析的男性凝視。最後借明清時期「唯情」一派學說分析綠衣人傳的「情至」觀念