GEL1008 Organisation of Life Wide Learning Activities_Reflection
A rapid development is taking place in society. In order to stay up with the new generation, there is a need to alter the traditional thoughts as well as to equip ourselves with updated knowledge.
There was a curriculum reform in Hong Kong’s education in 2002 because the knowledge that was taught in the formal lessons of the school curriculum was thought to rarely meet the demands of the 21st century. Life-wide Learning was introduced as one of the aims of the 2002 curriculum reform to allow every student to achieve all-round development in the domains according to his/her individual qualities (Hong Kong Education Commission, 2000). Life-wide Learning education then becomes another way of learning in the school system.
The purpose of Life-wide Learning is to extend student learning outside of the classroom and into other learning settings so that students may study in real-world situations and accomplish learning objectives that are more challenging to accomplish through classroom instruction alone (Education Bureau, 2017). I believe that the government has a good intention to implement the program in order to make changes to the education systems, so that students could be equipped with the skills needed for the future development. The industry is changing from mechanization in 1780 to digitalization now and personalization in the future (Maddikunta et al., 2022), making the current society significantly different from the past. There is a tendency toward using technology to save manpower and boost productive forces (Matuszak, 2022). The generational transition highlights the necessity for individuals to adapt to the times and the fact that they cannot interact with the new generation using their past knowledge and abilities. Although it is claimed that humans will not be replaced by robots during the industrial revolution, evidence suggests that approximately one-third of the workforce in Germany and the US may need to find employment in other occupations, and they may suffer as a result (Manyika et al., 2022). Therefore, in order to succeed, one must possess the necessary knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values for the next generation, which is the twenty-first century.
Despite the importance of reading and numeracy, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Future of Education and Skills 2030 (OECD, 2020) states that vital aspects of human intelligence that are important for success in the twenty-first century should also be a part of the core foundation of learning. Data and digital literacy, physical and mental health, and social and emotional skills are among the key pillars that have been set in place (OECD, 2020). When reviewing the Hong Kong education system, it is clear that an undue focus is placed on reciting knowledge, which demands that students accurately retain facts, and that the “spoon-fed” method of education will not encourage critical thinking or engaging student discussions (Project, 2020). Furthermore, Hong Kong students are under a lot of strain because of the strong rivalry in the school and the enormous daily homework (Salili, Lai, & Leung, 2004). Traditional teaching’s instructional instruments and techniques are out of date (Law et al., 2022). It seems that regular school education has several shortcomings and is insufficient to prepare students for the future. On the other hand, there are several benefits to the Life-wide Learning including the fact that it provides students with important learning experiences that they would not be able to obtain through formal education and places a heavy emphasis on “learning-focused” learning (Yip, 2002). Importantly, it allows students to develop the skills essential for lifelong learning in our rapidly changing environment and supports their fulfilment of whole-person development (Hong Kong Education Commission, 2000).
Brief introduction of the Activity
It was delightful to have the opportunity to organize an outing for primary school students on November 6, 2022, in an effort to compensate for the absence of experiential learning and multi-sensory activities in the primary astronomy curriculum. The activity aimed to spark students’ interest, enrich, and solidify students’ astronomical knowledge. Participants ranged in grade levels from fifth to sixth. The entire day’s activities included visiting the Space Museum, constructing pinhole projectors, observing and recording the sun, as well as various team-building exercises and games (detailed activity flow see appendix). The Solar System, Space, and the Eight Planets, which are covered in the Primary School General Studies curriculum, are the activity's central topics. Since these are abstract notions that are difficult to absorb through lectures, we designed this activity employing multi-sensory teaching experience activities to assist students in processing astronomical material (Alberti, 2019). It is emphasized that students should be given a say when preparing an activity (Education Bureau, 2017), I functioned as a bridge between the team and the participants, attempting to collect comments from the kids and include their voices in activity preparation. Apart from site visits, the activity used a variety of innovative techniques to spark the learners’ interests, such as Kahoot games, group discussions, group activities, and so on, as learning mediums. For better memorization and learning, the team used examples that were highly applicable to the students’ daily life (Chau, 2014). In planning the activity, the team looked to the Pragmatism and Life-wide Learning Experience: A Quality Framework, hoping to provide students the chance to “learning by doing” and a quality Life-wide Learning experience.
Various essences were necessary to support a quality Life-wide Learning experience. Our activity had certain goals and objectives that were laid out in advance. Each team member was given a specific role to play in instructing or briefing students so that they could receive prompt help if they encountered any difficulties throughout the activity and thus to improve learning effectiveness. To ensure that no kid felt left behind, we also attended to their needs during the preparation process and the activity. The activity was not just for the participants’ enjoyment; it also served to make students more aware of their own experiences and train their problem-solving skills as well as connect what they have learnt to the General Studies curriculum. The team seized the opportunity to perform a “Learning-focused” activity that extended the curriculum outside of the classroom and enabled pupils to acquire new skills (Yip, 2002). We carried out a thorough risk assessment to make sure the activity can proceed without incident. The participants’ safety was taken into consideration, but also the rundown and backup plan. Since the activity was self-organized, I realized that some parents would not feel comfortable letting their kids participate, so I sought resources and volunteers to help the activity so that every student would be watched over by at least one adult. It was known that the team had a legal responsibility to safeguard the students, so we worked hard to keep them safe. On the other side, I also served as an inspector to keep an eye on the whole picture. The students were satisfied with all the arrangements of the program. Multiple assessment instruments were prepared by the team in order to gather their views and those of their teammates. Ideally, we all consider the activity enjoyable. Even though it was a one-time event, if the activity had been a long-term undertaking with a few brief sessions, we may have explored more GS curriculum subjects to give students a more dynamic and engaging learning environment.
For me, it was really a valuable opportunity to organize a Life-wide Learning activity. Making a proposal could be easy but putting it into practice requires far more effort than we realize. There may be many unforeseen things taking place, therefore the person in charge must be vigilant, ready to react to any changes, and prepared to provide problem-solving skills, so as to solve the problems. During the planning and implementation of the activity, not only were my soft skills strengthened, but also my capacity to conduct a Life-wide Learning activity and maintain positive relationships with all stakeholders. Most importantly, I discovered how to find resources that would assist the work. It is common knowledge that the Life-wide Learning activity has a financial budget (Student Activities Support Grant; EDB Circular No. 17/2019); if our activity consumes too much of the budget, students won't have as much money to spend on engaging in other activities. It would thus be easier to convince the school to let me run extra Life-wide Learning activities to expose the pupils to a range of viewpoints if the cost of the activity could be decreased because I could find more ways to fund it.
To conclude, Life-wide Learning activity is a good strategy to compensate for the insufficiency of formal education. It is advantageous for students’ mental health and for learning to take place in a new atmosphere that is free from stress. It has long been scandalous that formal education uses far too many model answers, which have restricted students' development to a particular point. However, it is reasonable that not all schools and classes may have access to sufficient funding to carry out a wide range of activities that cater to the requirements of each student. Hong Kong society is going through certain transitions just in time, so maybe the government could place more of an emphasis on life-wide learning education in the next education reform.
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