How often are we frustrated with the students who are not able to state the key words in their answers for Science? With the use of Intellectual Standards (IS) [Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Framework 2002], teachers can guide our students to think more critically by focussing on six out of nine intellectual standards: clarity, logic, accuracy, precision, relevance, and significance. Students could use IS to check for the clarity of questions, then self-evaluate and refine their answers to demonstrate their understanding. Physics lesson packages are designed using IS with suggested answers and standard O-level marking schemes to help students in applying critical thinking skills across the different topics. 

Date: [*Postponed] 20 July 2023 (Thu)

Mode of Delivery: Face-to-face workshop

Registration: Search for the course code PHY-000044 in OPAL2.0, or by clicking on the link here

Understanding how students learn Physics concepts is a complex endeavour. In this workshop, participants will learn about one of the evidence-based learning strategies, spaced retrieval practice, to deepen students’ understanding in their subject areas. Through this strategy, students can become more self-directed learners and show more interest in classroom activities that help them build their conceptual understanding. Furthermore, teachers could identify students who are having difficulties in understanding the concepts and come up with further interventions to help them.

Date: [Updated!] 27 July 2023 (Thu)

Mode of Delivery: Face-to-face workshop

Registration: Search for the course code PHY-000041 in OPAL2.0, or by clicking on the link here

This workshop shares how to provide high school students with STEM learning opportunities through basic coding and the use of smart devices, with examples related to the Science and Physics curricula. The school programmes include: Introduction to microcontroller workshop for the Secondary Two science students, prototyping projects using microcontrollers for the Secondary Three students and selected Secondary Four students; and learning concepts and applications in the Secondary Four Physics course. Each participant will receive a complimentary basic microcontroller kit and experience hands-on activities using microcontrollers. Samples of projects, learning reflections, and survey results would also be shared.

Date: 21 March 2023 (Tue)

Mode of Delivery: Face-to-face workshop

Registration: Search for the course code PHY-000042 in OPAL2.0, or by clicking on the link here

Traditionally, student science experiments are used in the science curricula to let the students discover and measure phenomena that they are studying. Experimental setups can range from rudimentary (e.g., a stopwatch to measure the fall of a rock) to highly elaborate (E.g. using spectrometer to measure) ones. 

A key parameter for successful learning is student engagement. Engagement can take the form of hands-on activity where students participate actively in the development or modification of the measuring instrument. Recent developments in the Arduino microcontroller device have allowed it to be used as data logger. Its low-cost and publicly available support can encourage sharing of ideas, tinkering and creativity amongst the students. 

In terms of pedagogy, such an engaging environment is ideally suited to a project-based learning (PBL) framework. In this workshop, we will look at how the Arduino can be used to improve student engagement in data collection.

Date: 4 April 2023 (Tue)

Mode of Delivery: Face-to-face workshop

Registration: Search for the course code PHY-000043 in OPAL2.0, or by clicking on the link here