Abstract:
It has been acknowledged that nurturing students to be intellectually active, socially caring and globally aware is a key component of the HKIEd strategic plan (HKIEd, 2009). Preparing our students and graduates to achieve such goals is important to the institutional development. These targets are concerned with the support to our students to become independent, analytical, critical and creative learners and thinkers through relevant curriculum design and learning activities. In the implementation process, seeking evidence of change related to competences identified, developing a clear understanding of critical thinking in subject areas (MacPherson, 1999, Tapper, 2004), as well as identifying tangible evidence that supports effective learning and teaching (Thompson & Rebeschi, 1999, Angeli & Valanides, 2009), all are meaningful and essential.
Code:
T0080
Principal Project Supervisors:
Subjects:
Start Date:
01 Apr 2010
End Date:
31 Jul 2011
Status:
Completed
Result:
Project team produced a set of Outcome Learning Objectives (CILO) for each lecture based on the course outlines and progressions. Based on each set of CILO, the team produced some PBL scenarios for the students to work with a Care-Process PBL worksheet in groups. After some theoretical inputs by the lecturer, students worked on the PBL scenarios with the Care-Process PBL worksheet in groups. The scenarios were able to facilitate and stimulate students’ debate/ group discussion about the child’s health problem. The students sometimes needed to search further information in the library in order to solve the child-familial problems. Based on the learnt theories, the students were able to conceptualize the issues of the scenario in order to identify real problems for the child and his/her family. Based on the identified problems, a care plan and a set of care actions had been produced. Self-evaluation was also encouraged and comments from their peer were invited from the class.
Impact:
Based on the Institute-endorsed publication, Planning for the Future, Making a Difference, this project articulated and exemplified critical thinking as a graduate attribute, by using a modular learning approach. It made the following impact:
Articulated learning outcomes by describing the meaning and function of critical thinking in an early childhood education setting by drawing from the perspectives of undergraduate student teachers;
Identified the best practice of learning and teaching on the context of health and care for preschool children by setting up an experimental study based on a taxonomy of critical thinking and a framework of problem solving approach;
Aligned learning outcomes with education practice through the evaluation of research findings from the (1) problem-based class worksheet, (2) group work presentation, (3) final essay-typed assessment and its evaluation to establish the programme level descriptors and subject specific learning objectives in modular learning.
The project also helped students gain a powerful thinking tool of critical thinking for life. In addition, it consolidated a set of programme level descriptors and associated subject specific learning objectives to enhance learning and teaching, and to provide a guideline for curriculum development and quality assurance in health related subject learning.
Deliverables:
Outcome learning objectives: Promoting children health and well-being, Issues of child health and care, Protection of young children and well-being. (2011). Unpublished raw data. https://repository.eduhk.hk/en/publications/b85f5828-59ba-45cc-9ff2-7620...
Problem-based learning scenarios and the care-process PBL-worksheet. (2011). Unpublished raw data. https://repository.eduhk.hk/en/publications/0c3445bd-b4ad-4adf-8e92-42f8...
Financial Year:
2009-10
Type:
TDG