Abstract:
Cyberbullying has become a serious public health concern. Past studies suggested that teachers’ intervention can significantly mitigate the harmful effects of cyber-bullying. Nevertheless, teachers can only detect or feel competent in intervening cyberbullying by possessing the relevant knowledge and awareness. As a leading university of teachers’ education, we have the obligation to train our students, the future educators, to acquire the necessary skills and self-efficacy to combat cyberbullying.
An innovative 6-session anti-cyberbullying programme through peer learning on an online platform was developed and implemented among students of EdUHK. Interactive course materials including specially designed vignette and interactive games of cyberbullying were viewed, commented and discussed by students with the aim to help them develop their own anti-cyberbullying initiative. The main goal was to enhance students’ knowledge and their self-efficacy in combating cyberbullying. Materials used for training were developed, and implemented, while the learning outcomes of the students were gathered and uploaded onto a website to demonstrate the fruitful outcome and to raise awareness of cyberbullying. It is believed the successful development of the e-learning materials will result in a huge potential for extensive implementation in the university and in other areas of the education sector in the future.
Code:
T0185
Principal Project Supervisors:
Keywords provided by authors:
Start Date:
07 Apr 2017
End Date:
06 Jul 2018
Status:
Completed
Result:
Over 100 students joined the study, with about half of them being randomly assigned to an intervention, i.e. E-course group, and about another half joined the control group. Pre (T1), post (T2) tests and comparisons between control vs. E-course group were made. Participants in the E-course group had higher scores on: awareness of cyberbullying, self-efficacy to combat cyberbullying, and higher intention and perceived behavioral control to help cyber-victims, at T2 than T1, while those in the control group displayed no difference between T1 and T2.
Impact:
According to the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) in the United Kingdom, educators should “use a range of approaches to teaching and learning, including information and communication technology (ICT) and educational technology where relevant...and develop strategies to manage behavior successfully and tackle bullying, including cyber and prejudice-based bullying” (Initial Teacher Education, 2014, p. 36). As a University which aims at promoting and supporting the strategic development of teacher education in Hong Kong, it is essential to equip our students with the relevant attitudes, awareness, knowledge, and self-efficacy o combat cyberbullying. The direct outcomes and impact of this project is to: increase the awareness toward cyberbullying among future educators; and to increase their proficiency and self-efficacy to combat cyberbullying. As compared with traditional face-to-face training programme, the proposed online course can be assessed whenever students have time, which could easily fit into the schedule of university students. This innovative way of learning enhances the learning motivation and provide useful insights for EdUHK students when they become educators in the future. In the long run, the programme itself also carries the potential to be developed into a voluntary non-credit bearing online course.
Deliverables:
Books/ Book Chapters/ Journal Articles/ Conference Papers
Leung, A. N. M., Wong, N., & Farver, J. M. (2019). Testing the effectiveness of an e-course to combat cyberbullying. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 22(9), 569-577. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2018.0609 (https://repository.eduhk.hk/en/publications/testing-the-effectiveness-of-an-e-course-to-combat-cyberbullying)
Seminars/Presentations/Sharing Sessions
Leung, N. M. A. & ten EdUHK students. (2018, July 10). Anti-Cyberbullying Workshops for Primary School Students (動員未來教育工作者：擊退網絡欺凌). Workshops conducted at a primary school in Tsing Yi. (No. of participants: 70 primary school participants) (https://cyberresearchhk.wixsite.com/anti-cyberbullying/learning-outcome)
Leung, N. M. A. (2018, January 18). A follow-up Anti-Cyberbullying Workshop for Primary School Students. Workshop conducted at the same primary school in Tsing Yi. (No. of participants: 70 primary school participant) (https://cyberresearchhk.wixsite.com/anti-cyberbullying/learning-outcome)
Teaching and Learning Resources/ Materials (including online resources)
Mobilizing Future Educators to Combat Cyberbullying Website: https://cyberresearchhk.wixsite.com/anti-cyberbullying (https://repository.eduhk.hk/en/publications/7111f9ce-9e24-4093-88df-e3c4...)
Financial Year:
2016-17
Type:
TDG