Promoting ‘New Literacies' in Hong Kong Schools
with The University of Hong Kong
We are participating in the QEF-funded professional development and research project, Promoting ‘New Literacies' in Hong Kong Schools, conducted by Matthew Clarke (principal investigator), Margaret Lo, Jasmine Luk and Svetlana Chigaeva (co-investigators) from the Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong. As a pupil of the participating school, our students are invited to take part in this project.
The term ‘New Literacies' refers to the dramatic changes to the ways people communicate in recent years as a result of digital technologies, the internet and the mass media. As educators, English language specialists and researchers, we believe that New Literacies education is fundamental to preparing Hong Kong students for using English in an informed and critical manner in the 21 st century.
Our project, which runs from September 2008 to August 2010, focuses on supporting the integration of new literacies in English language education in Hong Kong primary and secondary schools, and aims to build English Language teachers' confidence, skills and knowledge in
• developing students' ability to work with new, multimodal forms of text including popular, media and electronic texts
• developing students' critical and analytical skills in relation to these text
• connecting the teaching and learning of these new literacies to curricular aims
The study seeks to support teachers in understanding and implementing new literacies pedagogies in the English curriculum. The study also aims to identify and understand students' current literacy practices in and out of school and their experiences of literacy learning during the project. We hope to gain insight into the challenges and opportunities new literacies pedagogies present to students and teachers in Hong Kong schools.
School students who participate in this research will be involved in the project in the following ways:
• In the initial stage of the project (Sept-Nov 2008) students will complete a survey of their current literacy practices in and out of school such as use of the internet, or borrowing of library books, and their experiences of literacy learning. Some students may be interviewed in groups for 15-20 minutes to explore these areas further. English teachers and project researchers will collect samples of their work and will video-tape 2-4 English language lessons.
Photo 1.1
Photo 1.2
Our English teachers were discussing how to initiate the project with the co-investigator, Dr Svetlana Chigaeva.
• In the main stage of the project (Feb-July 2009) teachers will implement new literacies teaching strategies and materials in English language lessons. The lesson content and number of lessons will be planned by English teachers with support from a project researcher. These lessons will be videotaped and samples of students work will be collected.
• In the later stages of the project (Jul-Dec 2009) students will complete a post-project survey and participate in interviews on their experiences of new-literacies infused English language lessons.
• During the project, students' work, excerpts of videotaped lessons, and excerpts of students interviews may be posted on the project website by English teacher. All such materials will be carefully checked by the research team to ensure that they in no way pose any risk to any parties. The materials will also be checked by the schools and teachers concerned, and their approval be sought before the materials are posted on the website. Posted materials will be accessible by teachers and parents from the other participating schools/
• In the last stage of the project, the research team will create a DVD to document, disseminate and showcase innovative and effective new literacies education practices linked to high quality teaching and learning, in order to support improved performance in English language across the Hong Kong education system. Excerpts from English lessons, interviews and samples of our students' work may be used in this DVD. The materials for the DVD will be selected by English teachers and the researchers. The DVD will be distributed to all schools in Hong Kong by the QEF who will own the copyright to the DVD.
The project has the potential to increase our understanding of new literacies teaching and learning, to align literacy teaching and learning in Hong Kong schools with international best practices in this new area, and equip pupils with the knowledge and skills to meet the increasingly digital and technologically mediated forms of literacy that have currency in the 21 st century.
Now we are in the initial stage of the project, please browse the following website to understand more about the project and our progress.