Learner-centered learning in digital classrooms for the development of twenty-first century skills

This talk highlights the e-Learning experience in Hong Kong primary schools for discussing the ways of forwarding learner-centered learning in digital classrooms for the development of twenty-first century skills. The talk first reports the results of a recent census survey on the readiness of Hong Kong primary schools in three areas important for the implementation of digital classrooms – infrastructure provision, curriculum integration and professional development. Local primary schools are found to be ready to start the ad hoc use of a small amount of portable computing devices for learner-centered learning activities; but yet to equip every general classroom with sufficient amount of computers to facilitate each student to learn with IT during subject lessons. Local primary school teachers are found to be ready to use IT for supporting day-to-day teaching, but yet to adapt to the use of IT for promoting learner-centered learning among students. Based on the survey results, the talk then discusses the policy support needed by primary schools to acquire portable computing devices and wireless connectivity, as well as to provide sustainable and scalable teacher development for meeting the new demands on digital classrooms for developing twenty-first century skills. Copyright © 2013 Graduated Institute of Learning and Instruction, National Central University, Taiwan. Department of Engineering Science, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan.