Together with the Design Thinking Team from the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), professional trainers that hold ample teaching experiences with theatre, expressive arts therapy and social work backgrounds, scholar from the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong, PMQ Seed has hosted and completed the “BETTER TOGETHER Train The Trainer Workshop” in June and July 2022. Offered to designers and creative professionals participating in this year’s educational programmes, as well as primary school teachers involved in the “BETTER TOGETHER School Outreach”, the workshop provided training on applied design thinking, children’s education, blended learning, and more. Participants were encouraged to make use of the relevant knowledge in their creative educational efforts. The training team will continue to offer professional advice for PMQ Seed’s educational programmes throughout the year.
“Design Thinking” is a human-centred way of thinking advocated by the renowned design consultant and agency IDEO in the nineties. It was later popularised in many commercial and educational institutions. “Design Thinking” drives its users to be more empathetic, to learn to discover and define problems from multiple perspectives and to ideate solutions by going through the cycle of trying, failing and improving as they enhance their collaboration and interpersonal communication skills along the way.
For the last couple of years, PMQ Seed has been introducing “Design Thinking” to our partners and participants from the education industry, in the hope that local school teachers will understand the methodology better as they assist their students in completing creative learning activities and applying “Design Thinking” in their future teaching. In this webinar, Mr Edwin Wong from the Design Thinking Team of the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) had given attendees an introduction to the methodology while Principal Cheng and Ms Kwan from C.C.C. Kei Faat Primary School shared their experiences in applying it in their school projects and events.
* This webinar is open for public registration, all educators who are interested in learning about “Design Thinking” were invited to participate.
Speakers:
Mr Edwin Wong (Lecturer, HKDI)
Ms Cheng Ka Po Shirley (Principal, C.C.C. Kei Faat Primary School)
Ms Kwan Po Shan (Teacher, C.C.C. Kei Faat Primary School)
In order to equip creative education programme tutors and school teachers with concrete design thinking skills, Hong Kong Design Institute’s Design Thinking Team ran two workshop sessions (fundamental class) at PMQ, in which participants worked in groups to complete a themed design project. The first session introduced participants to design thinking and the methodology of user research, followed by the use of roleplaying in understanding user experience. In the second session, participants learned to analyse data and ideate with different tools, using divergent and convergent thinking. In their final presentation, participants created design solutions to meet both user needs and project requirements. The solutions were presented through sketches.
This year we have also conducted an advanced class for those who are equipped with basic knowledge about design thinking. Through learning about Outcome-based Learning in experiential education, the design/application of intended learning outcomes and teaching strategies used in the QF level framework, participants should be able to fuse design thinking with what they have learned in this workshop in the PMQ Seed educational programmes.
The Hong Kong Design Institute’s Design Thinking Team was founded in 2017, and is focused on developing design thinking partnership and training programmes. The team consists of higher education professionals with extensive experience in the field of design, who are passionate about facilitating the education and application of design thinking in tertiary, secondary, and primary schools, as well as the design industry.
Part 1: Enhancing self-expression through theatre practices (Use of voice and body language)
Through a series of theatre exercises, participants were able to learn more about their voice and habitual body language in the workshop as they explored the possibilities in expanding and enhancing their vocal techniques and use of movement. As they become more confident in their expression it is also hoped that they would apply the learned techniques in their lessons for primary students and add interactivity to their designed activities.
Part 2: Understanding your students through group work—Sharing of teaching techniques, collaborating with school teachers, and learning about children’s needs
In this workshop, our two speakers/trainers with expressive arts therapy and social work backgrounds shared their experiences and teaching methods with the participants. Illustrated by real-life cases and situations, the trainers encouraged participants to release their judgement/labelling towards their students and let them take lead whenever it is possible, to accept their emotions but provide guidance at the right moment. On leading online activities, the speakers also talked about the relevant techniques and spoke on how they collaborated with school teachers as well as understanding the “special” needs of students.
• Ms Sim Fong Zoe Lai | Theatre artist, co-founder of Littleurbanmountain Design
With a Master of Arts in Theatre Practice from the University of Exeter, Ms Lai is an independent theatre consultant with expertise in drama and modern dance performance. She was involved in plays and projects such as “Red”, “Attempts on her Life” (HKREP), “Testimony” (Rooftop Productions), “Remote Hong Kong” (Tai Kwun), Documentary Theatre (Pants Theatre Production), “100% Hong Kong” (West Kowloon District) and the Hong Kong International Black Box Festival. Ms Lai has also won a Good Design Award from Japan in 2020 for her public education initiative “An Edible Performance” curated for Tai Kwun, Hong Kong.
• Ms Esther Yau | Expressive Arts Therapist
With a master’s in Expressive Arts Therapy, a bachelor’s in psychology and a Certificate in Thanatology awarded by ADEC, Esther is the co-founder of His Art Laboratory Limited. She has over 10 years of experience in working with children, adolescents and families. Esther has also co-authored a series of picture books for children while being a column writer for a local family magazine. Her service audience includes children and youth with special needs, as well as children, youngsters and adults in need of emotional guidance. Esther has provided expressive arts therapy and counselling services for various organisations and children/youth dormitories. She has trained professionals of her industry, teachers and commercial companies through workshops and sharing sessions. Esther is an avid advocate for the application of expressive arts therapy in creative education, counselling and community services.
• Mr William Tsang | Founder and lead tutor of Nature Bathing, registered social worker
As an experienced tutor for experiential learning in nature for over 20 years, William has designed and executed activities and teacher trainings for over 300 local schools. He has also conducted team-building trainings, family bonding activities, destressing programmes and retreats for various cooperate and social welfare organisations. William is currently a guest lecturer for the Early Childhood Education Department at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education. He is the father of two daughters.
“Blended Learning” has become the new norm for students and educators after school resumes. Through what ways should teachers approach and understand this mode of teaching/learning? In this workshop, Dr Gary Wong, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education and the Director of the Centre for Information Technology in Education at the University of Hong Kong, had shared his knowledge with us on the the pedagogical designs and teaching strategies related to blended learning. Based on the themes (collboaration and co-creation) and contents of the PMQ Seed 2022 programme, Dr Wong also talked about the pitfalls of STEM education for creative and design thinking. He had led discussions with the participants as well on a teacher’s role and the difficulties that they may face when they teach in a digital environment.
Dr Gary Wong is currently an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education and the Director of the Centre for Information Technology in Education at the University of Hong Kong. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from City University of Hong Kong and a Master of Education in Learning Design and Leadership from University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. He was the Chair of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Hong Kong Section (Education Chapter) during 2017 and 2019. He is a senior member of IEEE, and is currently an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Education. His research interests include computational thinking and artificial intelligence education, computer-mediated reality for education and integrated learning in STEM education. He has already published more than a hundred articles in journals and conference proceedings, led a number of projects and received research grants from Quality Education Fund and Research Grants Council to support his research.
