EdUHK Launches Animated STEAM Series
The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) held a launch ceremony for its ‘Animated STEAM Stories for Chinese Learning’ today (2 June), introducing the STEAM Animation Series produced by the University. Along with EdUHK’s extended learning resources, the animations have been uploaded to the project website (https://steam.eduhk.modernedu.hk/), with free access for schools and the general public.
The animation series encompasses 10 video stories, each about five minutes long. The episodes are classified into five themes: ‘Plants and insects’, ‘Energy’, ‘Environmental protection’, ‘Science (Physics)’ and ‘Chinese culture’.
Featuring the life stories and anecdotes of 10 prestigious scientists – Carl Linnaeus, Charles Darwin, James Watt, Thomas Edison, Rachel Carson, Isaac Newton, Archimedes, Bi Sheng, Lu Ban and Su Song, the series shows how these great scientific minds tackled the challenges of their times.
Narrations for each episode are available in Cantonese, Putonghua and English. Together with the corresponding lesson materials, worksheets and Chinese flash cards, the animation series enables teachers and parents to teach both Chinese language and science in an enlivening manner.
The animation is part of the ‘Animated STEAM Stories for Chinese Learning’ project. Leading the project is EdUHK Vice President (Academic) and Provost Professor John Lee Chi-Kin (the project’s Principal Investigator), together with Dr David Kang Jong-hyuk, from the Department of Literature and Cultural Studies, and Dr Sabina Mak Ho-yan, from the Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Studies (Co-Principal Investigators). The animations were produced by Modern Educational Research Society Ltd. (MERS), and Commercial Radio Hong Kong was invited to participate in the production of the Cantonese voice-over.
President Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung said, “To complement innovation and technology (I&T) development in the Country and Hong Kong, EdUHK is dedicated to developing innovative and interesting teaching resources for the promotion of STEAM education in schools. EdUHK is joining hands with the education sector to cultivate and inspire young minds to innovate.”
Professor Lee said, “The animation series represents the integration of science concepts, the history of science and Chinese language, allowing young learners to gain a wide range of subject knowledge while immersing themselves in a relaxed and cheerful learning atmosphere.”
The series not only introduces the 10 outstanding scientists, but also knowledge of Chinese language, such as radicals and strokes. The project team has developed diverse teaching aids and online games, with the goal of increasing interaction and piquing students’ interest.
Professor Pamela Leung Pui-wan, from the Department of Chinese Language Studies, took the application of Sciences and Humanities in everyday life as an example to show how STEAM increases students’ opportunities to practise language. In addition to enhancing students’ language proficiency, she said it also helps them nurture humanistic qualities that can have a lasting impact.
On the same occasion, Principal of HKVNS Alumni Association Kindergarten (KCC) Ms Yeung Yeung and teacher Ms Chan Kam-pui; Vice Principal of Shanghai Alumni Primary School Ms Lam Suk-cho; and Vice Principal of EdUHK Jockey Club Primary School Mr Leung Chun-yip and panel teacher Ms Lam Chuk were invited to share their experiences in using this animation series for teaching. Also among the guests was MERS Chief Operating Officer Mr Janson Wong Jan-hoi, who introduced the production process and the concepts behind the animation series.
- Ends -
EdUHK Launches Animated STEAM Series
Download all images
