International Conference on Computational Thinking Education 2019 cum Coding Fair by CoolThink@JC

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To inspire children’s digital creativity and promote computational thinking-coding education, a four-day International Conference on Computational Thinking Education 2019 cum Coding Fair, organised by CoolThink@JC, commenced today (13 June) at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK). The event attracted over 1,000 world-renowned academics, frontline education practitioners, IT professionals, and teachers and students from local primary schools, among others.

Officiating at the opening ceremony were Mr Rex Chang Wai-yuen, Deputy Secretary for Education of the HKSAR, Mr Leong Cheung, Executive Director, Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, President of EdUHK; and Professor Matthew Lee Kwok-on, Vice President (Development and External Relations) of City University of Hong Kong.

Professor Cheung said, “As part of its ongoing efforts to promote STEM education, EdUHK has committed to enhancing the capacity of pre-service teachers in this regard. Through experts’ sharing their fruitful experience and research findings, the Conference brings together innovative ideas from around the world to deepen understanding of computational thinking education among local teachers and students, bolster the implementation of STEM education, and nurture innovative talent for Hong Kong.”

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust took a proactive approach to initiate CoolThink@JC in 2016, which has since introduced computational thinking into upper levels of a broad range of primary schools, and created a body of evidence and experience to stimulate longer-term discussion and curriculum revision.

Mr Leong Cheung said computational thinking education nurtured children to think systematically and logically, and solve problems like a computer scientist does. “The Club’s support of computational thinking education is not just to prepare our future workforce, we are investing in digital creativity to preserve our humanity in the future world of AI and robotics.” Mr Cheung also thanked the project partners, distinguished speakers and conference participants for joining the cause to inspire students’ digital creativity and prepare them for a complex, fast-changing future, and welcome new partners who share the same vision to come forward and discuss possible collaboration.

At the Conference, scholars from 17 countries or places were invited to share and discuss their experience in implementing computational thinking education or related research. Keynote speakers included Dr Leigh Ann DeLyser from CSforALL in the United States; Professor Looi Chee-kit from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore; Professor Jan Vahrenhold from the University of Münster in Germany; and Professor Valentina Dagienė from Vilnius University in Lithuania.

Concurrently, a four-day Coding Fair, under the theme of ‘Code, Music & Sports’, was kicked-off today at EdUHK, featuring a series of activities, including a sailboat from the Physical Education Unit of the Education Bureau to demonstrate the integration of coding and sports, coding workshops, parent seminars, booth exhibitions and bouncy games. The Fair, which attracted nearly 7,000 online registrants prior to the event, will be open to public on 15 and 16 June. Interested parties are welcome to enrol on the spot as well.

Another event highlight will be the parent seminars during weekend, which include guest speakers Mr Stark Chan Yik-hei (“Son of the Star”); Miss Hillary Yip Ying-hei (“The 14-year-old CEO”); Mr Philip Lam Tin-yin (Co-Founder of NEX Team Inc); and Mr Rex Sham Pui-sum (Co-Founder of Insight Robotics Ltd). Also on the agenda are music performances by child actor Mr Leander Lau and artiste Mr Moley. To encourage further learning after the Fair, the organiser will give out 800 mico:bits (mini programmable devices) and 800 expansion boards to participating children who complete designated activities.

For event details, please visit https://www.eduhk.hk/cte2019/index.html (Conference) and https://codingfair.com/cte2019/en/main (Coding Fair).

About CoolThink@JC

The four-year CoolThink@JC Programme, created and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (the Trust), and co-created by The Education University of Hong Kong, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and City University of Hong Kong, nurtures students’ problem solving skills and creativity in the digital era to help them move beyond mere consumers of technology to become technology innovators. The Programme helps provide 32 local schools with a head start in computational thinking-coding education in computer lessons. So far, nearly 18,000 students from Primary 4 to 6 have benefited from the Programme.

With the Trust’s donation, the Programme has supported the professional development of over 100 teachers, an evidence-based curriculum, classroom infrastructure, in-class support, and parent education. CoolThink@JC aspires to join hands with the Education Bureau, schools, teachers and parents to implement computational thinking education, to inspire students to apply digital creativity in their daily lives, and to prepare them for future challenges. Interested schools please stay tuned to the Programme website and Facebook page for the latest information.