The establishment of the Department of MIT was originated from Northcote College of Education (NCE) in the early 1960s to offer the specialist course in Mathematics. In 1994, The Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) was formally established from the amalgamation of five education colleges in Hong Kong. The Department of Science & Mathematics (數理) and Department of Engineering and Technology Studies (工程及科技) were formed, providing a focal point for the development of subject expertise, research and other scholarly activities. New academic structures were undertaken in HKIEd, and the reorganization of the departments was housed several times. Effective from the academic year of 2009-2010, the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology (數學與資訊科技學系, MIT) was formed formally in The Education University of Hong Kong.
The Department has persistently focused on educational technology and innovations in the continuance of excellence for over 50 years. Curriculum reform and new study programmes were launched from time to time to enhance students’ learning capacity. In the early 1960s, when the "Modern Mathematics" movement prospered, the Mathematics Department of NCE reformed its curriculum by introducing new topics to prospective teachers, such as Modern Algebra, Set Theory, Transformation Geometry. In the 21st century, more Bachelor of Education programmes such as Information Communication Technology and Mathematics were launched to nourish new primary and secondary school teachers and undertake the new academic structure for senior secondary education reform (3-3-4 Scheme). From 2021, a new postgraduate programme (Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology) was launched for cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence and innovative educational technology, together with a new undergraduate programme (Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology) which will be launched in September 2022.
With the vision to nurture quality educators over 50 years, the Department of MIT empowers pre-service and in-service teachers with professional competence in mathematics and ICT areas. The first DATUM bulletin was issued in 1969 by the Mathematics Department of NCE to share news, teaching techniques and educational theories for displaying discoveries in mathematics teaching. The first MIT DATUM newsletter was issued in January 2022 by the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology of EdUHK to inherit the mission from the DATUM bulletin and strengthen the connections with our alumni and students.
The Department has been actively promoting outreach learning to increase student motivation and engagement in the community. The first Hong Kong Mathematics Olympiad was initiated and organized by the Mathematics Department of NCE in 1983 for promoting mathematics education on a large scale in Hong Kong. The Department of MIT has been regularly hosting a series of STEAM competitions for primary schools in Hong Kong since 2016 and the Hong Kong Primary Mathematical Challenge since 2018. Teams of academic and teaching staff were invited as honorary advisors of the competitions. Moreover, the Department of MIT has hosted many significant seminars and conferences over the years, for example, IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering (TALE), Cross-Strait Four Regions Conference on Mathematics Education, and the International Conference on Education and Artificial Intelligence (ICEAI) to gather international academic scholars and professional educators to share research excellence and educational practices.
Milestones of the Department
