| 1. |
Enhanced motivation to learn |
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Students were very interested in the e-learning activities. Over 90% of students indicated that they would like to have more e-learning activities in the English lessons in the questionnaires conducted at different levels. Teachers found that students were more motivated to learn English in the lessons. |
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| 2. |
Improved quality of writing |
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With the use of e-resources and e-learning tools, students were able to use a variety of vocabulary and sentence patterns and convey information and ideas on less familiar topics with elaboration in their final tasks.
In S5, students could make good use of the information shared on Padlet to write an essay on the adverse effects of obesity.
Examples of S5 student work |
Students’ elaboration |
“At the personal level, the chance of suffering from long-term illness increases. Obese people are definitely more likely to have heart attack, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke.” |
- Different types of diseases were given as examples.
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“According to South China Morning Post, Eva Li, a nurse at Diabetes Hong Kong, said that sometimes the obese feel self-conscious and ashamed of their disease. Obesity affects a patient’s psychological well-being and social relationships.” |
- A quote was used as supporting details.
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“About 14% of the overweight and nearly 90% of the obese adolescents have been bullied. By contrast, about 11% of normal weight teenagers have been bullied. Obese children are more likely to be victims of “poor interpersonal relationships”.” |
- Figures were shown as evidence.
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In S2, students could write topic sentences and give explanations to support their ideas.
Examples of S2 student work |
Students’ elaboration |
“If dogs are not be banned in public parks, they poo everywhere.
It is unhygienic and annoying. People are sick of stepping on dog poo.” |
- Included a topic sentence and details
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“More importantly, some dogs are incursive. They may bite and hurt people. It is dangerous because they may spread diseases to people.” |
- Included explanations and reasons
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| 3. |
Improved quality of speaking |
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In S3, students could search for information about jobs and introduce them in their videos. Over 70% of students agreed that they improved their oral fluency and accuracy through the recording activity.
S3 students’ videos |
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| 4. |
Mastery of IT skills to facilitate the development of lifelong learning capabilities - presentation skills, collaboration, creativity and self-learning |
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Students developed the essential skills of the 21st century. Around 80% of students mentioned that they learned new IT skills and could apply IT skills to process and present information. They found the IT skills useful for their future study and work. In S5, students needed to find out, organise and classify information on obesity in groups. About 90% of students said they could learn from peers through collaboration and sharing. In S2, students developed their communication skills to discuss ideas about dog parks online and 80% of students said they could learn to express their viewpoints in the process. In S3, over 75% of students said the video production task could develop their creativity as they needed to present the job they like in a more motivating way. They exhibited their creativity through the creation of a digital multimodal text. Students also showed improvement in self-learning abilities. They were encouraged to conduct research or do extra reading in S1-5. Students could make good use of the e-resources provided and also search for supplementary information. Their learning was reflected in the final tasks. In S5, over 90% of the students said the task could enhance their self-learning abilities, for example, they could search for, process and present information on obesity. In S3, about 80% of students said they worked more independently in finding and presenting job information. |
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| 5. |
Increased teachers’ readiness and confidence |
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Teachers gained experience in integrating e-learning into the English classroom. Based on teachers’ reflections, most of them reported that they had progressed from level two (e-Learning makes me feel a little nervous. My confidence to use e-learning in learning and teaching is basic.) to level three (I try to use e-learning in learning and teaching. My confidence to use e-learning in learning and teaching is good.). With the use of a progressive approach, teachers gained more confidence in piloting e-learning in their classrooms. Their feedback was very encouraging. They also tried to produce their own e-learning materials. |
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| 6. |
Better management of learning through the use of different e-learning tools |
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Students were also given opportunities to develop competence in managing their learning and collaborating with their peers using interactive e-learning tools. By working with the various e-learning tools and setting their own schedule to ensure the completion of their long term tasks, such as their group's original drama script writing, students were able to develop their adaptability and basic competence in the use of technology to support and manage their learning and collaborate with their peers. |
