CAISE Forum 2022 – The Structure, Process, and Strategies for Promoting Self-directed Learning in Special Schools

CAISE Forum 2022

We are honoured to have invited Mr. Cheng Yui-wai, Principal of BTCFS Yeung Yat Lam Memorial School, to share with us “The Structure, Process, and Strategies for Promoting Self-directed Learning in Special Schools”.
An open discussion will be followed and chaired by Dr. Patcy Yeung.

–

Abstract
Over the past 10 years, the teachers’ professional development in the SAME Project (Systematic Approach to Mainstream Education) has mainly focused on curriculum development. This allowed for the personalization of students’ learning and for teachers to cater for individual learning differences. Currently we are shifting towards the path of guiding students to “self-directed learning”.

Although it may be easier to implement “self-directed learning” in mainstream school, the learning abilities of students in special schools vary greatly, ranging from severe intellectual disability to mild intellectual disability (the abilities of students with mild intellectual disability are comparable to the abilities of primary two to three students in mainstream education), which makes the development of “self-directed learning” a challenge. Thus apart from curriculum development, we are endeavoring to promote the use of information technology and to integrate the teaching paradigm of “engagement” into daily learning activity, such that students of different abilities can also “learn independently”.

About the speaker

Mr. CHENG Yui-wai, the principal of Buddhist To Chi Fat She Yeung Yat Lam Memorial School, studied information technology in 2000 in the UK and returned to Hong Kong to work in the special education field. Throughout 20 years of his extensive and experienced teaching career, he has participated and completed 10-kilometer races alongside children with mild intellectual disabilities, helping to promote the culture of long-distance running in children with special needs.

Due to Mr. Cheng’s personal interest in the development of information technology, he has created and designed different administrative and leaning management systems for the school to solve the complexity of special child development management projects. In 2014, he designed a special learning management system called SELTAS, which stores different teaching resources, teaching activities and students’ learning performance. SELTAS can also provide an accessible system for students with severe and moderate intellectual disabilities to enhance their learning abilities. This system won the Best Digital Inclusion Grand Award in the 2015 Hong Kong ICT Awards, and later contested with HH IT representatives in the Asia-Pacific region and achieved excellent results.

Starting from 2018, Mr. Cheng has been appointed as the principal of Buddhist To Chi Fat She Yeung Yat Lam Memorial School. Since then, he has continued to promote and contribute to the leadership of special education, special schools, and the application of information technology. He used to be an employed mentor for the Information Technology Education Department of the Education Bureau and is now an Honorary Research Associate of the Centre for Special Educational Needs and Inclusive Education.

–

Topic: The Structure, Process, and Strategies for Promoting Self-directed Learning in Special Schools
Speaker: Mr. Cheng Yui-wai, Principal of BTCFS Yeung Yat Lam Memorial School
Open discussion: Chaired by Dr. Patcy Yeung, Centre Director
Date & Time: August 25, 2022 (Thu) 3:00-4:00pm
Language: Cantonese with English and Hong Kong Sign Language Simultaneous Interpretation
Venue: via Zoom
Registration: https://bit.ly/3K0ZYnc