The onset of COVID required many libraries to re-imagine how they conducted their services. It also identified needs and gaps in the delivery of these services to the community. In response to changes such as extended lockdowns and the resultant economic difficulties and the wider need for digital literacy skills, Hong Kong SKH Ming Hua Theological College Library (MH College) established an international collaboration to develop and deliver online tours/ talks as a library skills program with librarians, faculty, students, and professionals in Hong Kong, Japan and Australia. The overall aims of this initiative were to provide an online library skills program for education, leisure and to make the value of librarians and libraries visible to stakeholders during the pandemic to ensure the upkeep of library resources, budgeting and staffing. Through partnerships with key stakeholders and the use of a variety of innovative IT tools, real-time online activities were conducted in three languages (English, Chinese and Japanese) to an internationally distributed audience. This paper will outline the background and organisation of the program, its design and discuss the lessons learned and implications for practice of the strategies used in the program. Copyright © 2023 Taylor & Francis.

Purpose: Libraries worldwide, including Hong Kong, increasingly use social media tools to introduce and promote their services and resources to users. Instagram, in particular, is used to target younger users. This study investigates the effectiveness of Instagram in promoting library services and university students' perceptions of the value of Instagram as a learning support tool. Design/methodology/approach: A major academic library in Hong Kong was chosen for this study. Library users' habits, perceptions, preferences, and views on Instagram's effectiveness as a learning support tool were compared in two age groups. The data were collected using a survey based on the 5E Instructional Model. Findings: Despite the significantly higher frequency of Instagram use by younger students, the results showed that Instagram was probably an ineffective promotion platform for either age group because of low user engagement, relatively neutral perception of Instagram as a learning support tool, and notably low user acceptance of Instagram as a promotional tool. Originality/value: Studies of student perspectives on various social media tools have increased; however, few have explored the use of Instagram, especially in Hong Kong or Asia. This study provides researchers and librarians with practical insights into current Instagram users' engagement, perceptions, and preferences and their view of its effectiveness as a learning support tool. The study also provides suggestions for improving the current situation. Copyright © 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited.

With the COVID-19 outbreak, emergency remote teaching -- an unprepared distant mode of education became the only possible alternative for schools. The present large-scale survey with 3,672 Grade 3 and 9 students, their parents, and 863 teachers/principals was conducted in the metropolitan city of Hong Kong after half a year of school lockdown. Results showed teachers, principals, and parents were worried about students' inability to concentrate and learn without teachers' explanations. In contrast, students, particularly younger ones, were less affected. They perceived their academic achievement was not worsened and they were more lively. Generally, lack of computers and stable internet was not seen as problems. Notably, socially disadvantaged students were not different in their perceived challenges, affects, life satisfaction, or perceived academic achievement. For cities with adequate provision of computers and internet facilities, the pandemic probably forced a positive and giant leap in using advanced technologies and pedagogies. Copyright © 2023 Springer.

A growing body of research has examined the relations of dispositions toward information and communication technology (ICT) to intercultural competence among university students. However, there is little research exploring the associations between ICT-related dispositions and intercultural competence among adolescent students. The mechanism of such relationships also remains unknown. Therefore, from a self-determination theory perspective, this study investigated the relationships of perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness in ICT usage with global competence--intercultural knowledge, skills and attitudes--among 17,055 15-year-old students from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan in PISA 2018. Results of Multilevel Structural Equation Modelling (MSEM) analyses indicated that perceived autonomy in ICT use, perceived competence in ICT use and perceived relatedness in ICT use all positively affected intercultural knowledge, skills and attitudes. Further, the results of the study revealed that the use of social media was a partial mediator in the relationship between perceived autonomy/competence in ICT use and intercultural knowledge/skills; and between perceived relatedness/competence in ICT use and intercultural attitudes. Our findings emphasized the importance of satisfying students' ICT-related needs and acknowledged the role of the use of social media in cultivating their global competence. Implications for teachers, schools and parents were discussed. Copyright © 2023 Springer.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly emerged as a transformative force across diverse sectors worldwide, with policy initiatives signalling its rising prominence. In the realm of education, AI holds promise for revolutionising learning and teaching. However, the incorporation of AI in basic education faces significant challenges for many schools, particularly when explicit curriculum guidelines are absent, and teachers have limited exposure to AI technologies. This study delves into the importance of integrating Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED), particularly in primary and secondary school settings, with a specific emphasis on the obstacles and facilitators. The research examines the impact of digital leadership and its role in mitigating teachers' barriers to AIED incorporations. These external variables are systematically outlined within the conceptual framework proposed by this study. Furthermore, it conceptualises and considers three AIED approaches—Learning from AI, Learning about AI, and Learning with AI—as internal variables central to basic-education AIED incorporations, as highlighted in previous research. The study gathers quantitative data through a self-constructed questionnaire survey from 204 school principals and management-level teachers across 60 primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong, capturing their perceptions of AIED incorporation. A structural equation model (SEM) is adopted to analyse the relationships between digital leadership, internal and external teacher barriers, and the three AIED approaches. The findings underscore that digital leadership is a significant factor in facilitating AI incorporations in schools, and that teachers' internal and external barriers considerably affect Learning about AI. The paper concludes by proposing strategies to enhance the capabilities of school leaders and teachers in promoting AIED in basic education. Copyright © 2023 The Author(s).

This qualitative study has investigated how a group of bilingual university students in Hong Kong understand digital citizenship and construct it through digital literacy practices in social media. Drawing on interview data and examples of digital activity shared by the students, we adopt the theories of digital literacies and translanguaging and transsemiotizing to reveal how they construct digital citizenship through an complex interplay between several factors, most prominently (1) a variety of digitally mediated social, cultural and educational practices the students engage in, (2) their agency of deploying diverse linguistic and semiotic recourses to achieve varied communicative effects in different settings and (3) their personal pursuits of intellectual and professional development and social engagement in a digitalized and globalized society. We then discuss how the findings can enrich our understanding of digital citizenship and its relationship with digital literacies in a multilingual and multicultural context such as Hong Kong. The implications for digital citizenship education are also discussed. Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Collaborative Science Inquiry (CSI) is a pedagogical approach that fosters students’ scientific skills and competencies through group-based inquiry activities. However, CSI poses various challenges for teachers (i.e., recognizing the problems and needs of each group, identifying appropriate strategies to address them, and reviewing the impact of these strategies) to support students’ learning process across different contexts and social levels, especially in a Mobile Learning Environment (MLE). To address this problem, this study adopted Design-Based Research (DBR), aiming to design, develop, implement, and evaluate a theory-led LA tool on a mobile app, namely, the m-Orchestrate app to support teacher orchestration in CSI. The tool aligns with the inquiry cycle model and provides teachers with real time data and feedback on students’ inquiry progress, collaboration, and learning outcomes. The DBR lasted three years, involving four phases, including (1) Phase I: Analysis of practical problems in orchestrating CSI in an MLE, (2) Phase II: Design and development of a theory-led LA tool, (3) Phase III: Three iterative cycles of testing and refining the LA tool in practice, and (4) Phase IV: Reflection and further implementation of the LA tool. The researcher collaborated with two primary schools, four teachers, two pre-service teachers in General Studies, and around 250 students in Grade 4 in Hong Kong. The research questions focused on (1) investigating the affordances of the LA tool with theory-led and interactive design for teacher orchestration of CSI; (2) the impact of the tool on teacher orchestration in CSI; and (3) the impact of teacher orchestration supported by the tool on student performance in CSI. Data collection included log data from the LA tool and the m-Orchestrate app, teacher interviews, and students’ pre- and post-quizzes. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods were adopted. The research findings show that (1) the affordances of the developed

中文寫作一直是二語學習者的重點和難點，特別是小學階段，如何讓二語學童對中文寫作產生興趣並更願意動筆寫作是很多中文教育工作者不斷探討的話題。同時，在科技資訊發達的今天，各種軟件和在線平台越來越廣泛地使用在中文二語學習當中。因此，基於長期的實踐和教學經驗，本文就二語學生的中文寫作學習提出一個可行性的教學方案 —基於過程導向的寫作框架，將資訊科技融入中文寫作前、中和後的階段中，從而幫助二語學習者增加背景知識和相關詞彙句型，延長寫作的計劃時間，提高中文寫作的動機和效果，培養學生的自主學習與寫作的能力。本研究以香港一間國際學校二十位小四學生為研究對象，通過教學實踐，了解資訊科技融入跨學科的中文寫作教學成效，希望探討資訊科技與中文寫作學習的關係。 Copyright © 2023 香港教育大學.

The shift from face-to-face teaching to emergency remote teaching has become the new normal due to the pandemic in 2020. However, little research has been conducted in Hong Kong to investigate pre-service teachers’ perceptions of the immediate adoption and delivery of online face-to-face teaching. In response to this call, the present research conducted a questionnaire survey with 48 pre-service teachers at a Hong Kong university to examine their perceptions of Zoom as a viable alternative to the suspended traditional face-to-face delivery mode of instruction. It also discussed key factors that lead to better online learning outcomes. The results showed that the participants had overall positive perceptions of Zoom-supported synchronous online education. The Zoom feature that most students considered useful was screen sharing on computers. Zoom-supported synchronous online learning benefited students by helping them to attend class meetings remotely, study course materials and content, communicate and collaborate with their instructors and classmates, and develop a sense of community and social presence. Four main factors may influence learners’ perceptions of synchronous online learning: the quality of online communication and collaboration, learning efficiency, learner autonomy and the usability of technology. Copyright © 2023 Laboratory for Knowledge Management & E-Learning, The University of Hong Kong.