This paper presents a case study of how four teachers in one school adopted Learning Study in teaching Visual Arts in Hong Kong. The teachers found that the students at the primary level had difficulties expressing feelings through shapes. In 2003, they used the Learning Study approach to analyse teaching of this difficult topic. Each teacher taught the lesson and observed the lesson of the other three. A discussion, using student feedback, was held immediately after each lesson, aimed at improving the next one. A post-test was conducted to discover what students had learned. The result was good yet there were still many problems. In 2004, the same teachers taught the same topic with revision based on the outcomes of their previous lessons. There was more focus on using artists' artworks and students' expression of human figures. This paper will analyse materials and interviews from the Learning Studies to look at how to improve teachers' teaching of drawing. As drawing is central in children's art and the findings of this paper could be useful for other teachers in teaching visual arts.
[Copyright of Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) at http://www.aare.edu.au]

This paper discusses an initiative that utilised a combination of "Project based Learning" and a"Learning with Technology" approach. Project based learning emphasises group work and knowledge construction whereas learning with technology emphasises using technology as a tool to promote thinking. A Digital Video (DV) Camp project was organised at the Hong Kong Institute of Education with twenty teacher education students to explore how technology could enhance meaningful learning in a project based learning environment. The objective of the project was to investigate how students could learn with Digital Video technology through collaborative project based learning activities. The paper discusses how students utilised DV technology in small groups to produce two DV outputs – a one minute introduction of their group members and a three minute DV on a specific topic. Student feedback and evaluation was positive in relation to the approach and feedback was used to reorganise another DV camp in the subsequent year. Implications for the approach are discussed.
[Copyright of Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ascilite) at http://www.ascilite.org.au]