APPLYING GIS CURRICULUMN IN AN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL IN HONG KONG

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APPLYING GIS CURRICULUMN IN AN INTERNATIONAL
SCHOOL IN HONG KONG
David Brian Head of Humanities Chinese
International School
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Presentation Outline

• How the Chinese International School (CIS)
  began using desktop GIS
• Specific connections between GIS and the
  learning outcomes of the International
  Baccalaureate program
• Details of one student centered GIS
  investigation
• Opportunities and constraints in the use of GIS
  here in a Hong Kong school
• Open discussion

Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Chinese International School is a coeducational
dual language private school which has been in
operation in Hong Kong since 1984. It offers
classes from Reception to Year 13 with
approximately 1300 students in total at its
Braemar Hill campus. Years 7 to 10 follow the
International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years
Program and Years 12 and 13 follow the IB Diploma
Program.
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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• GIS first introduced into CIS in 2001
• Years 7 to 9 ( 11 to 13 years old)
• range of use - from Year 7s doing their
  First Digital Map and cartographic techniques
  to Year 9s creating chorolpleth maps of China,
  comparing provincial income with literacy levels

Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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• 2003 the IB Middle Years Program Introduced
  (Years 7 - 11)
• MYP allows the school to set its own curriculum
  within the context of prescribed criterion
  referenced assessment
• Introduction of an 8 Week GIS Unit to Year 10s,
  seen as a foundation unit to facilitate students
  through to Year 13
• Within the 8 Week GIS Unit, students go through
  the basics of GIS through an experiential
  learning approach - Field Investigation
  Neighbourhood Landuse Mapping

Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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A sample of a students work from the
Neighbourhood Landuse Investigation. One
component of the exercises required students to
map their neighbourhoods different landuses
and undertake an analysis of it in terms of
explaining any observed patterns.
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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• The solid GIS foundation in the MYP program has
  lead to the formal continuation of GIS into the
  final IB Diploma, Years 12 13, Geography
  program, as of 2005
• Topographical Mapping is an optional prescribed
  Unit in the IB Diploma Geography course, which
  CIS elects to deliver
• GIS Enrichment component added into this
  unit, based on the following rationale
• All CIS Geography students complete Field Work,
  hence GIS skills will facilitate their endeavors
• IB Diploma students complete an Extended Essay
  in a discipline of their choice - many choose to
  complete a Geography Extended Essay which is
  based on original Field Work, again GIS
  facilitates their research and presentation of
  results

Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Sample Year 13 Geography Student Field Work Map
Leisure Assets of Tung Ping Chau - September, 2005
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Sample Year 13 Geography Student Extended Essay -
Access to Shorelines Map
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Does the use of GIS meet specific learning
outcomes in the IB MYP and Diploma program?
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Middle Years Program Humanities specific
learning outcomes Years 7 to 11 which can be
addressed through GIS teaching
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Middle Years Program Humanities specific
learning outcomes Years 7 to 11which can be
addressed through GIS teaching
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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IB Diploma Geography Program Specific Learning
Outcomes which can be addressed through GIS
teaching
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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IB Diploma Geography Program
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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IB Diploma Geography Program
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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IB Diploma Geography Program
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Year 9 Geography - Tung Ping Chau Investigation
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Year 9 Geography - Tung Ping Chau Investigation
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Year 9 Geography - Tung Ping Chau Investigation
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Year 9 Geography - Tung Ping Chau Investigation
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Year 9 Geography - Tung Ping Chau Investigation

• Essential Questions for the students to answer
  at the end of the investigation are
• Can building change be measured and classified
  on Tung Ping Chau?
• Does the change that is taking place on the
  island affect its cultural heritage?
• What types of change to buildings would be
  beneficial to building heritage?

Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Year 9 Geography - Tung Ping Chau Investigation

• MYP Assessed Learning Outcomes
• MYP Humanities Guide, 2005
• Concepts - Change - establish and explain links
  between causes, processes and consequences
• Skills - Analytical - identify key questions,
  problems and issues
• Presentation - present and express information
  and ideas in a clear and concise manner, using
  appropriate language, style and visual
  representation

Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Year 9 Geography - Tung Ping Chau Investigation
Sample data collection sheet for students to
record their geo-referenced
data
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Year 9 Geography - Tung Ping Chau Investigation
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Year 9 Geography - Tung Ping Chau Investigation
Post Data Collection Working with GIS Software
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Year 9 Geography - Tung Ping Chau Investigation
The assessment of this Tung Ping Chau field
investigation uses the IB MYP Assessment
Criterias C, Application of Skills and D,
Organization and Presentation.
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Student Sample Page the student quantifies the
number of buildings which appear to be abandoned
in the village of Sha Tau. Building data was
collected in the field.
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Student Sample Page The student quantifies the
number of buildings which are considered to be
repaired traditionally. Students used their
own judgment for this conclusion, based on
evidence of existing, intact traditional
buildings.
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Student Sample Page The students uses both map
evidence and photographs to further his
discussion on the state of the islands change in
terms of building heritage.
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Opportunities and Constraints of Desktop GIS
Teaching in Hong Kong

• Opportunities are
• Students love working with ICT to solve
  geographical problems
• Supportive senior management willing to fund
  the purchase of software, data, hardware and
  teacher training
• Supportive ICT Department when it comes to
  hardware purchasing, servicing and facilitating
• Other departments - Science - want to engage in
  joint investigations
• Parents support it as they see that their
  children are being exposed to both ICT and higher
  level spatial thinking skills, using relevant,
  local spatial data
• Real solutions for real community issues
• Facilitating our governments aim in creating a
  knowledge based community

Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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Opportunities and Constraints of Desktop GIS
Teaching in Hong Kong

• Constraints are
• Establishing a GIS Point Person in your
  organization to motivate and facilitate fellow
  teachers in acquiring the skills and
  understanding on the potential uses of GIS in
  their curriculum
• Purchasing the GIS software and its extensions
• Timely training in the use of GIS tools within
  an academic setting
• Training for the migration from Arcview 3.x to
  ARCGIS 9
• Obtaining affordable and relevant
  geo-referenced data

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Desktop GIS has been a fantastic tool for the
Humanities Department of the Chinese
International School. It provides our students
and teachers with fresh ideas on how to approach
geography, it builds on traditional field study
techniques and introduces students to a 21st
century tool. No doubt, its use will spread to
the primary section and to other disciplines, and
when that happens, well be very happy
geographers seeing others investigating their
environments with the help of GIS.
Chinese International School - Hong Kong
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www.cis.edu.hk/Sec/ss/GIS
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Acknowledgement of Student Work Used in this
Presentation Francis Leung - Year 10 Gilbert
Tong - Year 13 Carolyn Lee - Year 13
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Thank you.
David Brian Head of Humanities Chinese
International School