As multiple intelligences are valued in modern society, STEAM education — which integrates science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics — is popular in Hong Kong as well as around the globe. With a HK$37.73 million donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the University kick-started the four-year Jockey Club STEAM Education Resources Sharing Scheme back in February 2019. By now, some 70 secondary schools have participated in the scheme.
Directed by the faculty of the HKMU School of Science and Technology, the Jockey Club STEAM Education Resources Sharing Scheme invites secondary schools to participate as partner schools, resources schools or network schools. From time to time, the HKMU team organizes STEAM education workshops for secondary school teachers. It also works with some of the participating schools in developing flexible teaching modules that can fit in the different Key Learning Areas of local school curricula. Another deliverable of the scheme is the HKMU Jockey Club STEAM Education Information Hub, a one-stop portal storing digital contents yielded from the project, information on training workshops, exemplary practices of STEAM education and so on. The Symposium on STEAM Education is held annually, bringing together renowned scholars to discuss trends of STEAM education and educational materials, technology producers to present up-to-date technologies and teaching tools, and school teachers to share first-hand experiences. The annual event has drawn more than a thousand participants since the inaugural edition.
In addition to supporting teachers in STEAM education, the HKMU team also designs and hosts workshops for secondary school students. When face-to-face events were interrupted by the pandemic, the team came up with a plan B — putting together material packs for students to take part in online workshops at home.
In terms of hardware, the Jockey Club funding has enabled the setting up of four specialized laboratories, which are open for booking by participating schools. The Jockey Club STEAM Education Integrated Laboratory is a wet-and-dry-laboratory-in-one, providing students with a controlled environment in which to conduct scientific experiments. The Jockey Club Innovative Media Laboratory is equipped with VR technology, offering students an innovative learning experience. The Jockey Club STEAM Learning and Teaching Laboratory comes not only with wireless equipment but also an auto-track video recording system capable of capturing teachers' movements across the lab as they interact with students. Finally, the Jockey Club STEAM Education Laboratory, which is located at the HKMU Kwai Hing Campus, provides various types of scientific equipment with which to carry out an array of experiments and studies.
