In yet another 'top down' approach, Information Technology in Education - Way Forward, presents the latest thinking of the Education and Manpower Bureau on the future of IT in our schools.
Terms like 'our vision', 'what we will support' and how 'our strategic goals' will be achieved illustrate this control model of policy development. There are no references to consultations with teachers and others, but comments and suggestions are invited.
Hopefully, the EMB will receive many. The way forward with IT in education needs to be considered carefully if appropriate decisions are to be made. It is not clear how experience gained during the past five years has been incorporated in its proposals, although research completed by the Centre for Information Technology at the University of Hong Kong is mentioned.
It is noted that 'the views of experts, academics, school heads, teachers and private firms' have been considered, but there are no references to these. Why this policy statement has been prepared and published now, before a report by a consultant is available in mid-2004, is not explained.
A second area that submissions might address concerns the 'vision' for IT. In some ways, this is similar to five years ago, it is still expected to 'prepare students for the information age' and turn schools into 'dynamic and interactive learning institutions'.
However, earlier ideas about 'paradigm shifts' in teaching and learning, changes to the 'mind set and culture among teachers, parents and students', and 'transformations' of school education are apparently no longer part of the 'vision'. Now, IT is described in more modest terms as 'a tool for enhancing the effectiveness of learning and teaching'.
This could be regarded as a more realistic goal about what might be achieved in view of the limited adoption of IT in schools in the past five years. It is consistent with current 'transmission of content' modes of teaching supported with presentation software, and student projects based around locating information from the Web. When used in these ways, IT is a tool and very little about teaching and learning needs to change.