Combining theory and technology to improve learning efficiency

Caritas Chong Yuet Ming Secondary School is committed to implementing the goal of "student-centered" and emphasizes taking care of learning diversity to allow students to grow steadily. In the early years, the school creatively introduced "Brain-based learning", based on the theory of brain neuroscience, and set up a "Brain Space" (brain wave center) to conduct brain wave analysis for students and assist them in learning with scientific methods. Principal Pang Yiu Kwan said: "Brain-based learning technology and brainwave scanning complement each other, making it easier to understand the needs of students and master their learning habits." This teaching model was recognized by the Institute of Brain Science and Thinking Education. Last year, the school was awarded the "Brain-based School Bronze Award". It is one of the rare secondary schools in Hong Kong to receive certification. Principal Pang Yiu Kwan also won the "Outstanding Leadership Silver Award".

Targeting learning needs and adapting to thinking habits

The school adopts BBL as a teaching method mainly for two reasons. First: take into account students’ learning needs. Principal Pang Yiu Kwan refers to: "Students have different needs in the learning process. Concentration, concentration, and relaxation will all affect their classroom participation and learning process." Therefore, the school introduces advanced equipment to analyze the three abilities of students and understand the students' learning characteristics. Based on this, the team can formulate targeted teaching strategies to respond to learning needs, and even effectively and successfully help students with special learning needs.

Second: According to students’ habits. Principal Pang Yiu Kwan said: "The neurons in the brain are very sharp. When we study, we need to be highly concentrated, but normal people can only maintain high concentration for about 10 minutes, or even less." To help students learn, we need to understand how the human brain operates and understand its operating inertia. The school introduced BBL, guided by brain science, and activated different brain areas of students through brainwave training to improve students' focus, concentration and relaxation, and effectively absorb new knowledge.

Establish a dedicated group to scientifically improve learning effectiveness

Classes in the BBL model include different elements such as interaction, music, and physical activities. Before formulating teaching strategies, the school has a dedicated team to conduct brainwave scans and data analysis for students, and share them with teachers so that they can understand the characteristics of students' brains. Director Luo, who is in charge of "Brain Space", said: "Each student's brain characteristics are different. Teachers will receive training in advance to understand what teaching methods need to be used to make students' learning more effective for different brain characteristics, or even which teaching methods are not suitable for different brain characteristics."

For students with weak concentration, teachers need to arrange physical activities in the classroom to let them move in a timely manner; for students with strong emotional suppression, classroom competitions, raising hands to answer questions, etc. are not suitable. In addition to letting teachers know the brain characteristics of students, the system can also provide brainwave training for students to "exercise brain fitness" for their weaker parts. On the one hand, teachers can "prescribe the right medicine" according to students' needs; on the other hand, students know their own shortcomings and can improve them through different exercises. A two-pronged approach makes the overall learning more effective.

Understand the learning situation and efficient teaching methods

Assistant Principal Zheng Yuling pointed out: "Brain science allows us to always understand the situation of students at different stages and help them learn according to their abilities. For example, sometimes we ask them to clap their hands excitedly, and sometimes we ask them to be quiet. If we can understand people's basic emotions, it will help students learn better At the same time, brain-based learning requires students to work together to do one thing, repeat it repeatedly, and check it carefully in a short period of time. This theory allows us to better understand whether students understand the knowledge thoroughly and whether the teaching progress needs to be adjusted. It can also make students happy to learn, and it is an efficient teaching method. "

Students’ learning experience

Form 5 Yu student: "The curriculum in high school is very compact. We have interactions in the classroom, which makes the learning process more interesting and the knowledge learned is easier to digest. In class, we are immersed in listening to the lectures and interacting with the teachers, which can solidify the knowledge in our hearts. After class, it is easier to review at home. It takes us less time to remember the knowledge clearly, and the teacher will help us review it in class the next day, so that we have a deeper impression of the knowledge."

Student Lui from Form 5: "During the interactive time in class, the teacher allows us to communicate with each other, ask each other questions, ask each other for advice, and help each other. Although there are more interactions in class, it does not mean that our learning process slows down. This is because the teacher will help us consolidate our knowledge at the same time, saving a lot of review time, and in disguise, we can learn more different things in our spare time, such as participating in extracurricular activities, additional review, etc."