Jockey Club Experiential Learning Project for Students with Special Educational Needs

Introduction

Jockey Club Experiential Learning Project for Students with Special Educational Needs has been launched since April 2019. The project is funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, co-organised by Hong Kong Christian Service (HKCS), The Education University of Hong Kong and six special schools including CCC Kei Shun Special School, CCC Mongkok Chruch Kai Oi School, Hong Chi Pinehill No.3 School, Po Leung Kuk Anita L.L. Chan (Centenary) School, Po Leung Kuk Mr. & Mrs. Chan Pak Keung Tsing Yi School and Po Leung Kuk Law's Foundation School.

This project aims at building up new and evidence-based pedagogy of special education. With the use of adventure-based learning and virtual reality-based learning as well as diversified training practices, it is hoped that the knowledge and skills distilled from experiential learning can enrich the training strategies for practitioners in the field of special education, so as to develop an academically-accredited set of evaluation tools on generic skills and foster the whole-person development of students and adults with different levels of intellectual disability.

Objectives

• To develop and enhance the generic skills of students and adults with different levels of intellectual disability through adventure-based learning and virtual reality-based learning;
• To establish pedagogy and training strategies on adventure-based learning and virtual reality-based learning so as to enrich the knowledge and skills of practitioners (including teachers, prospective teachers, social workers and trainers) in special education;
• To create unconventional employment opportunities for graduates with intellectual disability so as to increase their career-related self-efficacy;
• To promote inclusive community education through innovative audio-visual technologies and adventure-based activities.

Service Features

Adventure-Based Learning (ABL)

The learning process is based on the core concept of experiential learning, ABL designs various challenging and interactive curriculum according to the characteristics and needs of participants with intellectual disability. During the ABL process, we encourage participants to use different generic skills, and experience overcoming different difficulties and challenges through interaction with others, thus cultivates positive and optimistic attitude, and relating the experience from training sessions back to their daily life and routines to create positive change.

Virtual Reality-Based Learning (VRL)

Using the Immersive Cave, VRL filmed different scenes and designed diversified scenarios to allow participants with intellectual disability to experience important situations, but less commonly encountered in daily life, such as fire evacuation drills, getting lost and dental check-ups. Through repetitive yet interesting learning in different scenarios, individuals can strengthen their daily living skills gradually.

Service Content

• To support schools for students with intellectual disability and adult rehabilitation units in delivering adventure-based learning and virtual reality-based learning practices;
• To develop and verify the effectiveness of adventure-based learning and virtual reality-based learning strategies and produce respective training packages;
• To develop a set of validated generic skills assessment tools;
• Promote social inclusion and enhance the career pathway building for intellectual disability graduates by providing unconventional employment opportunities as adventure assistants.

Target groups

• Students from school for children with intellectual disability;
• Graduates from school for children with intellectual disability who are ready for employment;
• Adults at day activity centres who receive services for people with intellectual disability;
• Teachers from school for children with intellectual disability OR prospective teachers who are dedicated to special education;
• Practitioners from services for people with intellectual disability;
• Students from mainstream primary or secondary schools.

Funded by