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More effective learning underlined
Hong Kong will benefit from the introduction of Target Oriented Curriculum (TOC) which makes learning more effective, schooling fairer and more rewarding, according to leading educational psychologist Professor John Biggs.
A professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong, Professor Biggs specialises in the study of learning outcome. His 'Solo Taxonomy' is known among educational researchers world-wide and has been applied to a lot of research projects in Hong Kong, including a longitudinal study on the Use of Chinese as Medium of Instruction in secondary schools conducted between 1990-92.
Throughout his service in Hong Kong, Professor Biggs has played a key role in the enhancement of learning process among students. He is one of those who agree that the introduction of TOC in Hong Kong's schools can add to that enhancement.
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Professor Biggs said TOC made learning more effective by using the "backwash" effects of testing positively.
"Backwash means that the test determines the nature and quality of teaching and learning. It is a universal fact that students tend to focus their learning according to what they think they will be tested on: the test becomes the curriculum," he explained to participants of a Primary School TOC Initiation Workshop held earlier.
"In the past, backwash has had strong negative effects on both teaching and learning. Teachers second guess the examinations and give students notes and model answers to rote learn. So whatever the official aims of teaching a subject, the fact is students reduce their learning to the lowest cognitive level, because that level is allowed to suffice for testing purposes.
"When students know on what they are going to be assessed, then they make that the target for their learning."
Professor Biggs said TOC identified reasonable targets and gave assessment tasks to see where each student stood with respect to each such target, thus clearly showing what each student was able to do.
"The trick is to use backwash positively. Define quality targets and you get quality learning," he said.