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Broadening Knowledge Through a 21-day Exploration of China
EdFutures News
30 Aug, 2024
20 : 13
The Gobi Desert, Mazongshan, Gansu Province
On the vast expanse of the Gobi Desert, a group of secondary school students worked together.
"I need help with the plaster!" shouted one student to his companion. "Hurry! We are running out of the burlap pieces!" yelled another. In the centre of the group, two researchers carefully wrapped layers of plaster-soaked burlap around a turtle fossil. This technique, known as a plaster jacket, is a common method that paleontologists use to protect fossils.
This was the second day of the YCYW ChinaOne Learning Programme in Mazongshan, a region famous for its Cretaceous fossils, including phytosaurs, carnivorous dinosaurs, turtles, and other vertebrates from around 130 million years ago.
The students joined Professor Wang Xiaolin and his team from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to learn about ancient land strata and landforms, and how to find fossils by examining gastroliths, worm tubes, and other fossilised remains.
The turtle fossil was roughly the size of two adult palms. Carrie from YWIES Beijing Yizhuang first discovered the leg fossil fragments. She and a researcher later found a relatively intact turtle fossil nearby. After being being packed in plaster, the fossils are then sent to Beijing for further restoration and research. The students have scheduled a visit in Beijing with Professor Wang to observe the restoration process.
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The Mobile Classroom
Mazongshan, Gansu Province was the second stop on the ChinaOne programme.
On 7 July, thirteen students from YCIS Hong Kong, YCIS Shanghai, YCIS Qingdao, YWIES Beijing Yizhuang, YWIES Shanghai Lingang, and YWIES Guangzhou arrived in Dunhuang. Guided by teachers from the EdFutures Division, they embarked on a 21-day journey through Qinghai Province, Gansu Province, Hunan Province, and Guangdong Province, and finally concluded the programme in Hong Kong SAR.
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Like many on the programme, Jessica, a Year 8 student from YWIES Beijing Yizhuang, had previously visited only one or two of the destinations. Born in Macau and raised in Beijing, Jessica had travelled to Gansu before but had never visited a remote area like Mazongshan.
At their first stop in Lenghu, Qinghai Province, Jessica and her classmates climbed up to Position C (at an altitude of 4,200 metres) of Saishiteng Mountain. This national astronomical observation base is rarely open to the public. Guided by Professor Wu Xiaoshu and her team from the Planetary Environmental and Astro-biological Research Laboratory at Sun Yat-sen University, the students had a unique opportunity to get a close look at China's first ground-based planetary telescope, the Planetary Atmospheric Spectroscopic Telescope (PAST). They also connected with researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, and observed the telescope's remote operation via an intelligent system.
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That night, Jessica stayed at the "Lenghu Lab," a popular science base, where she vividly experienced the magic of the universe.
Dr Zhao Jinjin, a postdoctoral scholar at Sun Yat-sen University, and Mr Liang Wenjun, a post graduate student at the university, woke the students in the middle of the night. As they sleepily walked outside, the students saw a sky filled with brilliant summer stars.
"The Big Dipper, in particular, was so close on the horizon that it felt like it was right beside us. You didn't have to look up; you could see it with just a slight turn of your head," Jessica recalled excitedly.
Chelsea, a Year 9 student at YCIS Hong Kong, saw the Milky Way for the first time that night. Guided by Dr Zhao, Chelsea was able to identify many constellations. "The imagination of ancient people is truly admirable!" she exclaimed.
Jessica and Chelsea were also impressed by is Dr Zhao's passion for astronomy. When Dr Zhao was a third-year student at upper secondary school, she once wrapped herself in a blanket and watched the Leonid meteor shower on a winter night, recording more than 4,000 meteors. Today, as a postdoctoral researcher studying the structure of the Martian corona and the interplanetary space environment, she enthusiastically participates in various popular science activities.
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Dr Christopher Hurley thinks that the future of education will involve the integration and interweaving of multiple fields rather the independent development of individual disciplines. To adapt to this change, the learning of students should extend beyond the boundaries of a single subject, engage with real-world contexts, and address real problems.
Following immersive learning experiences in fields such as medical education, underwater robotics, smart farming, and architectural design, Dr Hurley and his team have conducted extensive research on innovative educational models, such as those at THINK Global School, Green School Bali, and Alt School. The team combined these insights with the curricular requirements of IGCSE-level students to customise a three-week ChinaOne programme.
This programme spans both northern and southern China and covers a broad range of subjects, including astronomy, geography, history, art, physics, business, and tourism.
After the students had experienced a ride in an off-road vehicle through the rolling hills and depressions of the Gobi Desert, Dr Hurley introduced the basic concepts of calculus to them, with an application to a real-life scenario that the students had experienced - how do you calculate the horsepower of the vehicle needed based on the slope of a hill?
The accompanying teacher, Mr Hubert Hu, an educational technology expert from the EdFutures Division, recognised the diverse terrains and landscapes the students would encounter during their journey across China.
To enhance their experience, he designed ten handheld meteorological stations. These devices collect real-time data on barometric pressure, temperature, humidity, GPS location, altitude, and speed, accommodating the varied environments such as high-altitude mountains, the Gobi Desert, rolling hills, and Yardang landforms.
"When students hold these instruments in various positions and while in motion, they can observe and directly experience the changes in air pressure, as well as see how these changes impact the body," Mr Hu explained.
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When the students arrived in Hong Kong SAR, their final destination, Mr Hu conducted an AI-assisted programming lesson, using the extensive data the students had collected throughout the journey as a sample for their training.
During the trip, the students had also collected soil and rock samples from different regions for testing and comparative analysis of pH and heavy metal content. Ms Trill Zhang, an accompanying teacher from the EdFutures Division, recalled that the soil the studemts had collected from the Mazhongshan area showed high levels of heavy metals. This finding reminded the students of one of Professor Wang Xiaolin's conclusions: that the mass extinction of dinosaurs in that area was likely caused by volcanic eruptions.
Growing up
After touring northwestern China, the ChinaOne group continued south. Their first stop was Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, where they explored the natural wonders of the region and went behind the scenes of the "Zhangjiajie Romantic Show". The students learned how to integrate sound, lighting, and other technologies with the arts to create a spectacular performance. In Shenzhen, they visited several high-tech companies including Tencent, Intel, BrainCo, and SenseTime.
BrainCo is an independent brain-computer interface company; its founding team was the first Chinese team trained at Harvard University's Innovation Labs. During the pandemic, the selfless dedication of medical workers inspired Chelsea from YCIS Hong Kong, who aspires to become a doctor. At BrainCo, she saw how brain-computer interface technology can help people with disabilities readjust to life, and she learned about the vast potential of the medical field that technology made possible.
Professor Tony Tse of The School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, believes that, "Students can usually learn better in real-life situations. They can relate ideas and concepts with what they see and what they experience in real-life situations. They have more freedom to explore the real world and shape their own thinking. They are not confined to rules and restrictions in classrooms, so this mode of learning is conducive to creativity."
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To offer a practical learning platform for developing the next generation of hotel and tourism management professionals, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University established Hotel ICON, the world's first hotel that combines teaching, research, and service functions. The School of Hotel and Tourism Management is located within this hotel.
During their visit to Hong Kong SAR, the students stayed at Hotel ICON. They had the opportunity to attend a series of lectures and workshops organised by Professor Tse and his team on future trends in the hotel and tourism industry; challenges in the development of Hotel ICON; food and culture; and innovations in tourism at Tai Kwun, a heritage-arts venue.
From the Cretaceous Period to brain-computer interfaces, and from the Gobi Desert to Victoria Harbour, in Hong Kong SAR, why did the ChinaOne, a journey through time and space, choose the hospitality and tourism industry as its final focus?
Dr Hurley explained that in this era of rapid technological advancement, people need to focus on what makes us truly human. He emphasised that being warm and friendly, caring for others, and embracing exploration and adventure are essential human values. These qualities are integral to humanistic elements of the hospitality and tourism industry.
"This journey is about developing each student as a person," Dr Hurley explained.
During their two days in Mazongshan, the students experienced the challenges and pleasure of paleontological fieldwork. They had no communication signal in the remote wilderness; sandstorms caused sand to mix into their rice; and a sudden downpour one night battered their tents.
"We reminisced about the meals we had along the way and concluded that the more cuisines you can adapt to, the broader the world you will be able to explore," Ms Trill Zhang said with a smile.
This growth was particularly evident in Ryan from YCIS Hong Kong.
At first, this city boy struggled to adapt to the sandstorms and the local food in northwestern China. Because English is his primary language, he also had difficulty fully understanding the experts, who spoke in Chinese.
But in the wilderness of the northwestern China, he gradually began to appreciate the beauty of connecting with nature.
"I was amazed by the terrain. There are many different mountains and hills, and I could climb freely." Ryan fondly recalled that his passion for sports allowed him to find freedom during the journey. "I felt like more alive."
Breaking away from familiar routines and constantly moving to various destinations, hotels, and transportation hubs during the 21-day trip was certainly a challenge for the younger students, but it also provided an opportunity for growth.
Ryan's father, Mr Thomas Cheng, noticed the changes in Ryan, including the improvement in his ability to take care of himself, his problem-solving skills, and his cross-cultural understanding.
On 28 July, Ryan and other students who participated in the programme reported about what they had learned during the trip to their parents and teachers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. "Watching my son's presentation on his experience in the programme was an incredibly proud moment for me, especially as he was presenting at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which is my alma mater," Mr Cheng remarked.
He also noticed that when Ryan got home, he removed some social video software and replaced them with a Chinese learning software and Bilibili, a platform popular among kids in the Chinese mainland.
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At the end of the trip, the students returned to their respective cities to prepare for the new semester. When asked how ChinaOne differed from other summer camps they had attended, Jessica noted that the programme was challenging but also enjoyable because it involved a constant mix of learning and fun. Ryan mentioned that, unlike other camps, they did not stay in one place, but travelled halfway across China.
The Chinese expression: "Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles" (读万卷书，行万里路), encapsulates ancient Chinese wisdom of uniting knowledge and action. In the future, students working with plaster or conducting ferrous ion experiments in school labs will remember the moment they unearthed dinosaur fossils in the Gobi Desert of northwestern China.
In that moment, the classroom will truly connect with the world.
