On 10 Sep 2023, educators and researchers in the field of early childhood education gathered at the Science Park for the 3rd 'CoolPlay' International Conference Cum Project Summary. This conference was organized by the Jockey Club 'CoolPlay' Project, one of the flagship research projects led by Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education and VTC since 2020, and funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

The primary objective of this event was to enhance principals' and teachers' understanding of exploratory learning in early childhood education. Experts and scholars in the field of early childhood education from international, Mainland China, and local backgrounds shared the latest educational trends and provided insightful perspectives on "Exploratory Learning," along with innovative teaching strategies and methods.

An important idea that enriched the program was highlighted in the keynote speech delivered by Prof Andrea A. diSessa on Computational Media and New Literacies. Prof diSessa explored the evolution of literacy, highlighting its long development and crucial role in society. He emphasized that developing a literacy is a complex, long-term process that reshapes entire knowledge domains. He introduced new approaches to computational literacy, such as the "tick model" for understanding motion. Finally, he encouraged collaborative thinking on what early childhood computational literacy might look like.

Following Prof diSessa's speech, Dr. Brad Chan and Mrs. Amy Tsui, Co-leaders of the Jockey Club 'CoolPlay' Project, took to the stage and shared key learnings and findings over the past three years. The project has made a positive impact on children, parents, and ECE educators. During the conference, an announcement regarding the second phase of Jockey Club 'CoolPlay' Project was made. This second phase will be a four-year project that scales up and benefits a larger number of beneficiaries in seven chosen districts in Hong Kong.

More about CoolPlay Project: https://jccoolplay.hk/en/