Preparing students with innovative and creative competence is of great importance in facing future uncertainties, as well as overcoming technological, social, and ecological challenges. Innovative learning experience design is a cutting-edge interdisciplinary research topic committed to sharing leading research, theoretical contributions and practical strategies for school systems both domestically and abroad. It plays a positive role and has far-reaching significance for educators to jointly explore innovative education, curricula development, teacher development, and pedagogical practices for learning through play.
The international workshop on "Innovative Learning Experience Design" was held successfully by the Future Laboratory Tsinghua University and the Lab for Lifelong Learning Tsinghua University recently. Professor Rui Wei, deputy director of the China Institute of Education Innovation at Beijing Normal University; Professor Jan Plass, Paulette Goddard Chair in Digital Media and Learning Sciences and professor at New York University; Bruce Homer, professor of Educational Psychology in the Learning, Development and Instruction at the City University of New York; Associate Professor Zhen Wu, deputy head of the Department of Psychology of Tsinghua University, and other 14 guests from home and abroad delivered keynote speeches. More than 100 experts, scholars, educators, and practitioners in related fields participated in the discussion. The workshop was co-hosted by Yimeng Zhang, director of the Office of International Cooperation of the Future Lab of Tsinghua University, and Di Zhao, postdoctoral researcher of the Future Lab.
Professor Yingqing Xu, director of the Future Lab, and Professor Zurong Zhong, vice president of the Beijing Institute of Education Sciences delivered opening and welcoming addresses during the workshop.
Jianguo Zhao, director of the Education Committee of Daxing District, Beijing, shared the significance and specific measures of training innovative talents with the title of "Double Reduction Policy and Educational Innovation". He pointed out that training innovative talents is the urgent need of regional economic and social development, noting that Daxing District had become an important region for the development of the southern parts of the capital and in the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
Dr. Di Zhao, shared the theme of Learning through Play from the Tangible User Interaction (TUI) Perspective. Zhao pointed out that features of tangible tools infused with digital technology serves the developmental needs of younger children. Compared to extensive screen-based learning during the pandemic, TUI tools encourage students to be more “on-task” and “on-hand”.
Professor Rui Wei from Beijing Normal University shared on the topic of "Project Based Learning for Promoting Science and Technology Innovation Literacy". Wei presented a series of explorations and achievements in the construction of middle and high school project-based curricula, as well as in the design of project-based learning procedures and steps, and called on all sectors of society to jointly build an environment and ecology supporting students to carry out project-based learning.
Zhou Zhong, associate professor at the Institute of Education, Tsinghua University, shared on "Innovative Exploration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)". She presented on rise of sustainable universities and the innovation of sustainable development education from the perspective of comparative research on ESD.
Tsinghua International School at Daoxiang Lake’s Vice Principal Lan Yi shared the school’s best practices for integrating Chinese education traditions with internationalized vision. The school is a leading practice site for preparing students to become international leaders with global vision and deep Chinese cultural roots.
Shudong Li, principal of No. 8 Primary School in Beijing's Daxing District, gave a lecture titled "Sustainable Development Leads to the Future". Li believes that when students start to practice the concept of green, low-carbon and sustainable development, they form a sense of responsibility for the future. The formation of a green low-carbon concept of primary and secondary school students is of great importance.
Yu Lin, research specialist of the Lab for Lifelong Learning Tsinghua University, presented on interdisciplinary project-based learning in the cultivation of children’s creativity, introduced teaching tools and curriculum designs aimed at cultivating the creativity of primary and middle school students, and summarized the principles of designing innovative learning tools by utilizing cross-disciplinary learning tools.
Professor Plass from New York University and Professor Homer from the City University of New York presented on "Digital Games and the Future of Learning". They believe that knowledge construction in the digital era should recognize the importance of environment and experience, and should break away from the passive receiving of information learning. Plass and Homer shared their insights on digital learning through play and its effects on children’s cognitive and social development.
Zhen Wu, associate professor of the Department of Psychology of Tsinghua University and research director of the Lab for Lifelong Learning Tsinghua University, shared the "Influence of Parent-child Interaction in Screen Product Use on Children's Psychological Development". Her research shows that electronic products have gradually become indispensable tools in children's lives, and that the correlation between screen use and children's behavioral problems is weakening year-by-year. For preschool children, screen exposure of less than 2 hours a day is not directly harmful, with parenting style being more important. She believes that children need parents to accompany them when using electronic products, and that parent-child interaction should be conducted around screen exposure content, teaching children how to use technology correctly and setting an example.
Finally, two doctoral students, Siyu Zha and Ruiwen Peng presented on the “Frontier Exploration of Innovative Learning Tool Design" and "Tool Design and Development for Children's Creative Learning" respectively, exploring how interdisciplinary teaching content and physical interaction and other technologies can better enable children's innovative learning. It contributes to the cultivation of innovative talents by improving the interesting, innovative and sustainable properties of playful teaching tools.
After the keynote speeches, the Lab for Lifelong Learning Tsinghua University held 2 practical workshops: “Designing innovative Learning Experience Based on the concept of Sustainable Development” and "Multi-modal Book Design under the Concept of Innovative Learning".
The Lab for Lifelong Learning Tsinghua University (TULLL) has been working closely with the international student and scholar community of both Tsinghua University and a research network involving Cambridge University, MIT, and Harvard, in order to provide a platform for international dialogues on what the future of learning should look like. TULLL believes that we should jointly plant the seed of innovative learning from a young age, and make learning a lifelong, joyful experience for all.
The Future Laboratory, Tsinghua University was established on the 15th of December 2017 to promote cross-disciplinary research and development. As Tsinghua’s future-oriented technological incubator, think tank, and explorer of scientific frontiers, the Lab’s mission is to continuously innovate, break down barriers between disciplines, and conduct in-depth interdisciplinary research and academic exchanges.
The Lab for Lifelong Learning Tsinghua University (TULLL) was launched in April 2016, and has been affiliated to the Future Laboratory, Tsinghua University since 2019. TULLL focuses on interdisciplinary and cutting-edge research on creative learning. The key interest of the Lab is to support creativity and learning across the Chinese educational system from early childhood to university, by establishing learning environments across ages and disciplines that stimulate competences in creativity, collaboration, problem raising and solving.
Editor: Li Han
