Press Release: Environment and Conservation Fund - Hong Kong Environmental Protection Young Pioneers: Virtual Reality Creation Project Launching Ceremony
新聞稿：環保基金 香港環保小先鋒：虛擬實境創客計劃啓動禮

Environment and Conservation Fund
Hong Kong Environmental Protection Young Pioneers: 
Virtual Reality Creation Project Launching Ceremony

The launching ceremony of “Hong Kong Environmental Protection Young Pioneers: Virtual Reality Creation Project” was held on December 18, 2023 (Monday). The Project is funded by the Environment and Conservation Fund and administered by the Faculty of Education at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), with Bubble Creation, Hong Kong Discovery and Aldrich Bay Government Primary School as co-organisers. In the ceremony, Professor Peng Gong, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Development) of HKU, Professor Rui Yang, Dean of the Faculty of Education, HKU and Mr Chui Ka Cheung, Principal of Aldrich Bay Government Primary School gave speeches to encourage the participants to learn and promote environmental conservation through digital technology. Project leader, Dr Xiao Hu from the Faculty of Education, HKU, also welcomed all participants. Other attendees included Mr Peter Lee, Founder of the Earth Rescue Team, Ms Cindy Cui, Chairman of the Chunshan Education Foundation and Mr Water Ko, Project Officer of the Sumsze Farm.

“Hong Kong Environmental Protection Young Pioneers: Virtual Reality Creation Project” is an innovative project that makes use of Maker Education, collaborating university together with primary schools, leading primary school students to participate thoroughly from creating to using VR content. It utilises the Learning Analytics enabled Virtual Reality (LAVR) content creation platform, developed by the Culture Computing and Multimodal Information Research Lab of the Faculty of Education, HKU, to assist primary school students in using and creating Virtual Reality (VR) content. It aims to cultivate and raise students' awareness of conserving nature environment and protecting the ecosystem through eco-tours and workshops. The Project also draws students’ attention to the natural conservation consequences brought by global climate change, learning about the importance of Hong Kong’s plants and afforestation. As a result, it cultivates and enhances students’ interest and awareness of nature conservation, fostering their digital literacy, creativity, communication and presentation skills. The programme includes the following six parts:

1.    Webinars
2.    Guided Eco-Tours
3.    School Workshops
4.    VR Creation Workshop (Teacher Training)
5.    VR Content-Creating Workshop (Students)
6.    Exhibition and VR Touch Day

A workshop was offered to participants of the launching ceremony to gain experience in using the LAVR platform. The participants could capture the 360° panorama and add descriptions on it. They could also view the 360° panorama that they just captured through a VR headset.

For media enquiries, please contact Ms Trista Lee of the “Hong Kong Environmental Protection Young Pioneers: Virtual Reality Creation Project” (E-mail: leecwt@hku.hk) or Ms Cheryl Cheung, Senior Manager (Development and Communications), Faculty of Education, HKU (Tel.: 3917 4270 / E-mail: chercheung@hku.hk).

December 22, 2023

環保基金 香港環保小先鋒：虛擬實境創客計劃啓動禮
 

由環境及自然保育基金資助，香港大學教育學院推行，並由遊藝地圖、野外動向和愛秩序灣官立小學協辦的「環保基金 香港環保小先鋒：虛擬實境創客計劃」，已於2023年12月18日（星期一）假愛秩序灣官立小學禮堂舉行項目啓動禮。香港大學副校長（學術發展）宮鵬教授、香港大學教育學院院長楊銳教授和愛秩序灣官立小學崔家祥校長於啓動禮上致辭勉勵參加者透過數碼科技去學習和宣揚環境保育。項目負責人，香港大學教育學院胡曉博士亦致辭歡迎一眾參加者。其餘的出席嘉賓包括地球拯救隊創辦人李允豪先生、純山教育基金理事長崔硯文女士及琛思農莊項目主任Water Ko 先生。
 
「環保基金 香港環保小先鋒：虛擬實境創客計劃」是一個以創客教學法（Maker Education）為主導的創新計劃，通過大學與小學的合作，引導小學生全面參與從製作到使用虛擬實境 (Virtual Reality，簡稱VR) 內容的過程。此計劃利用香港大學教育學院文化計算和多模態資訊研究實驗室研發的LAVR虛擬實境創作平台，協助學生使用和創作虛擬實境內容；配合實體生態導賞及校園工作坊，以創新的沉浸式互動體驗，結合線上線下混合學習模式，讓學生探討因全球氣候變化引致的自然保育問題，認識香港的植物及樹林、植林的重要性，提高他們對保護生態環境的興趣和意識，並培養學生在數碼素養、創造力以及溝通演說能力等重要的思維模式和技能的發展。計劃內容包括以下六大部分：

1.    線上講座
2.    自然生態導賞
3.    校園工作坊
4.    VR創作工作坊（導師培訓）
5.    VR内容製作工作坊（學生）
6.    計劃成果巡迴展覽及VR體驗日

當日的工作坊讓出席者親身體驗使用LAVR虛擬實境創作平台，拍攝虛擬實境全景照片及製作文字描述，參與者更可利用VR頭戴裝置即時觀賞自己拍攝的作品。

傳媒查詢，請聯絡「環保基金 香港環保小先鋒：虛擬實境創客計劃」李晉慧女士 (電郵：leecwt@hku.hk)或香港大學教育學院高級經理（發展及傳訊）張俊瑜女士 (電話：3917 4270 / 電郵﹕chercheung@hku.hk)。

2023年12月22日