On January 26, 2021, 34 students from Hsinchu County Po-Ai Junior High School visited National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) to participate in the Ground Building Technology Camp, during which they engaged in games on campus, laboratory visits, and hands-on technology activities.
During the games played at the start of the camp, Professor Sunny S. J. Lin from the Center for Teacher Education gave a talk about the development and evolution of NCTU, allowing the participants to understand the development of the entireand the school’s vital role in technological development.
Subsequently, a team led by Professor Bing-fei Wu, Professor Yon-ping Chen, and Professor Kuu-young Young from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department conducted an experiential tour that covered today’s key technologies such as automatic facial recognition systems, robotic arms for motion assistance, and inverted pendulums.
Finally, the participants took a course designed by Professor Yi-kai Wang from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, through which they learned how to make ultrasonic rulers. The hands-on practice not only inspired the participants’ curiosity and interest in electric technology but also enhanced their ability to apply the scientific knowledge in real life. This form of education is an application of the education theory of learning by doing.
NCTU student teachers served as the lecturers and teaching assistants of this course. First, a lecturer introduced the principle and process of building an ultrasonic ruler before allowing the students to engage in hands-on practice, during which the teaching assistants provided instructions. To ensure that the teaching activities proceeded smoothly, the lecturers must first rehearse the teaching content under the guidance of professors from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and Center for Teacher Education. Student teachers who served as assistants were also required to be trained by Professor Yi-kai Wang through the pre-camp training, so that the student teachers acquired relevant knowledge. The student teachers’ teaching and counseling skills were complementary. The cross-departmental support model can diversify teaching methods at the junior high school level and provide training opportunities for student teachers. Therefore, this ground building model should be promoted.
