2025 Autonomous Learning Festival Highlights Hualien’s Progress in Digital Education

(中央社訊息服務20251209 15:53:05)The Hualien County Government continues to advance digital teaching capacity in schools as part of its smart education initiatives. Local schools and educators have actively participated in the Ministry of Education’s flagship programs—including the Autonomous Learning Festival, the Award for Excellence in Promoting Digital Learning, and the Outstanding Digital Literacy Lesson Plan Selection. Through nationwide exchanges, Hualien’s educators have consistently achieved strong results, showcasing the county’s growing strength in both digital pedagogy and competency-based instruction.

Now in its eighth year, the Autonomous Learning Festival draws thousands of teachers annually and has become a key event in Taiwan’s education calendar. Each year, the Hualien County Government collaborates with local schools to organize a series of public digital-teaching demonstration classes. These lessons allow teachers to observe a diverse range of instructional styles and strategies, encouraging reflection and the development of professional skills.

This year’s festival saw 40 interschool open lessons hosted by 34 elementary and secondary schools across Hualien. Subjects included Chinese, math, English, social studies, science, music, and the arts. Over 20 digital platforms and tools were used in the lessons, demonstrating how digital technologies and self-directed learning strategies are being integrated to support differentiated teaching and technology-assisted learning. Each open lesson was structured around three stages—lesson briefing, classroom observation, and post-lesson discussion—encouraging deep professional dialogue, peer learning, and the development of innovative teaching models. These efforts underscore the county’s leadership and creativity in digital education.

Hualien educators also performed exceptionally well in this year’s Ministry of Education recognition programs. In the 2025 Award for Excellence in Promoting Digital Learning, Honorable Mentions went to Wu Yi-Chen (Tongmen Elementary School), Cheng Min-Tse (Yuli Junior High School), and Yeh Yi-Chun and Huang Jui-Ying (Yichang Junior High School) for their lesson plans in Chinese, science, technology, and integrated studies. Each plan was grounded in core competencies and made effective use of generative AI tools throughout the teaching and learning process.

In the 2025 Outstanding Digital Literacy Lesson Plan Selection, Lin Chiu-Yu (Wuhe Elementary School) received an Honorable Mention for a language lesson that used ChatGPT to help students identify online risks and apply the STOP principle to build safe digital communication habits. A Merit Award went to Hu Chih-Hsiang (Xiulin Elementary School) for a culturally grounded empowerment-focused lesson that shifted students from passive learning to active critical thinking, guiding them to identify subtle discriminatory language in online media.

Hualien County Mayor Hsu Chen-Wei praised the teachers for their excellence in open teaching and lesson plan design, noting that such results stem from strong day-to-day instruction and ongoing professional growth. Looking ahead to 2026, the county will continue investing in learning devices and infrastructure to support the development of both digital instruction and AI-enhanced education. These efforts aim to expand teaching diversity and precision, boost student learning outcomes, and ensure that all learners acquire the core skills needed for success in the digital age. Ultimately, Hualien is working to build a more future-ready and resilient smart education environment.

Media Contact: Wang Hui-Chin, Department of Education, Hualien County Government
Tel: (03) 856-0237 ext. 28