Yi Lin (Elaine) was born in Hong Kong. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Secondary School Education from Hong Kong Institute of Education, majoring in Design and Technology. She then furthered her studies by purusing a Master's degree in Design Education at National Institute of Education, Singapore. Upon graduation, she returned to Hong Kong and worked as a full time teacher in a secondary school. During all these years of exposure and research in Design Education, she has built up networks with teachers in different schools in both Singapore and Hong Kong. As of the year 2009, Elaine joined the School of Design as a PhD student. Her main research interest lies in the school curriculum of Design Education at secondary school levels among Hong Kong, Singapore and China.

Research Title
"Is Design and Technology Education in Secondary Curriculum a Must?"- A Comparative Study among Singapore, Hong Kong and China

Name of PhD Advisors
Prof. Michael Siu

SHORT INTRODUCTION/DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH PROJECT
Design and Technology (D&T) is a world-wide subject that consists of solving daily life problems through hands-on activities and fabrication of artefacts. As it possesses the characteristics of both technology and design, it is always referred to as Technology Education, or Design Education. For example, in the U.S, the subject is generally referred to as Technology Education, and the U.K. has once called it Design Education. Such differentiation in defining D&T also happens among countries in Asia.

D&T education in different countries of Asia is experiencing different stages of development with different emphasis at the end of the 21st century. In Hong Kong, the newly introduced subject in Design Education at senior secondary school level, Design and Applied Technology (DAT), has been put into practice in the academic year 2009/2010. This new curriculum can be regarded as a breakthrough on Design Education at secondary school level in Hong Kong. As in the last decade curriculum reform were on-going over the world, it is believed that other Asian countries, such as Singapore and China, are experiencing similar but different paradigm shift in Design Education.

Design Education, especially at secondary level, not only has its superficial educational value that students can learn the skills to saw, drill, lathe, assemble, etc, but also its contribution to the cognitive development of the child in the process of designing and solving problems. The research project aims to find out the differences in paradigm shift and potential value of Design Education among Hong Kong, Singapore and China.