Enhancing experiential learning in creative and media training: The impact of study tours on secondary school students’ knowledge, attitudes, and personal growth in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong government supports vocational training to nurture local talents by enhancing capacity building and offering students with a clear pathway for progression. A five-year educational pathway was developed at Hong Kong Baptist University to nurture creative and media industry talents. Secondary school students took a Multimedia Storytelling Applied Learning Course for three years and would progress to a higher diploma in art tech design for two years. Overseas study tour is considered a major out-of-classroom experiential learning experience for the secondary school students. Two study tours to Japan and Korea were organized with 34 and 36 students; and 7 and 5 teachers in June and July 2023 respectively. A series of cultural activities, companies, universities, and museum visits were arranged to help students gain a deeper understanding of art and creative-related aspects in a different culture. Students' learning experiences were evaluated through a post-tour questionnaire and self-reflective expressions captured by writing or video recording. Participated students rated highly in all six areas including cultural immersion, course-related knowledge, understanding of job-related knowledge, self-management, motivation, as well as personal growth and transformation. The overall results indicated positive feedback for the integration of study tours in the course as an out-of-classroom learning experience. The experiential learning activities fulfill the learninig outcomes of the program in developing future skills in creative expression, content creations, and cultural understanding.