CityUHK and Education Bureau co-organise AI-education visit to showcase innovative interdisciplinary teaching practices
The Institute of Future Learning (IFL) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) and the Quality Assurance Division of the Education Bureau (EDB) recently jointly organised a visit themed "AI and Education Empowerment". The event welcomed EDB representatives, primary and secondary school principals, and school representatives to the CityUHK campus for thematic sharing sessions and on-site visits, offering first-hand insights into how the University seamlessly integrates artificial intelligence (AI) into teaching and learning to drive educational innovation and nurture future talent.
The event was attended by Ms Joyce Yip Sau-mei, Principal Assistant Secretary (Quality Assurance) of the EDB; Professor Wang Jianping, Dean of the College of Computing at CityUHK; and Professor Ray Cheung Chak-chung, Associate Provost (Digital Learning) and Director of the IFL. Together with more than 30 EDB representatives, principals and school representatives from partner schools involved in the Learning Circle in the enhanced School Development and Accountability framework, they exchanged in-depth views on practical applications and the future development of AI in education.
In his welcoming remarks, Professor Cheung said that the IFL was established in response to the rapid transformation of higher education and is committed to promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, the translation of digital learning technologies, and educational innovation. He emphasised that while AI presents new opportunities for education, the essence of education lies in cultivating students' ability to think critically. CityUHK is therefore committed to promoting student-centred learning approaches that leverage AI to foster collaboration, active exploration and critical thinking.
Ms Yip thanked CityUHK for organising the event and commended the University's efforts in advancing digital education and innovative teaching practices. She noted that exchanges with CityUHK scholars and educators would help participants gain a more concrete understanding of how AI can be effectively applied in teaching. She also expressed hope for continued close collaboration with the University to support schools in harnessing AI to improve learning and teaching effectiveness.
During the keynote session, Professor Tsui Lik-hang, Associate Director of the Talent and Education Development Office and Associate Professor in the Department of Chinese and History, delivered a keynote presentation, titled "Integrating AI, Digital Tools and Traditional Practices in Humanities Education". He explored how AI and traditional learning resources can be combined to improve the student learning experience. He stressed that while students are “digital natives”, educators should cultivate their information literacy and critical thinking skills, guiding them to use technology wisely rather than simply relying on it.
To allow participants to experience CityUHK's AI-enabled teaching practices first-hand, three demonstration sessions were arranged to showcase how AI has been integrated across various disciplines.
Professor Luo Jianxi, Professor in the Department of Systems Engineering, introduced a flying car project, conceived for Hong Kong's low-altitude economy, designed and built by CityUHK undergraduate students. The project demonstrates how generative AI can be integrated with engineering design through interdisciplinary collaboration to foster innovative learning.
Professor Esterina Nervino, Assistant Professor in the Department of English and the Department of Marketing, explained how AI has been incorporated into language and fashion culture education, guiding students to recognise the potential limitations and biases of AI-generated content while developing critical thinking, digital literacy and professional communication skills.
Dr Chan Chung, Teaching Fellow in the Department of Computer Science, demonstrated an AI-assisted programming learning platform developed by the CityUHK team. Through a questioning approach, the platform guides students to identify programming errors independently, effectively enhancing their computational thinking and problem-solving abilities.
The event provided a valuable platform for in-depth exchanges between CityUHK and primary and secondary schools, while creating new opportunities to advance AI-empowered education. CityUHK will continue to advance “human-centred” educational innovation and work closely with stakeholders to nurture future talent equipped with innovative thinking, digital literacy and lifelong learning capabilities.