Students win international award for AI-driven innovation in education

Six students from the XJTLU Academy of Future Education have received an international award for their project that aims to enhance educational development using artificial intelligence.

Digital Education students Wenjia Tang, Lan Luo, Xiaoya Ma, Yongjia Lu, Liwei Chen, and Jiapei Liang recently shared the Student Partnership Impact Award, presented by the Joint Information Systems Committee (Jisc) and the Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA).

Jisc is a not-for-profit company in the United Kingdom that supports teaching and research by providing network and IT services. SEDA is a professional association, also based in the UK, whose mission is to enhance higher education through the promotion of innovation and good practice.

The students received the award for their AI for Learning project, which aims to help scholars at XJTLU explore advanced AI technology, demonstrate its learning benefits, and discuss related ethical issues. The project was guided by Educational Development Unit (EDU) staff members Olivia Yiqun Sun, Yexiang Wu, Yezi Yang, and Charlie Reis, and Dr Qing Zhang, an assistant professor in the Digital Education programme.

For the project, the six students collaborated with their mentors to create course materials and an interactive webpage using digital tools. They also were responsible for developing a curriculum, creating a project timeline, and video editing.

“Students are at the core of our educational endeavours,” says Sun, the project leader and head of the EDU’s Technology-enhanced Learning Team. “We conducted surveys among students and staff to understand their thoughts and insights. With guidance from EDU instructors, students were able to infuse their content with greater interest and creativity. This collaborative effort showcases how students at XJTLU are empowered to shape their educational experience.”

Dr Zhang, who helped the team apply for the prize, adds that students should always be encouraged to showcase their achievements to a wider audience, as it boosts their confidence in their professional field and benefits their career development.

Ma, one of the award recipients, says of the project: “I gained a wealth of knowledge about digital tools and design thinking. With guidance from teachers and active communication and collaboration among team members, our efforts were a success.”

Fellow winner Lu, who was responsible for producing video course materials, says, “This was my first independent venture into creating and editing videos. With guidance from Yexiang Wu, we refined the scripts using generative AI and optimised the presentation using Canva. We also took the opportunity to explore the impact of AI on various industries and shared our insights with XJTLU students.”

Find out more about the AI for Learning project.

By Xiaoyan Jin

Edited by Catherine Emma Diamond