Chalkboards Meet Chatbots: SES Tackles AI in Science Class
Professor Yeung says the essence of science education is reasoning. “If every assignment is designed such that students can get the answers directly from AI, they will not experience the reasoning process, hence won’t learn scientific reasoning,” he said.
Around 80 in-service secondary school teachers and EdUHK students explore the application of AI in science education at the SES seminar on 6 July.
On 6 July, around 80 in-service secondary school teachers and EdUHK students attended the “Exploring the Application of AI in Science Education” seminar, hosted by the Department of Science and Environmental Studies (SES). The event brought together experts from SES and in-service teachers to discuss the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into science teaching, and offered teachers practical insights and strategies for incorporating AI tools into their classroom instruction.
In her opening remarks, Acting Head of SES Dr Deng Wenjing highlights that when used wisely, AI can help students achieve better learning outcomes.
Acting Head of SES Dr Deng Wenjing delivered the opening remarks, highlighting the importance of using AI responsibly in education. Following this, Professor Bill Yeung Chi-ho, Associate Head (International Engagement) of SES, delivered a talk on how to use AI wisely in learning and teaching. He reminded both current and prospective teachers that although AI can support teaching, it cannot replace teachers’ professional judgement and connection with students.
“Teaching professionals should avoid using AI indiscriminately. We should use it only when it can genuinely help reduce our workload. AI can certainly assist with lesson preparation and the production of teaching materials. It can also create differentiated learning resources catering to varying learning needs of individuals and serve as an after-class tutor. However, we need to be careful when using AI, as excessive reliance may weaken learners’ inquisitive minds, human interaction skills, self-management, and information technology competencies,” Professor Yeung said.
Ms Agnes Man, right, and other in-service teachers exchange their teaching experiences.
AI can be used in interdisciplinary workshops to nurture the 4Ds and the 4Cs.
Ms Agnes Man Mei-sum, also of SES, then discussed the use of AI in science and STEM education, emphasising that AI needs to be integrated innovatively into traditional teaching. “By creating AI-enabled simulation platforms, we can enhance students’ critical thinking and creativity. AI can be used in interdisciplinary workshops to nurture the 4Ds of the Double Diamond design-thinking model (discover, define, develop, and deliver) and the 4Cs core skills for the 21st century (critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration),” Ms Man said.
“Many scientific phenomena cannot be observed with the naked eye, and some are difficult to replicate in a laboratory. With the help of AI, we can simulate a range of such phenomena or experiments, including a star’s apparent magnitude and absolute magnitude; particle movements in the three states of matter—solid, liquid, and gas; solar and lunar eclipses; and even the Solar System. AI can also be used to visualise micrometre-scale microplastics, as well as the distribution and behaviour of microplastic particles,” Ms Man said. She encouraged teachers to use AI to promote inquiry, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Dr Matthew Li Tin-lok says teachers should guide students to use AI to help them arrive at answers through their own reasoning.
AI can improve educational efficiency and help address long-standing challenges faced by teachers.
Dr Matthew Li Tin-lok, Senior Lecturer at SES, then discussed the effective integration of digital educational tools in chemistry, focusing on how AI can change both teaching and learning. He explained that AI can generate images, animations, and simulators to help students visualise complex descriptive content, such as the relationship between boiling points and intermolecular forces, chemical equilibrium, and the mole concept. Dr Li also demonstrated how AI can support students’ understanding of dynamic chemical reactions by simulating experimental theories and procedures, such as acid-base titrations.
His talk highlighted how AI can improve educational efficiency and help address long-standing challenges faced by teachers. He said, “The AIICE Education Platform can support teaching and learning by providing gamified pre-class preparation that motivates students to study before lessons, using in-depth diagnostic reports to identify learning weaknesses with greater precision, and delivering instant, accurate feedback during interactive classes, so students can correct misconceptions immediately and learn more effectively.” Dr Li added that AI helps teachers design customised test papers and marking schemes efficiently, and enables them to guide students through challenging concepts and avoid common examination traps by using AI as a self-study tutor.
Ms Lam Sze-ki, a graduate of the BEd(Science) programme and a teacher at the Buddhist Sum Heung Lam Memorial College, shares her experience of using AI in her teaching.
Apart from scholars of SES, Ms Lam Sze-ki, an alumna of the Bachelor of Education (Honours) (Science) programme and currently a biology and general science teacher at a secondary school, also shared her experience of applying AI in different subjects in her school. “With the help of AI, I can prepare quizzes in just five minutes. With the time saved from these tedious tasks, I can spend more time designing lesson plans, giving feedback, and catering to students’ diverse learning needs,” she said.
In addition to faculty members of SES and in-service teachers, EdUHK students aspiring to join the teaching profession also attended the seminar. Among them was Chen Peixi (陳沛㬢), a current student of the Bachelor of Education (Honours) Programme (Primary)—General Studies (Humanities and Science). She said she had two key takeaways from the talk. “Firstly, I learnt that we should not use AI in teaching for the sake of using it, but only when it can genuinely enhance teaching quality. Secondly, teachers should not use AI to provide direct answers, but to stimulate students’ thinking,” she said. Aspiring to become a primary school teacher, Peixi also noted that the misuse of AI could be harmful. “Thus, it is important for primary learners to be guided by their teachers or parents when using AI,” she remarked.
During the seminar, Dr Chan Chi-keung and Dr Matthew Li introduced the Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Integrated Environmental Management and Bachelor of Education (Honours) (Science) (BSc(IEM)&BEd(SCI)) double-degree programme and Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Integrated Environmental Management (BSc(IEM)) programme to the attendees, respectively. FLASS hopes participants gained both a deeper understanding of AI’s role in education and practical guidance for using AI tools in the classroom from the seminar. As AI’s influence on education continues to grow, we plan to host similar events to encourage idea exchange among stakeholders in the sector.
Read more about the BSc(IEM)&BEd(SCI) programme and the BSc(IEM) programme.
