The Faculty of Education of The University of Hong Kong will organise a Knowledge Exchange Seminar entitled “Leading the Future: Utilising Generative Artificial Intelligence-Powered Strategies to Pioneer a New Landscape in Chinese Writing Education” on June 15, 2024 (Saturday). This seminar will introduce the design concept and diverse features of the “mAI Mind Chinese Writing Assessment System” (abbreviated as mAI Mind) developed by a research team from the Faculty. Teachers and students from the pilot schools will share their first-hand experiences of using the system to facilitate teaching and learning. They will also discuss the effectiveness of the system in addressing writing difficulties, and present their school-based teaching designs that help promote students’ learning outcomes.

Research shows that many students dislike writing and often encounter various difficulties, such as writer's block, limited vocabulary, grammatical errors, poor sentence structures, difficulties in organising ideas, lack of clarity, and inability to engage readers effectively. On the other hand, teachers face hurdles in assisting students to apply their reading skills to their writing and addressing the unique writing needs of each student. Due to heavy workloads, teachers may require up to three weeks to correct students' compositions, hindering the provision of timely feedback and discouraging frequent writing practice for improvement.

The research team developed the “mAI Mind” by applying the instant content analytic and idea generation functions of “Generative Artificial Intelligence” and referencing the genre theory, writing curriculum framework and assessment criteria of Hong Kong primary and secondary schools. Three primary and secondary schools were invited to have a trial run of the system, to examine its effectiveness in addressing the challenges in writing education and providing personalised writing suggestions for students. The results show that mAI Mind significantly improves students' writing attitudes and motivation in a short period of time, leading to long-term enhancement of their writing abilities. The system’s data analysis capabilities not only alleviate teachers' assessment pressures but also enhance the focus and depth of writing feedback. It opens a new path for the learning and teaching of writing.

Members of the media are cordially invited to attend the event. Details are as follows:
Date: June 15, 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Venue: MWT2, G/F, Meng Wah Complex, HKU, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese

Rundown:

For more details about the event, please visit https://web.edu.hku.hk/event/detail-page/KE-Seminar-Jun2024.  

For media enquiries, please contact Ms Cheryl Cheung, Senior Manager (Development and Communications), Faculty of Education, HKU (Tel: 3917 4270 / Email: chercheung@hku.hk).