(1) GenAI-Enabled Video Creation

Dr Joe LAM [Staff Profile]

Lecturer

Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

 

Integrating GenAI into Flipped Classrooms for Science Teaching

The flipped classroom approach reallocates in-class time for discussions, interactive activities, and hands-on learning, enhancing overall educational effectiveness. In this study, we investigated the role of GenAI in supporting flipped learning within science education.

 

Our findings indicate that students found GenAI-empowered videos beneficial for both previewing and reviewing course materials, contributing to a more engaging and supportive learning environment. Specifically, we utilised video content generated by HeyGen and Synthesia, hosted on the Panopto (uRewind) platform, to support flipped laboratory sessions across our undergraduate courses. These included both general education science courses and discipline-specific subjects.

 

In addition, we incorporated AI-generated case studies and revision questions to further support students' learning and preparation. Students were also encouraged to critically evaluate responses from AI chatbots, fostering deeper engagement and reflection as part of their flipped learning experience.

 

Preliminary results from our pilot implementation revealed that over 30% of students believed that GenAI-generated tutorial materials enhanced their understanding and overall learning experience compared to traditional teaching methods.

 

About the Featured Speaker

Dr Joe LAM is now working as a science lecturer in the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology and a Fellow at the Institute for Higher Education Research and Development (IHERD), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He actively uses GenAI and pedagogies to support students' active and peer learning.

 

(2) AI-Driven Virtual Labs

Professor Sai Kishore RAVI [Staff Profile]

Assistant Professor

School of Energy and Environment

City University of Hong Kong

 

From AI Roleplay to Virtual Labs: Integrating Scenario-Based Learning and Gamification in Energy and Environmental Education

How can AI and digital tools make technical topics in energy and environmental science more engaging and collaborative? This talk explores various approaches that integrate scenario-based learning, virtual labs, and team-based activities to create more active and meaningful learning experiences, particularly in large, interdisciplinary classrooms.

 

Students engage with realistic scenarios that prompt them to explore ideas, make decisions, and evaluate trade-offs, often using GenAI to simulate expert viewpoints or support their ideation. Virtual labs offer immersive, low-risk environments for applying core concepts and testing assumptions. While many off-the-shelf tools provide practical frameworks, their limited depth often requires redesigning the learning experience to achieve a more substantial alignment with advanced content. By layering AI, interactivity, and flexible digital platforms, these activities shape to support student agency, allowing learners to construct understanding through guided exploration, rather than passive absorption.

 

The talk will conclude with reflections on implementing these approaches in large-scale team-based learning environments. Together, these strategies demonstrate how emerging technologies can shift the classroom dynamic from content delivery to active, student-driven learning, with AI tools serving as scaffolds, not substitutes, for intellectual engagement.

 

About the Featured Presenter

Professor Sai Kishore RAVI is an Assistant Professor at the School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK). His research focuses on artificial and semi-artificial photosynthesis, as well as functional materials for the water-energy nexus. He completed his PhD and postdoctoral training at the National University of Singapore, where he worked on biohybrid materials for solar energy harvesting. He is a Fellow of the International Association of Advanced Materials (FIAAM) and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Energy Technology (Wiley–VCH). He has received several awards, including the GCDEM Young Scientist Award and the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award. He is also actively involved in teaching development projects at CityUHK, with a focus on AI-enhanced digital learning and team-based learning.