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PolyU and EdUHK Co-Host the 2nd CILME Workshop on Metaverse and AI for the Future of Education

The 2nd Centre for Immersive Learning and Metaverse in Education (CILME) Workshop on Metaverse and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the Future of Education was successfully co-hosted by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), and co-organised by the PolyU-Hangzhou Technology and Innovation Research Institute (HZRI) on 21 February 2025. The workshop brought together leading scholars and experts all over the world to discuss the transformative impact of AI and immersive technologies on education. Prof. Kwok-yin Wong, Vice President for Education and Chair Professor of Chemical Technology at PolyU, welcomed the speakers and guests. The workshop featured two keynote speeches delivered by Prof. Sangmin-Michelle Lee from Kyung Hee University, Korea, and Prof. Yew-Soon Ong from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Their talks provided insights into the future of AI-powered education, including the development of digital human teachers that integrate virtual reality (VR) and AI-assisted learning environments. In addition, plenary sessions highlighted cutting-edge research with both theoretical and real-world impacts. Prof. Xiangen Hu (PolyU) and Prof. Henry B.L. Duh (PolyU) explored AI’s roles as instructors in enhancing interactive learning of various subjects like language and design. Prof. Yanjie Song (EdUHK) and Prof. Philip L.H. Yu (EdUHK) examined VR how platforms powered by Large Language Models (LLMs) can improve students’ language skills, communication skills, and general knowledge. At the end of the workshop Prof. Ping Li chaired a highly engaging and dynamic round-table discussion, which sparked lively debates and critical insights, with both in-person and online participants actively contributing their perspectives. Discussions focused on critical topics in the field of technology-enhanced learning, including pedagogical design principles to enhance student engagement, roles of AI in education, applications of AI to augment students’ higher-order thinking and problem solving skills, and personalized education. The workshop concluded with closing remarks by Prof. Chetwyn Chan (Vice President, Research & Development, EdUHK), who emphasised the importance of interdisciplinary and inter-university collaboration in advancing AI-driven education. As PolyU continues to push the boundaries of educational innovation, CILME will play a key role in fostering knowledge transfer and shaping the future of AI and metaverse applications in education. Click HERE for the press release.

Delegation to NetDragon

The educational implications of the PNAS paper attracted much media attention including RTHK, One News Page, Ticker Technology, Singtao Daily, and others

The educational implications of the PNAS paper attracted much media attention including RTHK, One News Page, Ticker Technology, Singtao Daily, and others. Online learning has become “the new normal” of education since COVID-19 severely disrupted face-to-face teaching activities. Researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have conducted a study to analyse whether and how the instructor’s presence in online video lectures affected student learning and learning outcomes. The results reveal that students are more motivated to perform socio-emotional and cognitive processing when an instructor, human or animated, is present onscreen, hence facilitating more effective learning. The study findings have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Li, C., Jiang, Y., Ng, H.F., Dai, Y., Cheung, L. F., Chan, H. C., & Li, P published a paper ‘Collaborative Learning in the Edu-Metaverse Era: An Empirical Study on the Enabling Technologies’ in IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies

Computer-supported collaborative learning aims to use information technologies to support collaborative knowledge construction by practising the relevant pedagogical approaches, especially in the distance learning setting. The enabling technologies are fast advancing, and the need for solutions during the COVID-19 global pandemic led to the emergence of the Edu-Metaverse, which is conceptualised as a collection of networked virtual worlds (i.e., the Metaverse) for learning. There is a great necessity to investigate how these more recent enabling technologies can support collaborative learning. This empirical study aims to collect both quantitative and qualitative results to fill the knowledge gaps. Specifically, 20 undergraduate students (three females and 17 males) taking the Game Design and Development course voluntarily participated in this study. The participants used three representative collaboration platforms (i.e., AltSpace, Gather, and ZOOM) in our laboratory for discussing three course-specific topics, simulating the undertaking of collaborative learning tasks in the distance learning setting. The results suggest that the participants were more engaged in the learning activities using the Metaverse platforms that offer avatar-mediated communications and collaborations (i.e., AltSpace and Gather). These platforms also gave the participants a stronger sense of co-presence and belonging to the learning community. Potential improvements to the usability and the participants' feedback are also discussed in the paper. We hope the results can contribute to the fast-growing use of the Metaverse enabling technologies for educational purposes. The link for this paper : https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10399380

CILME members participate in the interactive event at the ICCE 2023 conference

Dr Song Yanjie and Prof Li Ping proposed the Interactive Event on “Metaverse in Education: Design, Applications, and Challenges” at The 31th International Conference on Computers in Education held in Japan during 4-8 December 2023. In this Interactive Event conducted on 5 December,  scholars from Hong Kong, Mainland China and Japan including Dr. Yanjie SONG, Prof. Xuesong ZHAI, Dr. Peter Hiu Fung NG, Prof. Chengjiu YIN, and Prof. Siu Cheung KONG introduced their innovations and applications, discussed challenges, and explored future work about the metaverse in education.

CILME Round-Table Discussion was held at EdUHK chaired by Prof Chetwyn Chan and Prof Li Ping

The Round-Table Discussion aims to bring together academics from CILME members and local universities to share and discuss their research, exchange ideas about immersive learning and metaverse in education, address current issues, challenges, and future trends.

Seminar: The Application of Metaverse and AIGC (AI-Generated Content) in Education and Training

Metaverse attracted worldwide attention since 2022. The Metaverse is considered the third wave of the Internet revolution, able to support persistent interconnected online 3D virtual environments (3DVE), and promising to bring new levels of social connection and collaboration. How to effectively design and use Metaverse in teaching and learning remains crucial for the development of effective learning experiences.Meanwhile, Generative Al such as ChatGPT entered the spotlight in 2023 and stirred conversations around the world on its usage and "threats”to education and training. How to effectively use Generative Al in various disciplines remains a popular research topic. In this presentation, Prof. Wang will first showcase exemplary Metaverse technologies and platforms, then share a new 3D Edu-Metaverse Ecosystem she created with her students. She will then discuss how to integrate Metaverse with AIGC in learning settings. Her presentation will zoom in on the use of Al-enabled tools and platforms for entrepreneurship education across North America and Asia. In addition, she will also explore the ethical considerations of using Al in different educational settings.

Workshop on Publishing : Writing and Publishing in Indexed Journals such asIEEE-TLT and Nature HSSC (Humanities and Social Sciences Communications)

Publishing remains a challenge for many authors,especially when English is a second language. In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to publish in high-impact journals. This workshop will focus on how to publish in internationally indexed journals, using IEEE-TLT and Nature Nature-HSSC as examples.Prof. Wang will address the publishing process from a holistic approach, both as an editor and a contributor, including selection of the right journal, writing techniques, the review process, author interaction with the editorial board, and how to successfully revise and publish.In addition,she will describe how to adapt conference papers, thesis, and doctoral dissertation for IEEE journals. Finally, she will discuss the use of AIGC in academic writing, such as policies governing the use of it and best practices. Authors may bring their draft manuscripts for consulting after the workshop.

PolyU and EdUHK collaborate to establish Hong Kong’s first Research Centre for Immersive Learning and Metaverse in Education

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Centre for Immersive Learning and Metaverse in Education (CILME). This collaboration between PolyU and EdUHK aims to develop a collaborative infrastructure for conducting interdisciplinary research to impact education. CILME will also serve as a powerhouse in the study of technology-enhanced learning and teaching. The Centre will specifically focus on how immersive experiences, including those from virtual reality and the metaverse in general, can enhance students’ cognitive processing, attention, memory, brain function and ultimately learning outcomes. Combining the strengths and expertise of PolyU and EdUHK in cross-disciplinary research, learning sciences and pedagogical innovation, CILME will nurture researchers, incubate technology-based innovations in education, and facilitate knowledge transfer in teaching and curriculum design at both institutions and for the benefit of the community at large.