Overview

Programme Aims

This programme provides school principals and teachers with the latest knowledge and skills to implement effective AI activities for teaching children aged 7-12 and to achieve effective school management. For children, it focuses on developing their AI knowledge and skills and cultivating a responsible approach to its application. The four objectives are:

1. to provide foundational knowledge of AI for building a solid understanding of how AI can be appropriately and effectively applied in educational settings, including teaching, learning, and school management, as well as key concepts in machine learning — particularly deep learning;
2. to integrate the latest AI technologies into the design of STEAM learning activities, enabling participants to foster students’ understanding of an AI-driven society and prepare them for future societal transformations shaped by AI;
3. to introduce a diverse range of contemporary AI platforms, tools, and applications for use in school education, while facilitating connections between participants’ knowledge of computational thinking and their reflections on the future development of AI;
4. to equip educators and school administrators effectively navigate personal data privacy and cybersecurity challenges.

Upon successful completion of the programme, students will be able to:

• Deploy AI knowledge and skills to analyse and identify appropriate educational context for appropriate use of AI for betterment of students’ learning and school administration;
• Apply appropriate AI platforms, tools and applications to design and develop learning and teaching materials in an innovative manner, such as building chatbots, for addressing educational needs and enhancing teaching experiences;
• Design STEAM activities using the latest AI technologies for a better understanding of the future AI-permeated society; and
• Deploy their understanding of computational thinking and, in particular, algorithmic thinking to elaborate the strengths and weaknesses of the current AI technologies and project its future development.

Programme Structure

The programme comprises the following three core courses of 3 credit points each: 

Artificial Intelligence for Learning, Teaching and School Administration

This course is designed to equip primary school principals and teachers with essential knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and their practical applications in education. The course will introduce the fundamental working principles of generative AI and enable participants to experience the development of Chatbot for teaching and learning. The course provides opportunities to explore innovative pedagogical designs that integrate AI into the teaching of key learning areas within the Hong Kong primary school curriculum, including Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics, Primary Science, and Primary Humanities. Participants will also develop practical skills in the use of AI-enabled productivity tools, such as Microsoft Copilot, to support school administrative tasks and enhance operational efficiency. The course will also cover conceptual foundations of machine learning, including supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning, along with an introduction to neural networks and deep learning, enabling participants to build a well-rounded understanding of how AI technologies function and can be appropriately applied in educational contexts.

Integrate AI with STEAM Activities Design and Computational Thinking Development

This course will integrate the cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into the design of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) activities to deepen participants’ understanding of an AI-driven society. This course will introduce embodied AI concepts. Embodied AI interacts with and reasons about the physical world. Through hands-on, project-based learning, participants will explore how AI can be leveraged within STEAM education to address real-world problems, fostering creativity, innovation, and critical thinking. The course incorporates AI technologies, such as using Teachable Machine to train data models, for interacting with physical objects through programming in environments such as micro:bit. Minecraft and Spatial platforms will also be introduced to help teachers to design activities that integrate AI with physical and virtual platforms. The course aims to enhance teachers’ understanding of key computational thinking concepts, including abstraction, algorithm design, and automation. Through the design and implementation of AI-infused STEAM projects, participants will be empowered to create meaningful learning experiences that promote problem-solving, collaboration, and digital creativity in primary education to address real-world problems using AI technologies.

Artificial Intelligence Applications for Educational Use

This course aims to empower teachers with the knowledge, tools, and techniques necessary to effectively integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into both teaching and learning as well as school administration. Participants will explore a wide range of AI-enabled tools designed to enhance instructional delivery, learning support, and administrative efficiency, such as DALL·E, DeepAI, and Dreamina for generating images, visual aids, and flashboards to support knowledge presentation and classroom engagement. The course will also examine innovative pedagogical strategies for applying these tools in lesson delivery and resource development. Participants will also experience AI tools such as Khan Academy and Smart Sparrow for personalised learning; Socratic by Google or Quizlet Learn for tutoring support; MagicSchool.ai and Curipod for learning plan design. Participants will have opportunities to design and develop innovative learning and teaching activities for learning support as well as effective school administration. Throughout the course, participants will have opportunities to design and develop innovative AI-supported teaching activities and explore how AI applications can enhance administrative tasks, improving overall efficiency and effectiveness in school management. Developing teachers and school administrative staff to effectively use AI tools and applications in teaching, learning, and school administration, with an appropriate emphasis on personal data privacy and cybersecurity during AI adoption.

Medium of Instruction

The medium of instruction is mainly Chinese (Cantonese) and will be supplemented by English where appropriate.  

Entrance Requirements

To be eligible for admission, applicants should be:

• in-service primary school teachers; and 
• recommended by school principals. 

Award

To be awarded a Certificate of Completion, participants must obtain a pass in all assessment tasks required and successfully fulfill the attendance requirements as stipulated by the programme. 

Other Information

This Government-funded programme is supported by the Education Bureau (EDB). Schools which release teachers to take this programme are eligible for appointing supply teachers, if deemed necessary. Government and aided schools shall contact the EDB for detailed arrangements. Private and DSS schools shall make their own arrangements for the employment of supply teachers. 

Participants who complete our PDPs are eligible to apply for credit transfer if they enroll in our postgraduate programmes. Their applications will be considered on an individual basis. 

Remarks: Each school can recommend more than one teacher.