While digital technology holds great potential to help realize our collective educational commitments and to build the futures of education beyond 2030, it also comes with negative consequences and uncharted risks. To be effective, digital education needs to be properly steered and governed to ensure it serves public interests, happens in public spaces, and is accountable to the public. This paper first provides a comprehensive overview on UNESCO’s human-centered approach to steering digital education that counter-balances dominant techno-solutionist thinking. This includes ensuring that the use of digital technology enhances human capacity, rather than undermining it, adequately addresses digital divides and digital gender inequality, and assures effective regulation to minimize the negative impact both on human well-being, and on the environment. This paper then presents recommendations to help build integrated digital education systems which prioritize support for teachers, and which address connectivity issues, not only with opportunities for the strengthening of competencies, but also with open access inclusive quality digital learning content. Finally, this paper shares a forward-looking vision for the futures of school systems, exemplified by a framework of digital open schools.
Personalized education, tailored to individual student needs, leverages educational technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in the digital age to enhance learning effectiveness. The integration of AI in educational platforms provides insights into academic performance, learning preferences, and behaviors, optimizing the personal learning process. Driven by data mining techniques, it not only benefits students but also provides educators and institutions with tools to craft customized learning experiences. To offer a comprehensive review of recent advancements in personalized educational data mining, this paper focuses on four primary scenarios: educational recommendation, cognitive diagnosis, knowledge tracing, and learning analysis. This paper presents a structured taxonomy for each area, compiles commonly used datasets, and identifies future research directions, emphasizing the role of data mining in enhancing personalized education and paving the way for future exploration and innovation.
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), achieving human-like capabilities in interpreting, summarising, creating, and predicting language, has sparked significant interest, leading to extensive exploration and discussion in educational applications. However, the frontline practice of education stakeholders or the conceptual discussion of theorists alone is not sufficient to deeply understand and reshape the application of GenAI in education, and rigorous empirical research and data-based evidence are essential. In the past two years, a large number of empirical studies on GenAI in education have emerged, but there is still a lack of systematic reviews to summarise and analyse the current empirical studies in this field to evaluate existing progress and inform future research. Therefore, this work systematically reviews and analyses 48 recent empirical studies on GenAI in education, detailing their general characteristics and empirical findings regarding promises and concerns, while also outlining current needs and future directions. Our findings highlight GenAI’s role as an assistant and facilitator in learning support, a subject expert and instructional designer in teaching support, and its contributions to diverse feedback methods and emerging assessment opportunities. The empirical studies also raise concerns such as the impact of GenAI imperfections on feedback quality, ethical dilemmas in complex task applications, and mismatches between artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled teaching and user competencies. Our review also summarises and elaborates on essential areas such as AI literacy and integration, the impact of GenAI on the efficiency of educational processes, collaborative dynamics between AI and teachers, the importance of addressing students’ metacognition with GenAI, and the potential for transformative assessments. These insights provide valuable guidelines for future empirical research on GenAI in education.
This article presents a vision of what the digital transformation in education could look like and what some of its benefits and challenges are. It argues that digital technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), could improve the effectiveness and quality of education by personalizing education, by making it more inclusive and equitable, and by improving the cost-efficiency of the sector. A digital transformation of education also comes with risks that must be mitigated.
The new ecolinguistics treats language as a part of human action. Languaging, the basis for language development, co-constitutes technologically endowed environments. The result, we argue, can enhance both second language learning and aspects of human agency. Using historical and current research, we stress skillful action and, given a special stance, how expertise is generated by drawing on languages while engaging in a range of practices. A combination of languaging, statistical learning and skillful action therefore enables technology to sustain a vast range of coordinated activities. Accordingly, we advocate for the design of technology-rich environments where people change themselves by drawing on second languages to gain skills and expertise as they use new modes of action, coordination. and collaboration.
The rapid development of digital technology has fundamentally changed the ways we live, work, and study. Digital education has gradually emerged under the influence of social change, technological advancements, global competition, and innovative educational practice. Digital education is not just a simple application of digital technology in education but a new educational paradigm. It builds a more equitable, higher-quality, environmentally friendly, and openly cooperative new education system through data-driven methods, human-technology integration, the combination of virtual and real elements, and open sharing. Developing digital education involves focusing on scenarios, resources, models, evaluation, and digital literacy. China has made significant progress in developing digital education, accumulating valuable experience that can inform the continued and prosperous growth of digital education worldwide. While acknowledging the advantages that digitalization brings to teaching, evaluation, and management, we also need to be aware of the risks and challenges it brings to data security, privacy protection, ethical issues, and humanistic concerns.
With the advent of the digital age, cultivating students’ digital media literacy has become an important educational mission. A standardized digital media literacy scale was developed to study the digital media literacy of primary school students in urban and rural areas. Through stratified random sampling, a total of 2,848 urban and rural primary school students participated in this research. Primary school students exhibited moderate proficiency in digital media literacy, with a notable deficiency in their ability to create and disseminate information effectively. Subsequent investigations revealed disparities in the level of digital media literacy between urban and rural students, which appeared in their proficiency to access and use digital tools, as well as their ability to understand and evaluate media messages. Parental education, parental mediation, and time spent using digital devices all have a substantial positive influence on students’ digital media literacy, with parental mediation having the greatest impact. Consequently, it is imperative to prioritize the development of higher-order digital media literacy skills in students. Efforts should also be directed toward enhancing the basic digital media literacy of rural primary school students while fostering parental engagement in students’ digital education. In this regard, the Chinese government, enterprises, and schools have launched measures to promote rural students’ digital media literacy and parents’ involvement in students’ digital education. Future research should prioritize investigations of the efficacy of these measures to ascertain their impact on the holistic development of digital media literacy among all students.
This article presents the progress of Project 101, an initiative starting from December 2021, to improve computer science curriculum and teaching in top Chinese universities, in order to meet the demand of computer science eduction in the new information age. Project 101 aims at improving classroom teaching, while focusing on the development of core courses, core textbooks, core practice platforms, as well as core faculty training. We present an overview of the organization and plan of Project 101, as well as the current progress after two years’ efforts from the working group of Project 101. Finally, we will also discuss tentative future plans aiming at improving computer science education in a large number of universities based on the current results.
This study explores the complex dualities in digital education, focusing on the case study of Singapore. It highlights the ethical issues surrounding the integration of information and communication technology (ICT), especially artificial intelligence, in the education sector. The paper presents a theoretical framework to explore these dualities, examining how they have been navigated in Singapore’s policy reforms to enhance digital education. These dualities include centralisation vs. decentralisation of resource orientation; customisation vs. standardisation of curriculum, formal vs. informal learning with respect to pedagogical approaches; human agency vs. technological automation for data interpretation; and peaks of excellence vs. equity in achievement outcomes. These aspects significantly impact the outcomes of ICT-enabled reforms. The study draws upon Singapore’s longitudinal trajectory of integrating ICT in education, illustrating its efforts in reconciling these dualities. The findings underscore the importance of careful consideration and balance in integrating ICT in education, emphasising the need to transcend these dualities to build a more inclusive digital learning environment.
In today’s world, humanity is immersed in a digital era where technological advances driven by computers permeate everyone’s life. The situation raises the need for computing and engineering education to inform students of their responsibilities to society and their preparation to enter higher education and the workplace. Competency and technical performance are central to this thinking. This article poses two questions: Has competency-based learning in computing and engineering transformed into the current digital age? If so, to what extent has computing and engineering education adopted competency-based learning in their curricula? The authors explore three reports affecting computing and engineering education to address these queries. They include the 2019 Chinese Computer Education for Sustainable Competence (Blue Book), the Computing Curricula 2020: Paradigms for Global Computing Education, and the 2023 Infinite Possibilities: Report on the Digital Development of Global Higher Education. The first emphasizes the importance and necessary elements of sustainable competency and agile education for computing and engineering in the digital era. The second defines competency as a triad of knowledge, skills, and human dispositions; it promotes the transformation from knowledge-based to competency-based learning. The third report provides a pathway for the modern digital development of global higher education in a digital and technological age. All three publications support directly or indirectly the transformation of competency into the current digital age. However, computing and engineering programs have yet to adopt competency-based learning in their curricula. Time can tell whether sustainable competency will permeate computing and engineering education globally. In the meantime, academicians and industry professionals should continue pursuing the cause to prepare students and graduates adequately as they become part of the digital era.
The emergence of general artificial intelligence (AI) model technology, notably ChatGPT, has substantially transformed contemporary approaches to knowledge exploration and acquisition, presenting significant challenges to educational concepts and methodologies. This article initially delineates the myriad obstacles encountered in learning during the AI era and meticulously scrutinizes the attributes and limitations of conventional educational concepts and instructional approaches, which are prevalent in examination-oriented education in primary and secondary schools. Commencing with the requisites of “human beings” and transition “to adulthood,” it delves into the educational objectives of fostering individuals and advocates for the fundamental integration of education within the realm of philosophy. Subsequently, by elucidating the correlation between “fish” and “fishing” in conjunction with the concept of the History and Philosophy of Science (HPS), it furnishes numerous illustrations of incorporating the thoughts and methodologies of scientists in the exploration and resolution of problems within the classroom. The article underscores the profundity of insight of educators compared to adult cogitation and the perceptual limitations of adolescent students, underscoring the imperative for educators to concentrate on guiding students in their pedagogy.
This paper proposes a novel approach to use artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large language models (LLMs) and other foundation models (FMs) in an educational environment. It emphasizes the integration of teams of teachable and self-learning LLMs agents that use neuro-symbolic cognitive architecture (NSCA) to provide dynamic personalized support to learners and educators within self-improving adaptive instructional systems (SIAIS). These systems host these agents and support dynamic sessions of engagement workflow. We have developed the never ending open learning adaptive framework (NEOLAF), an LLM-based neuro-symbolic architecture for self-learning AI agents, and the open learning adaptive framework (OLAF), the underlying platform to host the agents, manage agent sessions, and support agent workflows and integration. The NEOLAF and OLAF serve as concrete examples to illustrate the advanced AI implementation approach. We also discuss our proof of concept testing of the NEOLAF agent to develop math problem-solving capabilities and the evaluation test for deployed interactive agent in the learning environment.
The digital transformation is driving profound changes in education and teaching, with immersive technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), representing the future form of the internet, set to lead a new round of innovation in primary and secondary education applications. This study first elaborates on the connotation and typical characteristics of immersive technologies, analyzes their potential applications in primary and secondary education scenarios such as space, resources, curriculum, models, and evaluation. It then points out the key issues in the application of immersive technologies in primary and secondary education from four aspects: educational system, innovative technology, application orientation, and privacy ethics. Finally, from the perspective of multi-party collaboration among government departments, educational entities, industries, and enterprises, we propose application strategies such as top-level planning and design, core technology research, typical case cultivation, and regulatory governance. Such strategies aim to promote the deep integration of immersive technologies and primary and secondary education, shaping a new educational climate that aligns with the talents demands of the digital era.
With the initiation of the National Virtual Simulation Experimental Teaching Project in 2018, educational institutions in China have recognized the significance of virtual simulation technology in reforming traditional teaching methods and fostering innovative talent cultivation models. Within the realm of higher education in China, motivating students to sustain their utilization of Virtual Simulation Learning Systems (VSLSs) has become a significant challenge. This article builds upon an assessment of the development status of VSLSs in Chinese higher education and draws upon previous studies to construct a model comprising three dimensions: perceived quality, perceived value, and social influence, with the aim of predicting students’ enduring willingness to engage with VSLSs. To achieve this objective, a structural modeling analysis approach is employed to explore the interrelationships among the constructs under investigation, while a survey questionnaire is utilized to collect relevant data. The sample population consists of 274 college students from diverse disciplinary fields in China, including Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS). The findings reveal that perceived value significantly influences students’ willingness to participate, with perceived benefits exerting a greater impact than perceived costs. Furthermore, the overall quality of the VSLSs, encompassing aspects such as software quality, instructional design quality, and virtual simulation quality, holds substantial influence over students’ perceived value. Additionally, societal factors such as course scheduling and recommendations from teachers exhibit a positive impact on students’ intention to continue using VSLSs. Building upon these findings, the article presents relevant recommendations aimed at enhancing students’ sustained utilization of VSLSs.
Large language models (LLMs) have emerged as powerful tools in natural language processing (NLP), showing a promising future of artificial generated intelligence (AGI). Despite their notable performance in the general domain, LLMs have remained suboptimal in the field of education, owing to the unique challenges presented by this domain, such as the need for more specialized knowledge, the requirement for personalized learning experiences, and the necessity for concise explanations of complex concepts. To address these issues, this paper presents a novel LLM for education named WisdomBot, which combines the power of LLMs with educational theories, enabling their seamless integration into educational contexts. To be specific, we harness self-instructed knowledge concepts and instructions under the guidance of Bloom’s Taxonomy as training data. To further enhance the accuracy and professionalism of model’s response on factual questions, we introduce two key enhancements during inference, i.e., local knowledge base retrieval augmentation and search engine retrieval augmentation during inference. We substantiate the effectiveness of our approach by applying it to several Chinese LLMs, thereby showcasing that the fine-tuned models can generate more reliable and professional responses.
Educational digitalization is a trend in both domestic and international educational development. The importance of educational digitalization lies in its potential to improve the efficiency, engagement, and equity of education. However, it also encounters challenges in terms of macro-planning, support infrastructure, and regional balance, which necessitate proactive responses. As a crucial contributor to the process of educational digitalization, the community of educators, notably those teaching foundational mathematics, must adapt to the evolving landscape. By shifting their mindsets, enhancing their capabilities, and guiding students accordingly, they can effectively enhance the quality and effectiveness of teaching, thereby making substantial contributions to the advancement of educational digitalization.
After the Overall Plan for Deepening the Reform of Education Evaluation in the New Era has been released for over two years, the reform of education evaluation has achieved a good start and important phased outcomes. Promoting the digital transformation of education evaluation and developing Big Data-based education evaluation are the main measures of current evaluation reform. Based on the case study of the Minzu University of China, this paper systematically sorts out the relevant research, constructs the factor model and process model of Big Data-based education evaluation from the perspectives of factors and process of evaluation, puts forward the application idea of Big Data-based education evaluation from the perspectives of full business, full process and full factors, and puts forward the practical path of Big Data-based education evaluation from the aspects of application traction, teacher training and safe operation.
The integration of digital intelligence can significantly empower and drive innovation in educational publishing. Therefore, it is important to explore comprehensive transformation strategies that address every stage and aspect of educational publishing and instructional services. China Education Publishing & Media Group Ltd. (CEPMG) has been at the forefront of exploring the application of artificial intelligence (AI) within this field, yielding notable results. As a case study of the CEPMG’s efforts in promoting digital transformation and employing next-generation AI to empower educational publishing and media, this paper summarizes practical achievements, analyzes current situation, and outlines strategic directions to provide valuable insights for advancing digital transformation in the education sector.
Amid the digital revolution, this research explores a groundbreaking topic—the potential impact of metaverse services on the future of computing and engineering education. The transformative potential of metaverse services in education is a beacon of the future, promising new learning modes in digital environments. This work poses two questions: Will metaverse services affect computing and engineering education learning? If so, to what extent has computing and engineering education adopted metaverse services in its curricula? To address these queries, the authors researched several metaverse activities affecting computing and engineering education. The new concepts of metaverse services, metaverse education services, and metaverse education service space are presented and analyzed. This research also discusses the influences of metaverse and services on computing and engineering education. The research showed a transformation toward metaverse service education in the evolving digital era. Academic and industry professionals must recognize the critical need to prepare students and graduates for the digital era adequately. The future is coming whereby metaverse, higher education, and services will generate a new destiny for computing and engineering education with new learning modes in digital environments. The transformative potential of metaverse services in education cannot be overstated, and the academic and industry communities must recognize and embrace this phenomenon.
New quality productive forces characterized by innovation and innovation-driven development are essentially talent-driven. The cultivation of engineering practice and innovation ability of science and engineering talents is closely related to the development of national science and technology. It serves as a decisive factor in seizing opportunities of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial change. To align digital engineering graphics education with the evolving demands of industries driven by new quality productive forces and engineering practice, this paper proposes teaching methods based on digital teaching practices at Tianjin University. These methods aim to deepen students’ understanding of new quality productive forces in engineering practice. The knowledge map of new quality productive forces is designed to enhance students’ innovation ability based on cartographic knowledge. It achieves this by refining typical engineering application scenarios that address global scientific and technological issues, tackle economic challenges, meet national strategic needs, and improve people’s life and health. This approach aims to cultivate innovative engineering and technical talents with a solid theoretical foundation, comprehensive innovation abilities, and strong engineering practice ability.
With the rapid growth of information technology, digital textbooks, as a crucial component of education digitalization, are gradually emerging as a key tool for teaching in higher education institutions. They transcend the limitations of traditional textbooks, providing a broader scope and a wealth of resources for teaching. Digital textbooks present knowledge through diverse formats, including multimedia content and interactive sessions, thereby enhancing student’s engagement and interest in learning. Furthermore, they can be updated at any time to keep abreast of the development in various disciplines and to meet the needs of the times, ensuring that students can access the latest and accurate information. In addition, digital textbooks can help promote educational equity by making quality educational resources accessible to a broader range of students. As
The creation and application of massive open online courses, online and offline blended courses, and AI-empowered courses drive the reform in higher education. In this context, the establishment of grassroots teaching organisations should be increasingly promoted. By leading more schools and teachers to more efficiently develop courses and effectively implement teaching reforms through cross-regional and cross-university grassroots teaching organisations, virtual teaching and research section (VTRS) has emerged as a new means to explore the creation of such organisations in the “Internet +” era. This paper introduces the background of the VTRS proposal, analyses the connotations of three types of VTRS, and explains seven characteristics of VTRS. Next, it proposes a VTRS construction framework that involves team building, platform construction, mechanism construction, and content construction. Finally, using computational thinking virtual teaching and research section as an example, this paper introduces the construction cases and methods for VTRS. As a new model of collaborative teaching and research, VTRS will improve teaching skills and research engagements of university teachers and will enhance teaching management and professional development in universities.
This study examined how a dialogic approach in an online media literacy class at a university in China helped to develop college students’ global awareness when the world was disrupted by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Using writing exemplars from students’ online dialogues and reflective journals, this article demonstrates the potentialities of an online dialogic approach to guide a sense of togetherness and critical solidarity. The digital dialogical approach provides an expanded space for students to converse with multiple voices, meditate on tensions, and rethink their own stances as citizens of their country and the world. The article also underscores the role of higher education in cultivating a sense of global community among the younger generation and bridging the ideological divide in society.