2 universities in Hong Kong embrace use of ChatGPT, other AI tools to boost quality of teaching, learning
- University of Science and Technology gives staff free rein to decide best use of AI tools, while Chinese University says students will need permission from tutors
- HKUST senior staff say educators will have short-term flexibility to decide best use of AI tools, before offering range of integrated approaches in second semester
Two universities in Hong Kong have embraced the use of popular artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT, with both institutions agreeing the software could boost the quality of teaching and learning in the long run.
The University of Science and Technology (HKUST) gave staff free rein to create their guidelines for using the system, although Chinese University (CUHK) announced students would need permission from tutors before using the tool for assignments.
“We all believe that we at HKUST should embrace generative AI in the long-term, recognising its potential to transform research and education,” Provost Yike Guo and Jimmy Fung Chi-hung, associate provost of teaching and learning, told staff in an email on Thursday.
During a meeting on Tuesday with the university’s department and division heads, attendees agreed that AI-based tools would enhance teaching and learning in the long term, despite the technology’s fast-paced growth posing some potential challenges, they said.
The decision to embrace the software contrasted with the more cautious approach by the city’s oldest tertiary education institution, the University of Hong Kong (HKU), which last month temporarily banned the use of ChatGPT or similar tools for student coursework.
