Dr Nicole Yang is pioneering the use of AI-generated images in her storytelling teaching tool, which features a visual agent, designed to help young ESL learners visualise and structure their narratives. This approach not only guides students through the narrative construction process but also enhances their language skills and creativity along the way.

As a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology, Dr Yang works closely with the Global Institute for Emerging Technologies (GIET). Her work has long revolved around vocabulary acquisition among young English learners. A few years ago, she began an interdisciplinary exploration that integrated technology, investigating how mobile apps can effectively boost primary students’ vocabulary learning engagement and self-regulated learning.

Her cutting-edge project, Muse AI Write, is in its early stages and aims to assist primary ESL students in developing their stories. By providing visual scaffoldings based on students’ verbal input, the tool also introduces relevant English vocabulary for writing, ultimately enhancing both their English storytelling abilities and creativity skills. “The last thing we want is for technology to give students the story. They must be the primary initiators and developers of their own narratives,” insists Dr Yang, the former post-doctoral fellow at the Artificial Intelligence and Digital Competency Education Centre (AIDCEC) at EdUHK.

Student participation is indeed guaranteed in this AI-driven learning platform, since each visual stimulus is set to spark their imagination, encouraging deeper involvement in the creative process and ultimately helping them assume the full role of the storyteller. This visual storytelling method also aids ESL learners in grasping complex narrative concepts in a more intuitive manner.

Dr Yang’s research advisor Professor Wang Minjuan, Co-Director of GIET and a trailblazer in interdisciplinary endeavours, has been at the forefront of applying emerging technology in education for over two decades. Currently focusing on immersive learning, AI literacy, and AI for creative processes such as video production, music and dance, the Chair Professor of Emerging Technologies and Future Education is unequivocally optimistic about the role of AI in education and its future implications.

Dr Nicole Yang and Professor Wang Minjuan