LSST Elephant and Castle Lecturer Publishes on Human Service Learning in the AI Digital Sphere
By Kunal Chan Mehta | Article Date: 22 October 2024
LSST is delighted to announce the publication of a pioneering book chapter by Dr Ying Liu, a research-active Business Lecturer at LSST’s Elephant and Castle campus in London. Dr Liu’s cutting-edge research focuses on AI’s transformative potential in education with his latest work exploring how AI can revolutionise service-based learning and help lay the groundwork for a bold future in digital learning.
Commenting on the publication, Mr Ali Jafar Zaidi, LSST’s Deputy CEO, said: “We are extremely proud of Dr Liu’s outstanding research contributions. The intersection of AI, education and service learning is a space that will shape the future of global learning. LSST remains committed to research that transcends traditional boundaries and drives meaningful change on both local and global scales.”
Dr Liu shared his enthusiasm about the research: “Service learning has the power to reimagine education by encouraging civic engagement and social responsibility. We are creating adaptable and personalised learning frameworks by integrating Generative AI (Gen AI) into the process, as outlined in the DEEP1 method – which stands for Direction, Education, Event and Project. All of these go beyond the confines of a classroom.”
“This approach allows students to engage with real-world social challenges in meaningful ways. I’m excited to share this research with my LSST students and colleagues and I hope it inspires others to think about education in a new light.”
As AI’s role in education grows, Dr Liu’s work comes at a pivotal moment. The challenges posed by AI’s fast-paced evolution in teaching are met with practical solutions that aim to elevate both educators and students globally. His exploration of the LivePBL (Project-Based Learning) DEEP1 method offers a visionary tool that promises to equip future generations of learners and educators with the skills to navigate and thrive in an AI-enhanced world.
The DEEP method provides a structured yet flexible blueprint for integrating AI into service learning while retaining a human-centred approach. This method seeks to enhance learning experiences without losing the emotional and intellectual richness that human interaction brings to education.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Liu and his research team have refined the LivePBL initiative, designed to engage students in collaborative and real-world problem-solving activities. “LivePBL is about blending AI into project-based service learning in a way that empowers students to tackle real-world challenges while developing essential skills,” added Dr Liu.
While Gen AI has been rapidly embraced by higher education its limitations are clear. As Dr Liu points out: “AI often struggles to capture the nuanced complexity of human social interactions”, potentially reducing learning to a mere mechanical process. The DEEP method counteracts this by weaving human adaptability and creativity into AI-enhanced environments allowing for a more meaningful learning experience.
Eniana Gobuzi, Associate Dean of LSST’s Elephant and Castle campus, highlighted the value of Dr Liu’s research: “His work seamlessly bridges service learning, which integrates community service with academic goals – all with the power of Gen AI that advances day by day.”
“By grounding AI in the values of service learning, Dr Liu offers a pathway to an educational model that is as socially conscious as it is technologically innovative” added Syed Rizvi, Academic Dean of LSST Elephant and Castle and LSST Stratford – and Dean of Learning and Teaching. “Originally designed to train pre-service teachers in China, the LivePBL project has now evolved into a key example of how AI can work hand-in-hand with LSST lecturers to develop adaptive and socially responsible learning environments. The DEEP method, which merges AI with hands-on co-design, is therefore a promising model.”
Dr Liu’s research, with its blend of AI and human-centred pedagogy, stands as a testament to the possibility of creating a learning ecosystem that is both technologically advanced and deeply empathetic. His work shines a light on a future where AI not only augments education but also enriches the human experience within it. As AI continues to reshape how we teach and learn across LSST, Dr Liu’s work can serve as a guiding light and help ensure that technology enhances rather than replaces the heart of education — human connection.
Clarified Terms:
✓ DEEP Method: A co-design framework used in AI-enhanced education, structured around four phases: Direction, Education, Event and Project.
✓ Generative AI (Gen AI): AI that can create new content, such as text, images or sounds, based on input data/information.
✓ Service Learning: An educational approach combining classroom learning with meaningful community service that aims to develop social responsibility.
✓ LivePBL (Project-Based Learning): A teaching method where students work on real-world projects in a collaborative setting that focuses on problem-solving skills.
For more information on the LivePBL and DEEP Method or to access the full text of Dr Liu’s chapter, please visit the official website of the book, Constructing Human Service Learning in the AI Digital Sphere here.
For additional information or to engage with Dr Liu in discussions related to this work, please direct inquiries to LSST’s Public Relations Manager via kunal.mehta@lsst.ac.
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That is an amazing news for LSST.
Congratulations Dr. Ying for your achievement.