Abstract
“As an instructor, the KEEP platform was very useful not only for content delivery of multiple different kinds (passive forms such as videos and notes, as well as active forms such as automated interactive mathematical exercises with hints), but also keeping track of student engagement with fairly comprehensive back-end support that reported a variety of useful statistics that helped me note performance levels of students.” – CUHK Professor teaching a mathematics course. Beginning in 2014, the vision for the KEEP platform was to provide an open eLearning platform where teachers could gain access to the best eLearning tools and utilizes such tools with various innovative pedagogies to enhance teaching and learning. Since then, KEEP has impacted 30,000+ users across 8 University Grants Committee institutions, 300+ courses, more than ⅔ of which are CUHK-led, and innovative technology such as university single sign-on, which allows any student or staff with a CUHK account to gain access to the platform instantaneously. With the high usage of the platform, this project intends to enhance the platform with Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Collaborative Learning to enhance learners’ performance. Personalized recommendation and learning plans will identify and address gaps in learning and provide tailored support intended to address the distinct learning needs, interests, aspirations and guidance to the students. These future developments are intended to advance CUHK’s eLearning objectives, as well as to enhance CUHK’s international reputation.
Brief write-up
Project objectives
Dedicated to offering users a customized learning experience, KEEP, an open eLearning resource hub, provides learners with the best eLearning tools to facilitate
teaching and learning. By adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Collaborative Learning, KEEP seeks to
(1) enrich users’ teaching and learning experience, and (2) provide personalized recommendations and learning plans to the students. In this way, the KEEP’s big data intelligent analytics system will be further enhanced with AI monitoring for finding skill gaps, planning personalized learning, and recommending course plans to users.
Activities, process and outcomes
To achieve the captioned objectives, activities included upgrading the KEEP dashboard and students’ learning profile in all existing KEEP learning management systems (LMSs, including CUHKMoodle, KEEPMoodle, and KEEP Open edX) respectively, disseminating the new functions to students, and qualitatively surveying the students’ usage.
Deliverables and evaluation
This project consists of three expected deliverables with details as follows:
1. Designing the recommendations for the eLearning personalization system
2. Upgrading the current learners’ profile
3. Upgrading the current dashboard
Dissemination, diffusion, impact and sharing of good practices
The project team has disseminated some good practices through different channels, from events to academics. We have actively (co)hosted and participated in different events, workshops, and seminars. During the project period, we have (co)hosted five events and participated in more than 10 events. The project team has put an emphasis on academic contribution. The article contributed by the KEEP Team, ‘Rethinking Engineering Education: Policy, Pedagogy, and Assessment During Crises,’ was published in the IEEE Signal Processing Magazine on 1 May 2021. It discusses the policy, pedagogy, and assessment for engineering education in times of crisis from diverse perspectives.
Impact on teaching and learning
This project has
raised teachers’ and students’ awareness of the importance of upskilling in the labor force through education. Through the successful development and integration of these systems, we can not only enrich the overall educational experience and improve the accessibility of online learning resources for all educational stakeholders, especially the members of the CUHK, but also allow students to prepare themselves for better career prospects.
