Bringing AI to Teaching in Schools Soon

Developing digital capacity and AI capacity for students needs to be done early and must be done earlier than in high school.

Currently, about 15% of schools in major cities in Vietnam apply artificial intelligence (AI) tools in teaching, of which Hanoi has a rate of about 25% and Ho Chi Minh City about 30%. The subjects most supported by AI are math, English, science and information technology.

Application at many levels

At the workshop "Developing AI capacity for learners" recently organized by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - VNU Hanoi in collaboration with Meta Group, Vietnam Association for Science and Technology Information, One World Magazine, Professor Le Anh Vinh, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, said that he had conducted a survey to build an AI capacity framework for learners with more than 11,000 secondary school students by the end of 2023.

Among the students who participated in answering the questions, 87% knew about AI to a certain extent, such as approaching and trying it out in play and learning. The students also assessed that the use of AI was very effective. The Institute also conducted a survey with nearly 35,000 secondary and high school teachers at the end of 2024, and the results showed that 76% of teachers said they used AI in teaching. Teachers highly appreciated the effectiveness of applying AI in teaching.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhiep, Principal of Chu Van An High School for the Gifted ( Hanoi ), said that there is a differentiation between provinces and cities, between schools in urban and rural areas, between private and public schools. For example, in Hanoi, the organization of AI application in private schools is very good and systematic. In public schools, schools really want to include AI in training but are facing budget difficulties. "We are trying to get teachers to advise students on the smartest AI applications. Most schools encourage students to apply AI but with control" - Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhiep said. The principal also proposed that there should be a legal corridor, goals, and roadmap for students, teachers, and schools to apply and develop AI in teaching and learning, limiting the situation of students abusing AI, affecting the development of thinking and creativity in the learning process.

Students of Tran Hung Dao Primary School (Cau Ong Lanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) are introduced to AI during class and club activities. Photo: DANG TRINH

At the university level, a survey of about 500 students from many courses at universities in Hanoi showed that 98.9% of students surveyed said they used AI in their studies or entertainment. Associate Professor Dr. Hoang Minh Son, Director of Hanoi National University, said that education is the field that will be most strongly impacted and benefit the most from the exploitation of AI. Associate Professor Hoang Minh Son emphasized that today's students graduate with very different capacity requirements. Currently, when graduating, students, in addition to methodology, need to have basic knowledge of AI and digital capacity.

Therefore, it is necessary to immediately incorporate AI into the teaching and learning process. This is not only to respond to fluctuations in the labor market or to meet job requirements after graduation, but also to create conditions for students to effectively use and exploit the latest technology during the learning process to improve the quality of training.

Building an AI capability framework

Professor Le Anh Vinh informed that the AI ​​program is being piloted by the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences from grades 1 to 12 in experimental schools, with 16 teaching periods per school year. This unit has developed an AI curriculum in general education, from which schools can develop regulations to apply AI in schools. The Institute will develop an AI competency framework for high school students and teachers.

Regarding the implementation of AI in the high school curriculum, Professor Le Anh Vinh said that there are currently three viewpoints. First, integrate AI completely into subjects. Second, consider AI as a part of computer science. Third, keep AI as an independent subject. The institute's viewpoint is to integrate AI into general subjects to avoid overlap. The curriculum framework has been reviewed by the Department of General Education - Ministry of Education and Training and will soon be implemented.

Associate Professor, Dr. Do Van Hung, Head of the Faculty of Information and Library, University of Social Sciences and Humanities - VNU Hanoi, said that based on consultation with experts, researchers, lecturers, students, and reference to the widely used international digital and AI competency framework, the school has coordinated with partners to build an AI competency framework for university students. With this document, training institutions, lecturers, and students can orient their learning, develop AI skills, and effectively adapt to the digital transformation context, turning AI into a powerful assistant without being too dependent on AI.

Associate Professor Dr. Hoang Minh Son emphasized that Hanoi National University sets the orientation for developing digital technology and AI applications as one of the pillars of the development strategy until 2030, with a vision to 2045. From there, a model will be built to develop AI capacity for management staff, lecturers and students at all universities.

Create a strong legal framework

Dr. Tran Van Tung, Chairman of the Vietnam Association for Science and Technology Information, said that when technology becomes the closest "friend" of humans, especially young people, the responsibility of guiding and educating digital skills becomes more urgent. The Ministry of Science and Technology is drafting a law on AI, along with many other draft laws this year, to create a tight legal framework for the application, management and development of this technology.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/som-dua-ai-giang-day-trong-truong-hoc-196251101203215831.htm