research projects

Our team is conducting several research projects aimed at exploring the potential of using generative AI in different educational settings.

critical questioning with gen-ai

This project investigates how generative AI can foster critical thinking and questioning skills among students. By interacting with AI models as a conversation, students are encouraged to challenge assumptions, pose complex questions, and engage in deeper inquiry. The project explores AI's potential to create dynamic, interactive learning environments where students critically evaluate AI-generated content to develop AI literacy. This approach aims to empower learners to develop a more sophisticated understanding of knowledge construction in the digital age. Investigators: Kok-Sing Tang & Grant Cooper This project is supported by Curtin School of Education Research and Innovation Grant.

dialogic interaction with gen-aI

This project explores how customized AI chatbots can be leveraged to enhance students' critical thinking, argumentation, and co-construction of knowledge through dialogic interaction. Various chatbots are created to embody a dialogic learning principle of treating generative AI as a dialogic partner, instead of an authoritative knowledge provider. The analysis of students' interaction with these chatbots aims to contribute pedagogical knowledge and insights into the meaningful use of generative AI in education. Investigators: Kok-Sing Tang & Buana Putra

AI-based STEM Teachers’ Professional Development

This project identifies key challenges in integrating AI into STEM education, including limited theoretical models, teacher readiness, and research on multimodal teaching. A three-year plan will develop and evaluate a professional development model through Taiwan–Australia collaboration, using mixed methods. The project aims to advance theory, build AI-STEM teaching capacity, and inform policy. Investigators: Kuen-Yi (Mark) Lin & Kok-Sing Tang

science reading with gen-ai

Focusing on science literacy, this project leverages generative AI to enhance students' engagement and comprehension in reading complex scientific texts. It fills a critical gap by examining how emerging GenAI tools can support high school students to develop a deeper understanding of scientific principles and concepts through their reading. The project aims to make science reading more accessible and engaging, helping students build confidence and competency in interpreting scientific discourse. Investigators: Buana Putra, Kok-Sing Tang & Grant Cooper
This project is supported by the Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship for International PhD students.

special needs with gen-ai

Among the first of its kind in educational research, this project focuses on using generative AI to support students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). By providing personalized support, the project explores how AI-driven tools can enhance educational accessibility and offer tailored pathways that foster comfort and growth, while enabling educators to better understand and support the diverse needs of ASD learners. Investigators: Karen Nonis, Natasha Rappa, Kok-Sing Tang & Khansa Illysas This project is supported by Curtin School of Education Research and Innovation Grant.

redesigning assessment with gen-aI

In a transformative approach to evaluation, this project explores the integration of generative AI in assessment design. Moving beyond traditional testing, it considers how AI can support creative, formative, and adaptive assessments that reflect real-world problem-solving. By generating complex scenarios and challenges, AI can help educators develop assessments that are more aligned with holistic and future-ready learning evaluations. Investigators: Martin Cooper & Craig Sims This project is supported by Curtin School of Education Research and Innovation Grant.

multimodal science education with gen-ai

This project explores the integration of generative AI to create multimodal learning experiences in science education, combining text, visuals, and interactive elements to engage students in diverse ways. By tapping on the capabilities of multimodal AI tools, the research aims to enhance student engagement and understanding with complex scientific ideas. This project leverages on Gen-AI as a multimodal tool to make science learning more dynamic and interactive. Investigators: Chengran Wang, Kok-Sing Tang & Grant Cooper This project is supported by the Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship for International PhD students.

Gen-AI for translanguaging

This project investigates how Generative AI–assisted translanguaging can enhance student learning in content-based classrooms in higher education contexts. By examining how AI tools facilitate translanguaging, the research explores their potential to boost students' academic outcomes, deepen knowledge transfer, and encourage active participation. The findings aim to inform educators and policymakers on how to harness AI to design inclusive, equitable, and sustainable learning environments for English-medium instruction (EMI) and beyond. Investigators: Do Vu Hoang Tam, Kok-Sing Tang & Julian Chen This project is supported by the Vietnamese Government Scholarship (Project 89) and John Curtin Graduate Research Scholarship, Curtin University.