AI-Coding Hackathon 2024
The inaugural Al-coding Hackathon took place from 2 September to 4 September 2024 at NIE, drawing students, teachers, and researchers into an immersive journey through the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This year’s event was organised in partnership with and funded by Singapore Indian Association (SINDA), themed around the educational applications of AI, provided a hands-on platform where student participants engaged with design thinking process to explore the implications of AI technology in our society.
Led by Dr Katherine Guangji Yuan, Education Research Scientist and Teaching Fellow Ms. Monica Ong Woei Ling from the Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice (CRPP), the AI-coding Hackathon welcomed 13 student participants from the SINDA, representing a range of primary and secondary schools. The workshop provides an innovative learning space where students engaged in real-world community inquiry to identify social issues close to their heart which they sought to address using AI technologies. Some of the issues that surfaced by the students which they worked collaboratively on including bullying in schools, road safety for the seniors and racial discrimination faced by the teenagers.
Understanding Collaboration and Impact in the AI-Coding Program
Student participants were tasked to collaborate with one another to solve real-world problems through coding and design thinking. By embedding epistemic agency, students engaged at individual and group, and community levels through video analysis, focus group discussions, and Knowledge Forum (KF) data. The project’s impact was assessed through multiple lenses, including coding skills (via Python/Google Colab, School AI, ChatGPT and p5.js etc.), design thinking (KF analysis), motivation, and knowledge building.
Age-Specific Collaboration and Problem-Solving
Teams were organized based on age groups—Primary and Secondary levels, allowing for targeted guidance and collaboration. Under the mentorship of experienced facilitators and through rich interactions with AI experts and guest speakers, student participants worked together to develop innovative solutions for everyday problems in existence around them. The outcome of these efforts was a series of practical, AI-powered proposals designed to address tangible issues, showcasing the participants’ growing proficiency with AI tools.
Spread over three days, the hackathon provided participants with an opportunity to dive deeper into AI concepts, with a special focus on how students interact with and apply AI technologies to real-world scenarios.
Day 1: Building Community and Introducing AI Concepts
The first day kicked off with a focus on community-based inquiry, aiming to inspire students to use AI for the betterment of society. Icebreaker activities, which facilitated by Mr Kennedy Loo, Research Assistant at CRPP, helped to establish teamwork, while the introduction of the Knowledge Forum (KF) platform demonstrated how the youth can tackle real-world issues using AI. An “Emerging Interests” group session encouraged participants to brainstorm on community challenges, setting the stage for collaborative problem-solving.
Guest speaker Mr Wang Guan, a Principal Data Scientist delivered a session on Machine Learning and generative AI, sparking curiosity among participants with real-world examples of AI’s potential.
Following this, participants engaged in hands-on Python programming, led by Dr Peter Seow, Education Research Scientist at CRPP, learning basic python syntax and data manipulation. The day culminated in group discussions on how generative AI and Python could be integrated into their proposed solutions, providing a solid foundation for the days ahead.
Day 2: Deep Dive into AI Applications
In Day 2, Assistant Professor Farhan Ali from the Science of Learning in Education Centre (SoLEC) shared with the students his pioneering work on Teacher GAIA, a chatbot designed to support students’ self-directed learning and assessment.
Dr Katherine Guangji Yuan also introduced Prompt Engineering and ChatGPT to the students in informing their conceived solutions to their identified social issues. A session on prompt engineering further honed participants’ skills in crafting precise and effective AI queries. As teams refined their prototypes, they engaged with tools such as Google Co-Lab, the safeguarded School AI platform tailored for primary school students, and ChatGPT for older participants, ensuring age- and skill-appropriate access while generating their solutions. Collaboration was a key component, Ms Monica Ong facilitated students reflecting on their progress and documenting ideas in the Knowledge Forum as a community. By the end of the day, teams had produced their first working prototypes, receiving valuable feedback from AI experts to fine-tune their design frameworks.
Day 3: Final Presentations and Reflection
The final day saw participants dive into project development, iterating on their designs and preparing for presentations. Each team showcased their prototypes to peers and experts, receiving critical evaluations and insights. Beyond the technical achievements, students also reflected on their learning journey, discussing the future implications of their work and documenting their thoughts in a post-survey segment as a part of the workshop. The hackathon concluded with a prize presentation, recognising the hard work and creativity displayed by the students. Post-event activities, including focused group interviews, provided further insights into the participants’ experiences, to ensure that the learning process continues even after the official event had ended.
Inspiring Future Innovators
The Al-Coding Hackathon 2024 was more than just an introduction to AI technologies; it was a transformative experience that empowered young minds to see the potential of AI in addressing real-world problems. By fostering a spirit of collaboration and innovation, the event not only equipped participants with new technical skills but also inspired them to think critically about the role of AI in shaping the future. As AI continues to grow in significance across all sectors, projects like this are instrumental in preparing the next generation of thinkers, innovators, and leaders. The Al-Coding Hackathon stood as a testament to the power of hands-on, experiential learning in inspiring students to become active contributors to the AI-driven future.