April 18, 2025
NYU Shanghai Education in the Age of AI Showcase “Back To Basics”
Conference Presentation
Jing Chai and Qian Liu were invited to present at the NYU Shanghai Education in the Age of AI Showcase “Back to Basics” Conference. Their presentation, titled Scaffolding Real-World Language Learning: A Multimodal Adventure of Community-Engaged Approach Beyond the Classroom, was featured in the session themed Learning Beyond the Classroom: Creativity, Collaboration, and AI Integration.
Their presentation highlighted a recent project in which Elementary-level Chinese learners undertook the seemingly impossible: creating original storytelling projects based on oracle bone script—the earliest known form of Chinese writing. With guidance from instructors and meaningful collaborations with community partners, students were able to not only grasp these ancient characters but also bring them to life through personal narratives, illustrations, and bilingual storytelling.
Professor Chai and Professor Liu offered a comprehensive, step-by-step breakdown in a handout accompanying the talk, which detailed the rationale, pedagogical foundations, and effectiveness of the project. The presentation illustrated how scaffolding, creativity, and real-world collaboration could empower even beginner-level students to engage deeply with cultural heritage while practicing language in context.
Following the presentation, Professor Chai joined a panel discussion with three other speakers representing Business, Interactive Media Business at NYUSH, and the German Language Program at NYU Berlin. Together, they explored how creative practices, cross-disciplinary methods, and community partnerships can shape the future of education—especially in an era increasingly influenced by AI.
The session sparked rich dialogue around rethinking language instruction as an active, multimodal, and human-centered journey, where even ancient scripts can find new life through collaboration, curiosity, and student-led storytelling.