The above viewpoint was emphasized by Dr. Nguyen Xuan Phong, Vice Principal of FPT University, Director of FPT High School System (FPT Corporation) at the seminar "Vision and future orientation for education in the AI ​​era" held on the morning of March 20 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Dr. Nguyen Xuan Phong presented a paper on "Model of AI deployment in schools at FPT's university and high school system"

No longer a strange concept, AI has been present in all aspects of life, especially education. As one of the pioneering educational systems in innovation, FPT has been "ahead of the curve" when it began to strongly deploy AI applications in teaching and learning two years ago.

With a curriculum built according to UNESCO's AI competency framework for students, in collaboration with leading technology partners such as MIT, UBTECH, etc., FPT has built a systematic and synchronous roadmap, bringing AI into the curriculum and innovating teaching methods, as well as popularizing it to the educational community.

System-wide AI integration

FPT high school students have early access to AI through experiential and supplementary learning programs. To date, nearly 15,000 FPT Schools students are learning AI from grade 1. "China has planned to popularize AI in all high schools with about 8 periods/year at the primary level. At FPT Schools, from the 2024-2025 school year, we have introduced AI into 10 periods/year for primary school, 18 periods/year for middle school, and up to 35 periods for high school," said Mr. Phong.

Many products such as videos, graphics, and even animations are made by students with the support of AI. Students in grades 6, 7, and 8 have learned programming, integrating AI with Robotics, and solving practical problems. They are encouraged to think before doing anything, think about how AI can help. In addition, they also learn deeply about ethics and responsibility in AI applications.

“AI today for us is like computer science, like computers were 20-25 years ago. Just like a time when people said 'if you don't know something, look it up on Google', now the community needs a new mindset: AI-first," said Mr. Phong.

FPT Schools students learn AI from primary school

In traditional education, “personalization” is a distant dream. But AI has helped make it possible. FPT leaders aim to have a personal AI assistant for each FPT Schools student, accompanying them on their learning journey, from reminding them of their lessons, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, to providing appropriate review strategies.

AI will not replace, but enhance teachers

One of the biggest concerns society has about AI entering the classroom is its potential to replace the role of teachers. However, according to Dr. Nguyen Xuan Phong, this is quite the opposite. AI can change tools, change the way of teaching and learning, but it cannot replace humans. “We do not see AI as a threat. We see it as an opportunity for teachers to play their true role as guides, inspiring students to think and learn.”

More than 1,800 teachers in the FPT Schools system have been thoroughly trained in AI. Many teachers have proactively applied AI tools to develop learning materials and lectures, creating excitement for students. In order to effectively control the application of AI in learning, the system stipulates the application of AI usage levels. Teachers are responsible for checking and discussing to ensure that students understand the lesson and are not dependent on AI.

FPT Schools is also experimenting with building a flipped classroom model, in which students learn content themselves with the support of AI, while teachers play a guiding and critical role.

Spreading AI to the community

Not only pioneering in educational innovation strategy, FPT also focuses on social responsibility aspect when organizing a series of free training programs on AI for educational managers through the "4.0 Workshop" series, training programs for teachers.

Workshop "Principal 4.0" attracts more than 1,000 principals in Soc Trang and Hau Giang

In 2024, FPT Schools signed a cooperation agreement with MIT to implement the Day of AI Vietnam program, creating an open, accessible platform to popularize free AI resources and learning materials. "In the near future, we aim to support online and in-person training for about 100,000 high school teachers nationwide on AI applications," said Mr. Phong.

Human resources in all fields need to be equipped with technological capabilities, especially AI, to adapt to the new context. Concluding his presentation, Mr. Phong said that whatever the world implements, Vietnam should apply and adjust as it goes. If we do not act today, we will miss the golden opportunity to create the future for the younger generation.

FPT