How Wuhan’s development zone brings AI education to young learners

Innovative approaches to AI education for young people in the Wuhan development zone  

Han Jin, Huang Lei, Deng Huaping, Zheng Yunqiao  

Education Bureau of the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone  

Abstract:As part of its effort to establish a national Smart Education Demonstration Zone, the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone allocated 500 million in earmarked funding to a project to introduce smart education at scale. Over three years and in three stages, the project sought to expand innovation in AI education. It developed digital learning environments for a range of settings, created specialist curricula, trained teachers in science and technology innovation, and set up a mechanism for families, schools, communities, companies and government to work together. It made independent learning more effective, tailored after-school provision, broadened student assessment and changed classroom practice. The initiative produced a model for supporting learning, teaching and administration and offers an example of how a district can digitize education.    

Keywords:AI education; smart education; digital transformation    

I. Educational context  

At present, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is in the making. Artificial intelligence technologies are evolving rapidly, and are on the verge of a breakthrough. These technologies are profoundly transforming human ways of production and living, the patterns of knowledge provision, and the paradigms of scientific innovation. As a result, ways of thinking and concepts are also being reshaped. Education has entered an era of changing fundamental principles and reshaping the educational ecosystem. There is a need for the sharing of resources to bridge the digital divide, for the reconstruction of skills and abilities to promote comprehensive development, and for global cooperation to facilitate the exchange of civilizations.  

Minister Huai Jinpeng of Education said, “For the education system, artificial intelligence is the key to unlocking new possibilities. It has both opportunities and challenges. It will influence not only future education, but also the future of education itself.” This highlights the current trends in educational development. Artificial intelligence can have a positive impact on promoting personalized learning, providing intelligent assistance in teaching, optimizing educational resources, supporting educational decision-making, and fostering innovative educational models.  

Taking the city’s effort to establish a national-level “Smart Education Demonstration Zone” as an opportunity, Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone has regarded the digitalization of education as a key strategy for the region’s educational development. Since 2021, 500,000,000 special funds have been allocated to launch projects for “large-scale application of smart education” across the zone, using artificial intelligence to drive reforms in teaching methods, learning approaches, and management practices.  

II. Implementation  

The region achieved three-phase development over three years: From 2021 to 2022, all schools in the region established intelligent education environments and provided a vast amount of learning resources. Artificial intelligence was fully integrated into education and teaching, making this region the only area in the province where intelligent education was implemented on a large scale. From 2022 to 2023, two key objectives were to develop distinctive curriculum systems and build a high-quality teaching staff. With artificial intelligence as a feature, the quality of basic education was improved, and this region became a model for the province. From 2023 to 2024, emphasis was placed on cultivating innovative talents. By attracting external expertise and fostering internal collaboration, a collaborative education mechanism was established, and classroom teaching methods were improved. Gradually, the region entered the professional development stage of artificial intelligence-based education.  

(1) Phase 1: Full implementation (2021–2022)  

In June 2021, taking advantage of Wuhan’s efforts to become one of the first national “Smart Education Demonstration Areas”, the Economic Development Zone regarded the establishment of a smart education environment as a prerequisite for achieving high-quality and balanced education, as well as the optimization of resources for sustainable development. This environment development and resource optimization also provided a solid foundation for the widespread implementation of artificial intelligence education in the region.  

The Economic Development Zone has established a comprehensive district-level smart education cloud platform. This platform integrates various systems such as health management, asset management, evaluation of students in the areas of five aspects of education, smart sports, and smart teaching and research. It covers all aspects of education, including teaching, learning, examinations, evaluation, management, and research. All public schools in the district have undergone network upgrades, and a high-speed educational network has been established, enabling data transmission at 1 Gbps to schools and 100 Mbps to classrooms. Equipment for smart classrooms, AI laboratories, smart sports teaching classes, smart calligraphy classrooms, intelligent agricultural teaching centers, and physics, chemistry, and biology laboratory spaces have been built or upgraded. As a result, a full-scenario smart education environment has been created.  

A rich digital resource library has been established in all districts of Wuhan. In 2024, the digital resources were used more than 1,050,000 times per month across the entire district. Each teacher uses the resources nearly 500 times per month, and each student uses them over 40 times per month. The resources are used daily, ensuring regular and frequent utilization by teachers and students in the entire district. The district’s resources include specialized materials related to moral education, labor, science, mental health, and calligraphy. There are also personalized learning guides designed to reduce the burden on students taking the middle and high school exams. To date, more than 700,000 personalized learning guides have been created by 17 middle schools in the district. In particular, the after-school service platform provides over 1,800 courses for rural schools in Hannan area, helping to address the shortage of teaching staff. Additionally, expert teaching centers, online studios, and subject workshops have been established, providing rich and professional training resources for teachers. These teachers have achieved nearly a hundred national-level educational and teaching innovation awards.  

At this stage, on a regional level, a smart education ecosystem for all scenarios has been successfully established. At the micro-level, school-based artificial intelligence educational materials, course platforms, and teaching equipment have also been fully established. This has provided a solid environment and resource foundation for the further implementation of artificial intelligence education in the future.  

(II) Phase 2: Focus on improvement (2022–2023)  

With the gradual implementation of artificial intelligence courses, efforts are being made to overcome the challenges of fragmented course content, lack of systematicness, and insufficient numbers and quality of qualified teachers. In the second phase of the Economic Development Zone, emphasis is placed on establishing a systematic curriculum system that integrates technology with other fields, as well as on cultivating a team of high-quality teachers in scientific and technological innovation.  

While actively promoting the regular implementation of artificial intelligence courses in primary and secondary schools, the region has also developed 54 courses across 12 categories, including robotics and creative programming. These courses are divided into three levels: basic, advanced, and practical, forming a systematic and phased curriculum framework. To support the improvement of teachers’ skills in the era of artificial intelligence, the education development zone has also established a system for cultivating teachers’ digital literacy and a evaluation mechanism. It aims to create a team of professionals with digital literacy, innovation capabilities, and a global perspective. Various educational activities related to artificial intelligence innovation, such as research activities, training sessions, and the refinement of excellent teaching examples, are carried out. Additionally, the region has successfully initiated a special project under Hubei Province’s educational information technology program: “Regional Research on the Development and Application of Artificial Intelligence Courses in Primary and Secondary Schools.” This project will help teachers gain a deeper understanding of the nature of artificial intelligence and enhance their ability to implement these courses effectively.  

In order to enable students to better apply various knowledge areas, and to provide a means for the implementation of the curriculum to progress further, the region has organized various levels and types of science and technology competition events. The Youth Science and Technology Festival in the Economic Development Zone has been held for ten consecutive years; its scope has gradually expanded, with over 40,000 participants. The region has also hosted major events such as the Hubei Province Robot Competition and Open Competition in 2024, as well as the Wuhan NOC Competition in 2023 and 2024. As a result, a strong atmosphere of innovation and creativity has been fostered.  

(3) Phase III: Professional Development (2023–2024)  

In 2023, we enter a new phase of exploration. The focus is on cultivating top-tier innovative talents, and efforts are made to develop collaborative education mechanisms. This is aimed at addressing the challenges such as the need for high-quality students to pursue diverse development paths, the shortage of high-quality educational resources in prestigious schools, and the lack of expertise among frontline teachers in terms of educational concepts and technologies related to scientific and technological innovation. Under the leadership of the Education Bureau, various parties including the government, universities, communities, enterprises, primary and secondary schools, and families work together to establish a collaborative education mechanism involving “schools, families, communities, enterprises, and government”. This creates a new educational ecosystem where all parties contribute to and share responsibilities. Within this mechanism, the Economic Development Zone emphasizes the integration of resources and the complementarity of strengths, thereby creating a unified educational force. The government plays a role in providing policy guidance, funding, teaching staff, and facilities; universities offer professional guidance and intellectual support; enterprises bring practical experience and innovative elements; primary and secondary schools are responsible for basic education and character development; communities provide practical platforms and social educational resources; and families, as the first classroom for children’s growth, focus on emotional education and value guidance. Through the collaboration of these parties, the effectiveness of education is greatly enhanced.  

1. A curriculum system for the cultivation of talents oriented towards core competencies has been developed. The Experimental Primary School in the Economic Development Zone has fully utilized the potential and advantages of social resources, establishing a collaborative model that involves “school leadership, social support, family participation, and various stakeholders”. It has collaborated with Huazhong Normal University, Shanghai Open University, Jianghan University, and other institutions to develop courses. Some courses are implemented in cooperation with Dongfeng Honda Company, Vanke Jin Yu Lan Wan Community, and Yuanbo Park. Superstar Company works together with the school to offer these courses on the school’s MOOC platform, making them accessible to students across the country. Based on this, a well-structured and comprehensive curriculum system has been created, including four levels of courses: “Artificial Intelligence” from basic to advanced and innovative levels, as well as courses such as “Scratch Programming”, “Internet of Things Innovation Technology”, “3D Printing Creative Design”, and “Robotics”.  

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, it is essential to update and improve the curriculum system. In September 2024, the “Nobel Prize Program” curriculum system, jointly developed by the School of Computer Science at Peking University, the Global Competence Institute for Sino-Foreign Cultural Exchange, and the Shenlong Primary School Education Group, was implemented. This curriculum includes courses in artificial intelligence, brain science, and English drama.  

2. Implement innovative practices in using generative AI to enhance classroom teaching. The Information Center of the Economic Development Zone led 14 teachers from various subjects across all educational levels to carry out innovative projects that utilize generative AI to improve classroom teaching. With the help of technologies and expertise provided by iFlytek and the team from Huazhong Normal University, teaching and research teams were formed for different subjects in primary, middle, and high schools. Activities such as theme training camps and result sharing sessions were organized, and a series of studies and training sessions were conducted on the technical principles and application scenarios of large AI models. As a result, a basic teaching model at the district level was developed. The paper “Generative Artificial Intelligence Leading Educational Transformation: Practical Experiences in Regional Classroom Teaching” was selected as a typical case of digital education in basic education in Hubei Province. Teachers in various subjects in the region have independently explored and developed a “teacher-machine-student” collaborative intelligent teaching model that utilizes large models for all subjects and educational levels, providing diverse practical approaches for teaching innovation in each subject.  

In a high school in the Economic Development Zone, the English teaching department has tried to utilize various AI tools effectively in various aspects of teaching. For example, AI is used to generate images, voices, videos, and VR scenarios, providing teachers with rich and accurate teaching resources. The Starfire Teacher Assistant and other AI models are also used for designing lesson plans, homework, researching materials, and grading essays. This helps to reduce the workload of teachers while enabling the visualization of teaching data. During classes, students are also guided to use AI models for real-time Q&A, oral practice, and automatic question generation, thereby enhancing the learning experience and improving learning efficiency.  

3. Carry out thematic innovation and technology activities, as well as information-based innovation camps. In the enhanced level of the joint training camps, the Economic Development Zone uses thematic innovation and technology activities and information-based innovation camps as the main means of implementation. Shenlong Primary School has been holding the “Automobile Education Culture” festival for ten years. The school has established a unique 500-square-meter maker space dedicated to automobile-related themes. With various themes such as automobile history, design concepts, construction principles, simulation activities, and remote control driving, this space has become a hub for students’ technological innovation. A total of 18 courses related to the “Automobile Education Maker” club have been developed, covering multiple subjects, and these courses incorporate intelligent technologies such as holographic projection, MR experiences, and 3D printing. The Economic Development Zone has expanded a range of courses and subject areas related to automobiles, providing students with a new perspective on technology and opportunities for innovation and experimentation.  

In 2024, under the coordination of the Education Bureau of the Economic Development Zone, a 10-day innovation camp on artificial intelligence (informatics) was organized for public welfare purposes. A group of 100 participants with strong interest in technology and excellent overall capabilities were selected. They collaborated with the School of Artificial Intelligence at Jianghan University to utilize its academic expertise and professional resources for knowledge dissemination. The students also visited high-tech enterprises in the region: they visited the Luobo Kuoran Automobile Robot Smart Valley to learn about the major advancements in autonomous driving in China; they visited the “AI+” exhibition hall of iFlytek to understand the development processes of smart cities, smart healthcare, and smart education; they visited Hannan General Airport to explore the history of aviation technology and experience simulated flight; and they visited Wuhan City Vocational College to experience the wonders of intelligent manufacturing up close.  

III. Results and distinctive features  

(1) Through “Artificial Intelligence in Education”, achieve standardized training and comprehensive education for students  

The Economic Development Zone explores the use of artificial intelligence to provide personalized teaching methods for students, in order to meet their needs for individualized, differentiated, and interest-based development. This approach enables more efficient self-directed learning, customized after-school services, and diverse evaluation methods for students.  

1. Achieve efficient autonomous learning. A intelligent teaching support system is established to collect learning data in real time, and personalized learning guides are provided. As a result, students’ learning efficiency increased by 41%, and their anxiety levels decreased significantly. In terms of digital literacy among teachers and students in the entire region, students’ overall digital literacy improved by 24%; the number of students winning awards in various important competitions increased by 109%. Teachers’ number of awards in important teaching competitions at the provincial level and above increased by 237%. Both teachers and students have seen a qualitative improvement in their development (data sourced from the Educational Informatization Strategy Research Base (Huazhong) of the Ministry of Education in 2023).  

2. Implement customized after-class services. Establish a “1+X+AI” after-class service model tailored to students’ interests, and create a “resource pool” of nearly 3,000 specialized courses. The satisfaction rate among students and parents exceeds 90%. In September 2022, Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone was selected as one of the first batch of pilot areas for the large-scale application of “central government AI courses” by the Education Technology and Resource Development Center of the Ministry of Education. Among these, 16 primary and secondary schools, including Tiantiahu Primary School, Olin Primary School, Guanshidun Middle School, and Shamao Middle School, were identified as pilot schools for large-scale application. In January 2024, Huban Primary School was recognized as a “Primary and Secondary School AI Education Base” by the Ministry of Education, making it one of the six schools in Hubei Province to receive this recognition.  

3. Achieve diversity in student evaluations. The school has established the first AI-based evaluation system for the five aspects of education in the entire province. More than 600,000 pieces of data related to household labor, extracurricular activities, sports and arts have been collected, and dynamic reports on students’ development are generated. This transforms “education points” into “personality development”. The Hulao Primary School’s Lakefront Campus has a “Intelligent and Fun Digital Community”. Students can exchange the “five aspects of education” medals they earn during class studies for digital currency within the school, and these credits can be used to store their growth records. These achievements will serve as the only school observed in the field of basic education at the World Digital Education Conference in 2025, allowing China to showcase its innovative digital education achievements in basic education to the world.  

(II) Using “AI teaching assistants” to transform traditional teaching into intelligent teaching methods  

Explore innovative ways of using artificial intelligence to enhance teaching, and transform traditional teaching methods.  

1. AI is used to reduce the workload of teachers. In schools across the district, AI assistants are widely used to help teachers with intelligent lesson preparation, homework grading, and personalized tutoring. As a result, the mechanical workload of teachers is reduced by 60%.  

2. Enhance classroom vitality through intelligent methods. In collaboration with Huazhong Normal University, “AIGC-based classrooms” were established in 10 primary and secondary schools and 13 basic disciplines. The frequency of classroom interactions increased by 60%, leading to a regional intelligent teaching model and a new paradigm of hierarchical teaching.  

3. Drive the professional development of teachers through data. The “digital profile” system for teachers regularly collects data about teachers, and personalized professional development plans are generated. As a result, the training period for new teachers is reduced by 30%, and the number of teachers who win awards in provincial-level or above-level intelligent teaching competitions increases by 237%. Hupan Primary School combines 18 specific key indicators and 60 observation points to create three profiles: the teacher’s personal background profile, the teaching practice profile, and the professional development profile. These profiles provide a basis for making decisions regarding the development of the teaching staff. The school’s case study, “Digital Profiles Based on Generative Artificial Intelligence Facilitate Adaptive Professional Growth of Teachers,” was selected as a typical case of digital education in basic education in Hubei Province.  

(III) Utilize “artificial intelligence for management” to transition from experience-based management to intelligent governance  

Comprehensively integrate digital educational resources, continuously strengthen the digital foundation, and enable intelligent management and decision-making.  

1. Full coverage of intelligent platform services. A three-level implementation mechanism of “district-level coordination – school-level implementation – technical support” has been established, enabling full coverage of intelligent platform services in all primary and secondary schools in the district, and the widespread use of intelligent devices among ten thousand teachers and students.  

2. All intelligent resources are shared collectively. Deeply integrated with national and provincial cloud platforms, a unified resource library for districts and schools that operates 24/7 and offers comprehensive integration is established. Over 100,000 high-quality courses are automatically delivered, and the resource sharing rate has increased to 92%.  

3. The entire process of educational decision-making. A regional educational data center has been established, integrating over 20 key applications such as “Safe Campus” and “School Profiles”. This system enables real-time monitoring and management of educational data throughout the entire process.  

IV. Conclusions and reflections  

Currently, the rapid development of artificial intelligence is transforming the educational landscape at an unprecedented pace. During the Spring Festival this year, the domestic large-scale AI model DeepSeek emerged, triggering a revolution in the field of education. On April 25, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during the 20th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee that “the education of artificial intelligence should be implemented across all stages of education.” Recently, the Ministry of Education issued the “Guidelines for General Artificial Intelligence Education in Primary and Secondary Schools (2025 edition)” and the “Guidelines for the Use of Artificial Intelligence by Primary and Secondary School Students (2025 edition)”, providing a clear path for the proper implementation of artificial intelligence education across all educational stages.

Next, the Economic Development Zone will follow two guidelines, and continue to explore ways to further implement the “three revolutions” involving students, teachers, and management. This will lead to the implementation of “Artificial Intelligence Education 2.0” in the zone, enabling artificial intelligence technologies to be more deeply integrated into all stages, aspects, and processes of education and teaching.

Firstly, we need to activate students’ motivation to learn. The problem of students not wanting to learn, being unable to learn, or not knowing what to learn stems from a lack of intrinsic motivation to learn. We will use AI-based, game-like learning methods to help students develop a love for learning in class. Using principles of positive psychology, we will also provide psychological support to meet students’ emotional needs. The inability to learn arises from boring and monotonous learning methods, as repetitive memorization and training turn students into mere “knowledge containers”. We will develop artificial intelligence companions to encourage students to engage in autonomous learning in a broader sense, moving from simply “learning knowledge” to “learning how to learn”. We will also teach students how to use AI tools properly, so that they do not rely too much on AI and thus lose their ability to think independently. The key to what students should learn is to implement the requirements of these two guidelines in primary and secondary schools. With the help of universities, we will develop comprehensive artificial intelligence courses for primary and secondary schools. By utilizing comprehensive practice and after-class services, we will ensure that students have enough time to understand and use artificial intelligence correctly, thereby making them the masters of AI.

Secondly, it is necessary to carry out a “revolution for the liberation of teachers”. The problems such as teachers being replaced by technology, having excessive workloads, and operating in a single mode need to be addressed. Teachers themselves should first master the skills and principles of using AI tools, in order to avoid the “digital divide”. It is important to enhance teachers’ ability to apply technology: currently, there are significant differences in the AI literacy of teachers, and the uneven application capabilities will indirectly lead to a polarization among teachers, resulting in an uneven education system. We will launch a special program for future teachers, providing targeted training for teaching researchers, managers, key teachers, and other educators. This will help teachers acquire the skills required for applying AI in education, and this will be included in the assessment system. It is also necessary to liberate teachers’ productivity: we will develop intelligent teaching assistance systems that are integrated into every aspect of teaching, thereby eliminating inefficient and repetitive tasks such as grading assignments. Complex personalized analysis of students’ performance will be carried out using digital humans, allowing teachers to spend more time on creative teaching activities. Finally, it is important to leverage teachers’ research capabilities: we will encourage teachers to conduct in-depth research on the application of large AI models, thereby creating a new educational environment that involves collaboration among teachers, machines, and students.

Thirdly, it is necessary to implement a revolutionary approach to iterative management. This involves addressing issues such as low management efficiency, inaccurate decision-making, and unscientific evaluation methods. The management processes should be reengineered, and the “Regional Education Intelligence System” should be utilized to effectively integrate data from various aspects such as administrative affairs, teaching activities, and logistics. This will help transform the relatively chaotic and unstructured daily administrative practices in schools and grassroots management departments, thereby achieving intelligent management. The decision-making mechanisms should be upgraded, and the auxiliary functions of artificial intelligence should be fully utilized. Data accumulated over time on digital platforms should be used effectively to improve the accuracy of decisions and enable forward-looking planning. The evaluation system should be restructured; an intelligent evaluation framework should be created using artificial intelligence, and AI-based evaluation models should be developed for aspects such as school management efficiency, teaching innovation, and resource utilization efficiency. This will help schools identify their weaknesses and align their development directions.

Artificial intelligence is not only a technological revolution, but also an opportunity to transform the educational ecosystem. Looking ahead, education in the Economic Development Zone will continue to rely on emerging technologies and the advantages of the automotive industry to continuously improve the educational environment. By leveraging artificial intelligence in education, more wisdom and innovation will be brought into scientific education and the cultivation of innovative talents!