Publication Highlight:
Enhancing Service-Learning through Generative AI: A Mixed-Methods Study on Educational Game Design in a Finance Course
This publication, led by Kelvin Wan (first author), emerged from a close collaboration between the Digital Learning Section of the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and the service-learning course FIN1001: Personal Finance and Society, taught by Ms Rosalie Woo (Department of Economics and Finance), at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong.
A central question guiding this work was:
How can we cultivate students’ ethical and responsible use of AI?
Ethics is often perceived as abstract and difficult to teach. However, our experience shows that when Ethics, Generative AI, Game-Based Learning, and Service-Learning are intentionally combined, ethical learning becomes real, tangible, and deeply personal. In this project, students were tasked with designing AI-assisted educational finance games for real elderly participants from community centres. In doing so, students did not simply use GenAI—they learned to work with it, question it, and take responsibility for its outputs.
Supported by CTL’s Digital Learning Section, the course integrated structured game design frameworks, experiential learning cycles, and guidance on the ethical use of GenAI. Through this authentic learning process, students were able to:
1. Discover how educational games are designed and refined,
2. Treat GenAI as a learning partner rather than a shortcut,
3. Critically evaluate and correct flawed or misleading AI-generated information,
4. Appreciate how GenAI can accelerate creativity and ideation, and
5. Ultimately realise that meaningful service still requires human judgment, empathy, and responsibility.
The findings highlight how experiential, community-engaged pedagogies can foster ethical awareness, higher-order thinking, and transferable skills, while positioning GenAI as a tool that supports—rather than replaces—human agency in learning.
This authentic and values-driven approach to GenAI adoption was recognised internationally, with the project selected as a Finalist for the “Best Use of Generative AI” category at the 2024 QS Reimagine Education Awards, and is now published in Cogent Education.
DOI: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2592370
We are grateful for the collaboration with Ms Rosalie Woo (Department of Economics and Finance) and Dr George Ho (Department of Supply Chain and Information Management), and we look forward to continuing our exploration of how Generative AI and experiential pedagogies can shape ethical, future-ready learners.
The proposed GenAI-Driven Game-Based Experiential Learning Framework integrates Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, educational game design principles, and Generative AI support. It positions GenAI as a learning partner that scaffolds ideation, iteration, and reflection, enabling students to critically evaluate AI outputs while developing ethical awareness, creativity, and transferable skills through authentic service-learning contexts.