Degree type
PhD
Closing date
1 April 2025
Campus
Launceston
Citizenship requirement
Domestic
Scholarship
$42,483pa for 3.5 years
About the research project
This project is part of the Next Generation Scholarship Program, Augmented Human Operations.
Background and Aims:
Since its public introduction in late 2022, OpenAI's Generative AI (GenAI) platform, ChatGPT, has revolutionized interactive AI technology. Powered by advancements in Large Language Models (LLMs), particularly the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT), ChatGPT is trained on extensive datasets, enabling it to generate coherent and contextually relevant responses that mimic human-like understanding. This capability has led to widespread adoption across various public sectors and knowledge domains. In the education sector, GenAI tools like ChatGPT have the potential to provide students with vast amounts of knowledge effortlessly, but on the other hand, it has a significant impact (potentially hinder) on their learning processes. This project aims to explore the application of GenAI technology in enhancing students' learning, specifically focusing on students in their formative years (Years 7-9 in high school).
Approaches/Outcomes:
The project will begin by reviewing the capabilities of recent AI advancements, including the emerging chain-of-thought reasoning for human-AI collaboration. It will also examine students' learning behaviors and educational goals, such as graduate attributes and competencies, to design an appropriate AI literacy framework.
Through a series of usability tests conducted in classrooms across various knowledge domains (e.g., science, arts), the project will refine and validate the framework. The goal is to develop a guide for future pedagogical designs that effectively integrate AI into classroom settings.
Background reading:
Long, D., & Magerko, B. (2020, April). What is AI literacy? Competencies and design considerations. In Proceedings of the 2020 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 1-16).
Wei, J., Wang, X., Schuurmans, D., Bosma, M., Xia, F., Chi, E., ... & Zhou, D. (2022). Chain-of-thought prompting elicits reasoning in large language models. Advances in neural information processing systems, 35, 24824-24837.
Miao, F., Holmes, W., Huang, R., & Zhang, H. (2021). AI and education: A guidance for policymakers. UNESCO Publishing.
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2024) Technologies F-10 Version 9.0 About the learning area. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/content/dam/en/curriculum/ac-version-9/downloads/technologies/digital-technologies/technologies-about-the-learning-area-f-10-v9.docx
Primary Supervisor
Funding
The successful applicant will receive a scholarship which provides:
- a living allowance stipend funded by the CSIRO's Next Generation Graduate Program (NGGP) and Launceston Church Grammar School of $42,483 per annum (2025 rate, indexed annually) for 3.5 years
- a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)
As part of the application process you may indicate if you do not wish to be considered for scholarship funding.
Additional funding
If successful, applicants will also receive a:
- Top-up scholarship of $2,000, paid as a lump sum upon commencement of candidature
- Top-up scholarship of $3,000, paid as a lump sum when confirmation of candidature has been completed
- Training allowance of $5,000 per annum for 3 years, to be administered by the School
- Travel allowance of $5,000, to be administered by the School
These scholarships and allowances are funded from the NGGP.
Other funding opportunities and fees
For further information regarding other scholarships on offer, and the various fees of undertaking a research degree, please visit Scholarships and fees.
Eligibility
Applicants should review the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements.
Ensure your eligibility for the scholarship round by referring to our Key Dates.
Additional eligibility criteria specific to this project/scholarship:
- Applicants must be able to undertake the project on-campus
- Domestic students (Australian Citizen, Australian PR) and New Zealand Citizen
Selection Criteria
The project is competitively assessed and awarded. Selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the project as determined by the College.
Additional essential selection criteria specific to this project:
- Experience in human-computer interaction
- Knowledge of Generative AI
- Experience in usability testing design
Additional desirable selection criteria specific to this project:
- Interest in the Australian curriculum and School education
Application process
- Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
- Contact Dr Winyu Chinthammit to discuss your suitability and the project's requirements; and
- In your application:
- Copy and paste the title of the project from this advertisement into your application. If you don’t correctly do this your application may be rejected.
- Submit a signed supervisory support form, a CV including contact details of 2 referees and your project research proposal.
- Apply prior to 1 April 2025.
Full details of the application process can be found under the 'How to apply' section at Research degrees.
Following the closing date applications will be assessed within the College. Applicants should expect to receive notification of the outcome by email by the advertised outcome date.
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