UP NISMED Collaborated with the UP College of Education and KNUE to Conduct the 2025 KNUE-UP Teacher Training on Design Thinking Amplified by AI for Sustainable Development

From 13 to 15 August 2025, the UP National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (NISMED), in partnership with the Korea National University of Education (KNUE), conducted the 2025 KNUE-UP Teacher Training on Design Thinking Amplified by AI for Sustainable Development. The training-workshop brought together educators and instructional leaders to explore the use of design thinking together with generative AI tools for teaching and learning in developing programs that are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and plan and discuss their implementation in the field. The workshops were held at the Science Teacher Training Center of UP NISMED in UP Diliman, Quezon City. A total of 46 educators and instructional leaders participated In the training-workshop.

Participants of the training-workshop pose together, showcasing camaraderie and shared enthusiasm for learning.

Dr. Jerome T. Buenviaje, Assistant Secretary for Curriculum and Teaching of the Philippine Department of Education, graced the occasion and gave a keynote message focused on improving quality teacher education in the Philippines. UP Diliman Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs also graced the event. Vice Project Manager of the UNESCO-UNITWIN Program on Quality Teacher Education, Prof. Jungjoo Sohn also attended the event together with other KNUE professors and staff.

The program consisted of seminars and workshops. The seminar speakers included Prof. Prof. Dr. Youngju Lee and her Ph.D. student, Ms. Sohee Kim, who shared on the first day of the training-workshop, their Teacher-Driven Professional Learning and AI/EdTech Integration in Korea. Dr. Joel C. Javiniar, the Dean of the College of Education, on the second day, talked about design thinking and AI as tools in creating solutions for effective teaching and learning.

University and program representatives pose together during the opening program of the 2025 KNUE-UP Teacher Training at UP NISMED.

The workshops on the other hand were designed to guide participants through the design thinking process enhanced by AI tools, where Dr. Sheryl Lyn C. Monterola, Director of UP NISMED and Professor of the UP College of Education, led both Workshop 1: Introduction to Design Thinking Amplified by AI for Sustainable Development and Workshop 4: Generating Ideas with AI. On the other hand, Dr. Edwehna Elinore Paderna, Associate Professor at the UP College of Education, facilitated Workshop 2: Understanding the Education Context, while Assistant Professor Ramon L. Sanchez III, also of the UP College of Education conducted Workshop 3: Identifying the Problem. Dr. Ma. Nympha B. Joaquin, Professor of the UP College of Education, headed Workshop 5: Deciding on the Education Solution. Finally, Dr. Tristan C. Orbeta, Assistant Professor of the UP College of Education, conducted Workshop 6: Developing and Communicating Education Solutions.

Participants shared their group’s persona map after their session on empathy mapping.

The training-workshop is the second training activity conducted that is part of the ongoing collaboration between the University of the Philippines Diliman and KNUE under the UNESCO UNITWIN Program, which aimed to strengthen the partnership  of the two academic institutions in advancing teacher education innovations and fostering international cooperation.