Training on AI-Supported Social Science Learning Resources

Social Science teachers who are members of the Banjarbaru City Social Science Subject Teachers’ Association (MGMP IPS) were encouraged to utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to develop creative, contextual, and learner-centered learning resources connected to students’ everyday lives.

The initiative was delivered through the Program Dosen Wajib Mengabdi (PDWA) entitled “Training on Developing Contextual Social Science Learning Resources Based on Peatland Local Wisdom through the Use of Adobe Firefly,” held on August 19, 2025, at the Hall of SMP Negeri 1 Banjarbaru.

Training and Mentoring by the PDWA Team

The PDWA activity was led by Syarifuddin, S.Pd., M.Pd., as the head of the PDWA team and the resource person. He provided training and mentoring on the use of generative AI, particularly Adobe Firefly, to support the development of Social Science learning resources.

Participants were introduced to a learning-oriented workflow that began with identifying learning needs, determining learning content, developing prompts, generating visual materials, evaluating the results, and integrating the outputs into instructional materials.

AI as a Supporting Tool for Learning

During the training, Syarifuddin explained that the use of AI in education should not be limited to generating images. AI can serve as a supporting tool for teachers to create contextual learning resources with pedagogical value. Teachers remain responsible for designing learning activities and making decisions about the relevance and use of AI-generated materials.

Bringing South Kalimantan’s Local Context into Learning

Participants practiced using the Text to Image feature in Adobe Firefly by incorporating various local contexts from South Kalimantan, including peatlands, rivers, community economic activities, river transportation, social life, culture, and local wisdom.

Local contexts are important in developing Social Science learning resources because students can understand concepts more easily when learning materials are connected to environments and everyday experiences that are familiar to them.

“We use AI as a tool to enrich teachers’ creativity. However, teachers remain the main designers and decision-makers in the learning process. AI-generated results must be reviewed to ensure that they are consistent with facts, culture, the environment, and learning objectives.”

— Syarifuddin, S.Pd., M.Pd.

From AI-Generated Visuals to Student Worksheets

One of the participants’ practical outputs was a visual representation of community economic activities in the river and wetland areas of South Kalimantan. The visual depicted trading activities using boats, interactions between sellers and buyers, riverside settlements, wetland vegetation, and rivers as spaces for community life and economic activities.

The visual output was then developed into a Student Worksheet (Lembar Kerja Peserta Didik/LKPD). Through this approach, participants not only learned how to create images using AI but also explored how visual products could be transformed into learning stimuli for observing, discussing, analyzing, and drawing conclusions in Social Science learning.

Institutional and Professional Support

The Head of the Department of Social Science Education, Dr. Mutiani, M.Pd., expressed support for the activity. Efforts to strengthen teachers’ technological competencies should remain oriented toward improving learning quality and ensuring that learning materials remain relevant to students’ lives.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Banjarbaru City Social Science MGMP, Andinna Mega Siwi, M.Pd., welcomed the training. The activity provided teachers with new experiences in developing more varied learning resources through AI technology while incorporating the local potential of South Kalimantan.

Strengthening AI Literacy and Ethics

The training emphasized that AI-generated outputs should not be accepted without further review. Teachers were encouraged to verify factual accuracy, cultural representation, environmental context, visual content, and alignment with learning objectives before using AI-generated materials in educational activities.

Developing Creative and Contextual Learning Resources

Through this PDWA activity, Social Science teachers in Banjarbaru are expected to develop various AI-supported learning resources, including student worksheets, educational illustrations, posters, infographics, and visual teaching materials that incorporate the environment, culture, and local wisdom of South Kalimantan.

The activity also represents an effort to promote Social Science learning practices that are creative, contextual, technology-supported, and rooted in the local environment and community life. The integration of AI with local contexts provides teachers with additional possibilities for developing learning resources while maintaining the pedagogical role of teachers as designers and decision-makers.

Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

The PDWA training contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4: Quality Education and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. The activity connects teacher professional development, educational technology, local wisdom, and collaboration between higher education and the school education community.

Integrating AI, Local Wisdom, and Social Science Education

The PDWA training provided teachers with opportunities to explore the use of AI as a supporting technology for developing Social Science learning resources. By integrating AI with local environments, culture, and wisdom, teachers can develop learning materials that are more closely connected to students’ lives while maintaining verification, pedagogical consideration, and ethical use of technology. The activity also strengthened the connection between higher education and school-based educational practice through professional collaboration.