Contemporary Pedagogy
A Humanistic Approach to Teaching French in an Online Format
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Marie-Anne Visoi
The transition from an in-person course to an online format offers opportunities to try new teaching approaches in French. Narrated slide shows, video, audio clips, links to museums and to digital libraries can provide meaningful cultural contexts and transform the online classroom into a vibrant learning community. This paper examines the impact of cognitive and affective factors on student performance in a Reading and Writing French course. Based on current pedagogical research and classroom experience, the humanistic approach outlined focuses on students’ background knowledge, cognitive style, motivation and interest. I first look at several orientation and pre-teaching activities, advance organizers and the progressive integration of multimedia authentic materials as valuable strategies for building a broad base of knowledge with students. Secondly, I examine the effects of supplementing language instruction with study suggestions, online vocabulary and grammar components accompanied by self-correction activities and instructor feedback. Within the framework of a humanistic approach, establishing criteria for quality and quantity written participation in online discussions promote student engagement and encourage reflection on own performance.
Why Make Students Write in the Age of AI?: Generative AI as a Foil View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kristina Zarlengo, Margaret Lamont
We focus on some learning goals behind assigning analytic essays in our humanities classrooms dramatizes how there is no overlap between them and what a student learns when submitting, as their own work, a Generative-AI-written essay. In the latter case, they submit something that is a kind of mash-up of everyone else’s point of view, and in the former, they submit something which, however jejune or faulty, has already—before we read and grade it—furthered their capacity to think, to know what they think, to express what they think. We review how the student who submits a Generative-AI essay has confused product for process: what we were asking for was not an imagined “right” interpretation of Hamlet, or the right number of words about Hamlet; we are instead seeking proof that our student had sharpened their own point of view.
Navigating the Transition: Shifting Adult Learners Towards a Humanistic Education
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Esther Kim
This paper explores the challenges inherent in fostering a humanistic learning environment for adult learners entrenched in traditional directive-driven educational paradigms. Drawing on personal experiences as a professor committed to humanistic education, this reflection delves into the complexities of transitioning adult learners to prioritize discussion and collaborative learning over defined deliverables. Adult learners, deeply ingrained in professional roles, often approach education with a preference for structured directions and tangible outcomes. However, this predisposition can hinder cultivating humanistic values such as open dialogue, critical thinking, and collective knowledge construction. This challenge requires a nuanced understanding of adult learners' cognitive dispositions and motivation. Central to this endeavor is creating a supportive learning environment that encourages adult learners to embrace vulnerability, engage authentically, and move beyond predefined goals. Through reflective practices, empathetic facilitation, and experiential learning opportunities, educators can guide adult learners toward valuing the richness of human interaction and collaborative inquiry. The instructor is pivotal as a catalyst for transformation, balancing structure with flexibility and guidance with autonomy. By modeling humanistic principles through genuine engagement, active listening, and respect for diverse perspectives, facilitators can inspire adult learners to reevaluate their educational priorities and embrace the intrinsic rewards of collaborative learning experiences. Educators can equip adult learners with the skills and mindset necessary for lifelong learning and growth beyond the classroom through concerted efforts to shift mindsets and foster a culture of humanistic inquiry.
