Technically Speaking
Transformative Learning for Sustainable Futures: Research Center’s Ubiquitous Initiatives Empowering Adult Learners in the United States
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ana Paula Correia, Traci Lepicki, Melissa Ross
This innovation showcase delves into the latest initiatives of the Center on Education and Training for Employment (CETE), a translational research center located in the United States. These initiatives, in the realm of ubiquitous learning, have impacted mostly adult learners and advanced their professional development, fostering economic prosperity and cultivating healthy communities. We explore CETE’s role as a catalyst for social transformation, emphasizing its integration of learning technologies in designing sustainable futures. A future where learners can pursue different professional learning paths that lead to well-paid jobs in the digital economy. Key initiatives include the migration of a comprehensive five-day workshop on job analysis into a virtual and online educational event; an award-winning self-paced online training collection on how to effectively teach online; a hybrid curriculum to develop organizational social justice practices; and, more recently, an intentional effort to grow internal capacity on the utilization of generative artificial intelligence tools. Such initiatives exemplify CETE’s commitment to translating research into evidence-based practices in a series of efforts to leverage e-learning tools and innovative pedagogies to bridge educational gaps, provide just-in-time technical training, promote lifelong learning, and facilitate the design of socially transformative frameworks.
Integrating Technology in Teaching World Language View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jianhua Bai
This study reports on how we integrate technology into the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language, which can be applied to the teaching of other world languages. The paper starts with some fundamental guiding questions: what are the strengths and limitations of technology in the context of language teaching? Can we do improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning if technology is integrated into our curriculum? What specific pedagogical problems can it help solve? How can it be integrated meaningfully and effectively into various phases of our curriculum of teaching world languages? Specific instructional examples will be used to illustrate the use of various instruments such as Flipgrid, Jamboard, ChatGPT, Padlet, Zoom to help promote better collaboration and more effective teaching and learning and assessment of world languages.
Integrating AI Tools in Second Language Writing: Pitfalls and Potential
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Hisae Matsui
In world language education, concerns often arise regarding the accuracy and limited learning benefits of machine translation (MT), leading to its avoidance. However, the rapid development and widespread use of MT and AI tools by learners necessitate their integration into language learning. This project, tailored for an intermediate Japanese language course at an American university, proactively incorporated MT and AI tools in second language writing (L2 writing). The final phase of the project involved the production and presentation of a digital storytelling video; however, the primary focus was on the process of revising the video script. For the script, the students completed six writing entries, including in-class drafting and revision using AI tools, such as DeepL and Chat GPT, recording each step. Post-project surveys and observations revealed the benefits and challenges specific to each tool. While all students appreciated the use of AI tools in revising, some criticized Chat GPT's feedback as inaccurate, stemming from its inability to handle unfamiliar vocabulary and sentence structures. Additionally, instances occurred where Chat GPT flagged correct sentences as incorrect. DeepL posed a different obstacle, with correct English translations provided for some incorrect sentences that the students wrote, leading to error oversight. These results highlight the potential of AI tools in L2 writing but stress the importance of proactive teaching to leverage them effectively. By incorporating clear strategies for leveraging AI tools' strengths and weaknesses, educators can empower learners to use these technologies for effective language learning, self-reflection, and autonomous learning.
