Speakers
Description
This forum will examine how advancements in artificial intelligence and new technologies can aid or impede learner development. The first presenter will explore how Japanese university students can improve their writing skills by using AI (such as ChatGPT) with a single prompt. The students in the study wrote a series of passages on pen and paper, in class over a number of weeks. They then corrected their spelling and grammar using a simple AI prompt before making notes of their most obvious/common errors. The second presenter will focus on how he has evolved the grading schemes of writing assignments to keep students focused on their own abilities to produce English in presentations. The third presenter will examine how guidelines relating to the use of AI can be negotiated between students and teachers to ensure that AI tools promote, rather than detract from, language learning and enable learners to foster a sense of independence and autonomy. With these guidelines, it is hoped his students will take an informed approach to using AI tools and use them effectively to reach the goals described in their learning plans. At the end of these presentations, the audience will be invited to reflect on and share their perspectives on using AI tools to support language learning with a focus on learner development.
