Generative AI in Language Education: Rewards, Risks, and Reboots
A webinar presented by Ilka Kostka (Northeastern University)
March 13th, 2024 at 10 am Arizona time.
(Click here to see what time that is where you are)
Abstract:
Advancements in generative artificial intelligence (AI) have garnered tremendous attention across disciplines and industries, and language education is no exception. At present, we are teaching, learning, and working in a world that is being increasingly impacted by generative AI on an almost daily basis. One of the most popular applications, ChatGPT, was made available to the public in November 2022, sparking both excitement and fear about responsible use, academic integrity, and data privacy (Tlili et al., 2023). In turn, a growing body of scholarship has explored the use of ChatGPT and other generative AI applications to support language instruction (Kohnke et al., 2023; Kostka & Toncelli, 2023), inform in-class activities (Warner, 2023), and build students’ 21st-century skills (Hié, 2023). Despite the mixed feelings that many educators have about generative AI, few can deny that these programs have tremendous implications for both English and world language instruction.
The primary goal of this webinar is to collectively explore and critically examine the role of generative AI in language education. We begin with a brief overview of key concepts related to generative AI before examining the benefits and rewards it may offer language educators. We then discuss the risks inherent to generative AI adoption, as well as the ethical considerations that instructors should know to both teach their students about AI and use it in their own work. Finally, we consider how language education may be “rebooted” for pedagogical innovation and address pressing questions that will impact the field moving forward. During the webinar, I will provide examples from my classes to show how I have used generative AI in both teacher-facing and student-facing ways and share preliminary findings from classroom-based research projects conducted over the past academic year. This webinar is geared toward all language educators with a range of knowledge and experience using generative AI; technical expertise is not required.
Participants attending live can request a certificate of attendance for 1.5 hours of Continuing Education during the event. They can request a digital badge after the webinar, once they are contacted by CERCLL after the event.
- For questions regarding this resource, please contact Center for Educational Resources in Culture Language and Literacy (CERCLL).
- Phone No: (520) 626-8071
- Email Address: cercll@arizona.edu