A webinar presented by Errol M. O’Neill, University of Memphis
This is the first webinar in CERCLL’s free webinar series Rebooting Language Educ-AI-tion.
January 31st, 2024, at 10 am Arizona time
Download the presentation slides here [PDF]
Dr. O’Neill’s cited resources [PDF]
Abstract:
Instructional technologies have revolutionized the way students learn and educators teach world languages. Online machine translators and Generative AI – two types of artificial intelligence tools that are available to the general public – represent both an exciting opportunity and a potential risk for language instruction.
This webinar will take a three-pronged approach to the issue of AI integration in the context of world language courses. First, research related to the use of online translators and AI chatbots and their effects on language learning will be reviewed. The literature on these tools shows a number of beneficial impacts on learners’ written and oral production, as well as their confidence in using the target language. Next, specific policies and activity types will be explored that allow for responsible use of these and related technologies. Examples will be presented of online translator and AI policies that have been adopted at a variety of K-12 and higher ed institutions, as well as tasks that instructors have reported using that encourage appropriate and thoughtful use of these tools. Finally, participants will have the opportunity to collaborate with other attendees to construct an activity incorporating online translator and AI chatbot usage that reflects their own priorities and the needs of their learners.
By the end of this session, attendees will be better informed about the current state of affairs and future directions for online translation and generative AI in language instruction. In addition, they will gain practical, hands-on experience in creating tasks integrating online translators and generative AI that can be applied to their own instructional context.
Bio:
Dr. Errol M. O’Neill (he/him) is an Associate Professor at the University of Memphis (USA). He is Supervisor of French Graduate Teaching Assistants and course designer and developer of the four-course online basic language sequence of French on U of M Global, the University of Memphis’s online degree program. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in French SLATE (Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education). His research explores the intersection of technology and language learning, in particular student use of electronic tools, including online machine translators, online dictionaries, and more recently, AI chatbots. He has given nearly 40 conference presentations, webinars, workshops, and invited talks on the topics of online machine translation, generative AI, and the integration of technology in language instruction. His forthcoming chapter in the Routledge Handbook of Research in World Language Instruction (expected publication summer 2024) explores the topics of academic integrity and digital literacy among language learners.
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.
Participants who require closed captions or an ASL interpreter during CERCLL’s events should make this request at least a week in advance by emailing CERCLL at cercll@email.arizona.edu.