CALICO 2024

This ½ day workshop immerses the participants in a range of Extended Reality (XR) technologies. Stage I will begin with a very brief overview of the evolution of these technologies, including connections to formal and informal language learning. Then, attendees will learn how to use Meta Quest 2 VR headsets and the new Mixed Reality Quest III sets (Stage 2), provided by the presenters. Stage 3 will introduce participants to several XR-based settings/tools with pedagogical potential for language teaching, followed by group exploration. All participants will be given access to a website with tutorials, lesson ideas, and a research bibliography.

With technological and curricular advancements, world language educators are rethinking classroom design. Flipped language teaching, for example, offers the potential for dynamic, in-class interactions, yet challenges educators to craft comprehensive, out-of-class materials. This workshop addresses this challenge by looking at the opportunity AI creates to assist busy teachers in creating customized resources. The presenters will focus on AI voice generators and pitch extraction tools to equip participants to be able to generate their own high quality listening materials and practice speech activities for their specific language learning context, as well as assess those materials for suitability and authenticity.

This workshop will provide an in-depth introduction to the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, with a focus on applying UDL to digital technology in support of language learning. Participants will learn why the UDL framework is important for the work of language educators, how to apply the UDL principles to their own instruction, and best practices for interacting with students with disabilities. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to apply what they learn about Universal Design for Learning to design a new lesson or student experience, or to revise an existing lesson or experience.

This workshop will explore interactions between language assessment and AI tools from a practical and research-informed perspective. Artificial intelligence has been used in language assessment extensively in recent years, specifically in evaluating writing quality automatically (Ramesh & Sanampudi, 2022) and using AI to generate test items (Settles et al., 2020). AI is now available for general language production purposes, so teachers should be ready to understand how AI tools will impact their classrooms. This workshop will cover the use of AI tools for teaching and grading, as well as the benefits and limits of AI tools as language production aides.

This CALICO LTLT SIG-sponsored workshop explores the use of generative AI, particularly large language models, in developing pedagogical web applications. Grounded in cognitive and sociocultural learning theories, the session provides an overview of custom-built applications, emphasizing features like few-shot and chain-of-thought prompt engineering with built-in guardrails. It includes a hands-on tutorial, empowering participants to create their own language learning apps. The goal is to alleviate cognitive burdens and facilitate personalized, engaging learning experiences. Stakeholders from academia and industry will acquire actionable insights for future CALL innovations.

This workshop will give a hand-on introduction regarding how ESL educators can develop engaging and creative language learning games without prior programming experience using Construct-3. The presenter will guide attendees through the game development process while focusing on accessibility and practical usage. The workshop will have attendees create interactive language learning games, incorporating Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) and the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). A variety of games aimed at enhancing vocabulary, grammar, and communicative skills will be showcased. Attendees will receive access to game templates and tutorials on how to use Construct 3.

The workshop will offer a multifocal approach to the use of Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality in Higher Education Foreign Language Learning in teaching and learning processes. Educational Design-Based Research (McKenney & Reeves, 2019) will be introduced to familiarize participants with the four phases of this approach which underpin the work and activities presented. The focus of the workshop will be the practical application of a variety of tools available today to create Augmented Reality / Mixed Reality content and resources in collaboration with workshop leaders and co-participants. Basic knowledge in video creation and image formatting is required.

This half-day workshop aims to show a JavaScript-based framework H5P to create interactive, engaging asynchronous language learning and practice content. The workshop will happen in three stages. First, the facilitator will present a brief explanation of the framework, best practices, and additional sources for future use. In the second stage, participants will explore H5P and create content for language learning collaboratively. In the final stage of the workshop, attendees will provide feedback on each other’s content and share new materials for future use.

This workshop will demonstrate how non-commercial and freely accessible gaming platforms can promote deeper connections with language through game-based learning projects. In this framework, the teacher and students are involved in the process of the gamified learning activity, where games are not just a one-off activity, but a more sustained approach that continues to motivate, engage, and challenge students to show their best in the classroom through a collaborative approach. Games have a high impact and positive effect on the learning experience, as research has consistently shown. They promote engagement and collaboration, two often challenging aspects in today’s classrooms, where students can easily be disengaged. Instead of presenting games as single activity meant to make learning more fun, often under the guise of reviewing information students ought to have learned, this session aims to shift the focus from games as end-of-lesson activities to a systematic teaching approach. This workshop will adopt the ‘Learning-by-doing’ principle, where the participants will actively engage in creating and playing a sample game with parameters that can be embedded in a variety of learning settings.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become popular in education and other fields. Automating the processes for efficient workflow is one of the purposes of using AI. In this perspective, this workshop aims to share a recent AI-driven application focused on the enhancement of efficiency for teachers. Magic School provides multiple AI-based tools that can accelerate various processes for educators. The program is FERPA compliant and excludes non-educational content creation through AI. This workshop addresses the crucial role of AI in language education by introducing essential features and providing practice opportunities for the participants. Workshop Agenda: https://tinyurl.com/calico2024