Pre- and post-conference workshops will take place on Wednesday and Saturday for an additional fee.
Wednesday, June 25
Round 1:
Leveling Up Language Learning: Designing Educational Games with AI
Alfonso Sintjago and Phill Cameron (University of Michigan)
9:00am-12:00pm
Educational games can greatly boost student motivation, especially in complex subjects (Plass, 2023). In this workshop, we share our approach to designing over a hundred HTML-based language-learning games using AI tools like ChatGPT and Firefly. Inspired by classic games such as Pac-Man, Q*bert, and Mario, we developed language-centered versions that reinforce vocabulary, grammar, and cultural knowledge. Each game includes audio and interactive features, with vocabulary tailored to specific lessons, ensuring alignment with course goals. Our design follows Annetta's (2010) "I's" framework—Identity, Immersion, Interactivity, Increasing Complexity, Informed Teaching, and Instructional principles. We also adopted Phillips and Popovic's (2012) learning sciences recommendations, prioritizing continuous in-game assessment and adaptability for diverse learning contexts, such as classroom use and parent-child learning. This process involves detailed design, iteration, and strategic AI prompting to create effective games. In this workshop, we will guide participants through designing their own language-learning games, illustrating how AI can be a powerful tool for creating custom, curriculum-aligned resources. Attendees will gain strategies for game-based learning tailored to their students' needs, fostering sustainable engagement that extends beyond the classroom.
Let’s Talk: Enhancing Language Learning with LibreTexts’ ADAPT Platform and Discuss-It
Cristina Moon (Chabot College), Sarah Harmon (Cañada College), and Hugo Díaz-Rodil (Sierra College)
9:00am-12:00pm
This hands-on workshop will explore how LibreTexts' ADAPT homework platform can enhance language learning through interactive, technology-driven activities and asynchronous discussions. Participants will dive into the new ADAPT feature, Discuss-It, which boosts student engagement by enabling threaded text, audio, and video responses for meaningful interaction. With auto-captioning and auto-transcription functions, the platform ensures accessibility for all learners. In addition to auto-graded questions, ADAPT offers a variety of openly-graded assessment types for diverse learning options. The workshop will also cover ADAPT's integration with Canvas and other LMSs, including automatic gradebook syncing for efficient performance tracking. Faculty continually develop and share new questions, providing endless possibilities for assessing student learning. Participants will get hands-on experience creating and adapting Discuss-It activities for dynamic discussions. Ideal for instructors seeking to enrich their language courses, this workshop offers tools to enhance engagement and language proficiency through open education.
Round 2:
A Gamified Approach in Language Learning
Yuka Doui (Public High School Teacher, Japan)
1:00pm-4:00pm
The workshop will focus on three game formats: online, analog, and hybrid. The online segment will utilize applications such as Kahoot! and Quizlet, allowing participants to engage in interactive quizzes and fun learning activities. The analog format will incorporate traditional games like Concentration (a memory card game) and Karuta (a Japanese card game), as well as scrambled sentences, providing opportunities for playful language practice. The hybrid format will feature a platform "Supermario Classroom Blast," where participants will navigate levels and complete language-related challenges to enhance their language skills in an enjoyable way. This workshop aims to demonstrate how gamification can transform traditional language lessons into engaging experiences. The inclusion of various game formats is intended to appeal to different learning styles, making the language learning process both effective and enjoyable. Attendees are expected to leave with a comprehensive understanding of how to implement these gamified approaches in their teaching, ultimately fostering a positive and dynamic learning environment. The integration of technology and traditional games is expected to create a rich educational experience for all participants.
What a Notion! Managing the Ever-Evolving LRC – Saison 2
David Shultz and Christopher Cirefice (Grand Valley State University)
1:00pm-4:00pm
Managing university language resource centers is complex, requiring various tools to facilitate student and faculty projects. As centers evolve, their organizational tools must adapt, often necessitating system updates and new workflows. However, the fallout of adopting new tools often presents unforeseen challenges—as new workflows are being developed. Centers with student staff face additional challenges due to frequent turnover, disrupting operations and hindering development. Building on our IALLT '23 presentation of an LRC management tool prototype, this workshop is aimed at LRC staff seeking to streamline operations. We'll showcase the finished LRC management tool developed by Grand Valley State University using Notion, an affordable software solution. Delivering on our promise to SHARE the tool once completed, each participant will be given access to the LRC tool template and receive hands-on instruction for customizing it to their center's needs. Workshop leaders will guide attendees in creating user-friendly digital workspaces that allow everyday operations such as the management of resources (lab spaces, technology, film and audio collections, staff training/onboarding, events, etc.) to be transformed into a living knowledge base and workflow tool for LRC staff—while serving as an effective resource portal for faculty and students.
Saturday, June 28
Round 3:
Try Differentiating Your Instruction and Assessment Using These Innovative Strategies and Instructional Technology
Tavane Moore (Fulton County Schools)
1:15pm-4:15pm
Are you wanting to learn more about what differentiation can look like in a world languages classroom? Do you want to see how you can differentiate without a lot of chaos? Do you have lessons that need new life infused into them in order to appeal to more students' abilities and interests? Try these tools, strategies, and activities that incorporate instructional technology to enhance engagement and cultivate students creatively demonstrating their proficiency growth based on what they can do. Join us to learn how to productively differentiate your instructional strategies and assessment products using Adobe Express, Podcast Adobe, Padlet, and Book Creator. These sites and tools are user-friendly, and participants will go through the process of creating their own webpage, podcasts, video, brainstorming board, map scavenger hunt, choice board, and digital read-aloud book. They will also learn about app-smashing to create a portfolio. Participants will interact with student-created webpages, business cards, videos, interactive books, podcasts, and scavenger hunts. They will receive customizable templates of chunked assignments, exemplars, and list of strategies and activities adjustable for various grade levels.
Language Center Forum
Catherine Baumann (University of Chicago) and Angelika Kraemer (Cornell University)
1:15pm-4:15pm
The Language Center Forum provides a space for language center (LC) directors, personnel, and other LC supporters to discuss topics of interest and to provide professional development. The inaugural forum will feature three directors from LCs with distinctly different roles. They will describe their work and audiences, and the challenges, advantages, and disadvantages of their center missions. The forum will introduce the breadth of different types of LCs along with their strengths and limitations. The forum will be of interest to experienced LC directors, administrators, technologists, as well as those who are considering establishing new LCs or changing the focus of their current LC. Open to anyone. No additional fee required.
