Eye on AI: ICWoLL 2024 explores AI opportunities in language, literature, instruction

by John Vincent Balustre


Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) through the Department of English wrapped up the second International Conference-Workshop on Language and Literature (ICWoLL) with the theme, “Navigating New Horizons: Generative AI’s Role in Shaping Language, Literature, and Education for an Interdisciplinary and Cohesive Future,” held via Zoom from November 13 to 14.


The online opening program saw the synergy of presenters and collaborators worldwide, such as those from Indonesia's Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), Malaysia’s Universiti Teknologi MARA, Cawangan Pulau Pinang (UiTM), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), United States of America's University of Hawai'i at Hilo (UH-Hilo), Brunei's Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), and Summer Institute of Linguistics – Philippines (SIL).


Dr. Irish Mae Dalona, chairperson of the Department of English, in her opening remarks, expressed her gratitude to the institute through the Chancellor, and its partner institutions for their key roles in making the event possible.


University Chancellor Alizedney Ditucalan welcomed the program as a favorable juncture, highlighting the possibilities prompted by technological advancements.


“We envision a future where the professor and the students, the expert and the novice, the leader and the apprentice, all having the same space so that education is no longer defined by norms and learning occurs to an extent that has never been achieved before,” he said.


Setting the tone of the convergence, Dr. Antony John Kunnan and Dr. Cecilia Guanfang Zhao, both decorated academicians with international reputations, shared the space as this year’s keynote speakers, discussing how AI could be leveraged in language teaching, learning, and assessment.


Dr. Antony John Kunnan, a current senior research fellow at Carnegie Mellon University, United States, and the Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Asia TEFL, started off the discussion with adaptive learning systems as a prime example of what artificial intelligence (AI) could offer apart from translating texts and identifying speech acts and errors on larger scales. According to Kunnan, varying lessons that are tailored to the level of competence in every test streamline the learning process specific to students’ needs.


Meanwhile, Dr. Cecilia Guanfang Zhao, an Associate Professor of the Department of English of the University of Macau and a recipient of international and regional dissertation awards, delved into the specifics of AI and language assessment with integrated human and algorithmic rating systems. However, Zhao urged fellow scholars to probe further into the gray area of the discussion in relation to its optimal use and ethics.


The open forum segment subsequently was centered on the concern of dehumanizing the process of learning in reliance on these various tools. The speakers, on the other hand, emphasized that these opportunities provided by AI should enrich but not replace human capabilities and that automated systems extend limited functions on sophisticated tasks, requiring an educator’s role.


In this light, the afternoon period showcased concurrent sessions and plenary speaker, Dr. Sayed Ali Reza Ahmadi, Assistant Professor of Writing in Kenai Peninsula College at the University of Alaska Anchorage in the United States. Sharing his expertise on “Guiding Principles for Faculty Use of Generative AI in Higher Education,” Ahmadi contextualized the use of AI in various disciplines accounting for the development of related policies.


It was then followed by a workshop facilitated by Ryn Jean Fe Gonzales, a Language Assessment Specialist from the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) Philippines. Gonzales introduced a software tool developed by SIL Global that would be helpful for researchers in language documentation, especially for preservation through metadata, annotation, and data management.


The second day of the academic gathering featured Dr. Neelu Singh, a distinguished scholar in the field of Linguistics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India. Peering on the revolutionary aspect of AI in language learning, her discussion presented the inclusive and accessible shift of learning across the globe as far as language is concerned.


More so, Daniel Ari Widhiatama, a lecturer at the English Language Education Study Program of Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta (UMBY), led the workshop on Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in enhancing engagement through real-world simulations, improving students’ learning experience.


This second installment of the online ICWoLL is a confluence of fields, promising intellectually stimulating parallel sessions joined by experts across continents, reinforcing a concerted vision of establishing an academic community that spans global — both in efforts and impact.