RLM Slinn-Funabashi

On the final day of the conference, I mostly attended talks of researchers presenting their latest research findings.

In particular, Yasuyo Mito’s presentation titled ‘The Four Strands Revisited with ChatGPT’ featured her study with a great pedagogical use of GenAI. She used an app called ‘transable’ with her students at Osaka University of Economics and Law. The team audio recorded students interactions while using the tool to translate phrases in order to write comic strip. Focusing on students interaction and using GenAI collaboratively to achieve a goal was a great idea. Also, highlighting how GenAI can play a part in students’ creativity was unique among the GenAI related academic research I saw over the weekend.

The plenary workshop was by Dr Avril Hayes Matsui and featured many ideas of how to include more diversity in our teaching. I particularly enjoyed being able to talk in small groups with the attendees around me and share ideas and perspectives. My group featured a worker at a Japanese testing company, a high school teacher from Mongolia and a Burmese academic living overseas.

One impactful comment was that the IELTS tests are quite culturally specific. I thought I already understood that, but I was shocked to hear a story about the academics niece who was asked about sports in her oral exam, like what is your favourite sport and so on. She went on to explain that in Burma people don’t do sports as hobbies in the same way as Japan or the US and so on. So her niece couldn’t answer well and did worse than expected in the test. It showed me that even things I think are ‘universal’ actually are not so only through interaction with others can we learn more about what we take for granted.

Something I’d like to share was a video from the workshop that Avril said made a big impression on her students. In days with increasing islamophobia and pushback on religious and cultural expression it is important to support our students to understand those different to them. ‘Mona Haydar – Hijabi (Wrap my Hijab)’ which is a song I’d never heard before but with representation of many different kinds of women wearing hijabs and rapping is so impactful.