This past week, Rachel Toncelli and Ilka Kostka were awarded the Ron Chang Lee Award from TESOL International Association. Named in honor of one of the pioneers in the implementation of technology in English Language Teaching (ELT), Kostka and Toncelli’s work was recognized for its pedagogical innovation.
The award recognized a blueprint the pair developed for faculty to purposefully integrate ChatGPT into academic English language teaching. This innovation in classroom practices recognizes the impact of AI on how we learn. After the public release of ChatGPT in November 2022, an urgent need was identified to guide students and develop their critical AI literacy skills.
This blueprint models a cyclical process of engaging in experimentation, dialogue, and reflection with students. The project has formed the foundation for current research on student and faculty generative AI use and a pedagogical framework in English language teaching and other disciplines.
According to its website, TESOL International Association advances professional expertise in English language teaching to speakers of other languages in multilingual contexts worldwide through professional learning, research, standards, and advocacy.
Touting more than 13,000 English language professionals located around the world, TESOL is a leader in advancing access to language education for diverse learners.