Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Slavic Studies Scholars Launch New AI and Language Research Consortium
Consortium for the Study of AI and Language in Slavic (C-SAILS)
Recent developments in Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) have been met in higher education with both enthusiasm and trepidation. For instructors of world languages, literatures, and cultures, these technological advances present certain existential challenges. How can GenAI tools be utilized to the greatest benefit for our students’ learning processes? And how do we make a compelling case for the continued importance of human instructors of language, literature, and culture as we move through this new technological revolution? The answers to these questions, whether you are an AI enthusiast or an AI skeptic, can only be found through active engagement with GenAI tools and research that investigates their benefits and drawbacks for learning and teaching.
In response to these research needs and the growing interest in GenAI among instructors and researchers in our field, the Consortium for the Study of AI and Language in Slavic (C-SAILS) held its inaugural meeting in late April of this year and continues to welcome new members. The group’s mission is to investigate the affordances and limitations of AI in language learning and teaching and to facilitate collaborative, cross-institutional research on the impact of AI on language acquisition, literary studies, and student outcomes in the field of Slavic and Eurasian Studies. The group also aims to provide a forum for practical discussions and demonstrations of AI use in the classroom and will expand its scope based on the changing needs and interests of its members as the Consortium grows.
Instructors and researchers interested in joining C-SAILS can sign up here to receive an invitation to future meetings, including the upcoming meeting (via Zoom) in early August 2024.
For more information, please contact Molly Blasing (mtblasing@uky.edu) and Kit Pribble (pribblek@wfu.edu).