In part two of ‘are we still language teachers?’ I’m joined in the studio by Thuy Thai and Charles Lam from the University of Leeds. Thuy and Charles argue for the continued relevance of language proficiency in education and in the role of EAP. We also examine the broadening scope of ‘academic skills’ that has come to include AI literacy, and raising awareness among students about things like overreliance and ethical use. 

We discuss Thuy’s research into green traffic lights, and give thoughts on the precedents and pitfalls of cognitive offloading, revisiting territory from earlier episodes with Danny Liu and Michael Gerlich. Thuy and Charles also give their take on the findings of the notorious MIT study.

Thuy Thai is a lecturer in English for Academic Purposes at the Language Centre, School of Languages, Cultures and Societies at the University of Leeds. She has a background in academic language instruction, test and assessment development and student support. She previously worked at Leeds Trinity University as a student achievement adviser, where she supported diverse student cohorts in navigating academic challenges and developing effective study strategies. Earlier in her career, she served as a test development researcher at the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University-Hanoi. Alongside her research role, she also developed and taught EAP courses, helping students gain the academic language needed for success in Vietnam’s higher education.

Charles Lam is a Lecturer in English for Academic Purposes in the Language Centre, School of Languages, Cultures and Societies at University of Leeds. He graduated at Purdue University in the US. Prior to joining Leeds, he taught linguistics and EAP for several years in Hong Kong. His teaching interests lie in academic communications in STEM. Currently he co-leads Academic Literacies for Biological Sciences and Language for Engineering. His research includes corpus linguistics and digital humanities. 

Kosmyna, N., Hauptmann, E., Yuan, Y. T., Situ, J., Liao, X. H., Beresnitzky, A. V., and Maes, P. (2025). Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task. arXiv preprint arXiv:2506.08872.

Today I’m in conversation with Paul Breen, Senior Digital Learning Developer at UCL to get his take on how EAP and ‘hub’ disciplines should be adapting in the wake of AI. We often hear about the need to ‘embrace’ AI, so we try to unpack what this actually means. 

EAP practitioners and learning developers are often looked at as the ones to help students navigate the demands and conventions of academia, so who better than to set students straight on what constitutes appropriate use, what a purple traffic light means on an assignment brief and the myriad capabilities and limitations of Chat GPT. But how many EAP teachers feel qualified to deal with these issues? Paul and I talk about this and a range of other topics, such as how EAP teachers from the past would react to today’s EAP, the need for language proficiency, translanguaging, the relevance of certification, and more. 

Paul Breen is Senior Digital Learning Developer and Lecturer in EAP at UCL Centre for Languages and International Education. His research interests are in educational technology, language and identity and social justice. He is the author of Developing Educators in the Digital Age.

Further reading

Breen, P. (2018). Developing Educators for the Digital Age: A Framework for Capturing Knowledge in Action. London: University of Westminster Press.

Today I'm talking with Danny Liu about assessment in the age of AI. So far, the idea of a 'traffic light' approach to assessment has been gaining traction in higher education in response to the widespread availability of generative AI. Using the traffic light metaphor, assignments are colour coded according to the level of AI use deemed to be permissible. However, as these systems rely solely on student self report on the level of AI use, Danny argues that there is a danger that they lose their value as valid assessment tools. 

Danny talks us through the two-lane approach to assessment that has been adopted at the University of Sydney, distinguishing between 'Lane One' supervised assessments aimed at measuring student capability and 'Lane Two' assessments that encourage learning and engagement with AI. We talk through the process of making structural assessment changes, responses from academics, retaining student engagement, and a range of other topics.  

Danny is a molecular biologist by training, programmer by night, researcher and faculty developer by day, and educator at heart. A multiple international and national teaching award winner, he works at the confluence of artificial intelligence, student engagement, and educational technology. A Professor of Educational Technologies at the University of Sydney, he co-chairs the University's AI in Education working group, and leads the Cogniti.ai initiative that puts educators in the driver's seat of AI.

Find Danny on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannydotliu/ and check out the University of Sydney’s AI for Educators resource page at https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/63765

Corbin, T., Dawson, P. and Liu, D. (2025). Talk is cheap: why structural assessment changes are needed for a time of GenAI. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, pp. 1–11. Available at: doi: 10.1080/02602938.2025.2503964.

Liu, D. (2025). A "two lane" approach to assessment in the age of AI: Balancing integrity with relevance. Digitally Enhanced Education Webinars. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf8-b1H3qOU [accessed 16th May 2025]

Liu, D., and A. Bridgeman. (2023). 'What to Do about Assessments If we Can’t out-Design or out-Run AI? Teaching@Sydney. Available at: https://educational-innovation.sydney.edu.au/teaching%40sydney/what-to-do-about-assessments-if-we-cant-out-design-or-out-run-ai/

Today I’m talking to Michael Gerlich about his recent study on the potential effects of AI on critical thinking. While much ink has been spilled discussing the value of the traditional essay in a post GPT landscape, much of the conversation has focused on assessment and questions of authorship. Perhaps unsurprisingly, less time has been given to the impact on the learning process itself. The phrase ‘I write to know what I think’ alludes to the value of putting one’s ideas under the microscope, and of sometimes having to rethink cherished beliefs as we spell them out to ourselves at sentence level. If we outsource this process to ChatGPT, are we losing something valuable? We talk through Michael’s data, his own interpretations, and continue the conversation on whether generative AI is ‘just another tool’, or something more.

Guest bio

Prof. Dr Michael Gerlich is Professor of Management and Head of Centre for Strategic Corporate Foresight and Sustainability at SBS Swiss Business School, a Swiss University of Applied Sciences Institute. His academic and professional work focuses on the societal implications of artificial intelligence, change management, and strategic foresight, with a particular interest in bridging research and practice in both policy and business settings.

With prior experience in government advisory and leadership roles across Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East, he has supported a range of public and private institutions in matters related to economic development, export strategy, and organisational transformation. His research on artificial intelligence has addressed topics such as cognitive offloading, critical thinking, and the ethical dimensions of technology in education and society. His work has been mentioned globally by media including Forbes, Financial Times, The Economist and many more.

Prof. Gerlich has contributed to academic and public debates through his writing and through speaking engagements at international conferences, including events hosted by the United Nations. He holds full, visiting and affiliated teaching roles in Zurich, London (LSE), and Cambridge (ARU), and remains actively involved in interdisciplinary work at the intersection of technology, sociology and human behaviour.

Bunn, P.D. (2025). The AI Crisis in Higher Education: Or, on the importance of doing things badly. Everything was beautiful. https://everythingwasbeautiful.substack.com/p/the-ai-crisis-in-higher-education?utm_campaign=posts-open-in-app&triedRedirect=true

Gerlich, M. (2025). AI Tools in Society: Impacts on Cognitive Offloading and the Future of Critical Thinking. Societies, 15(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15010006

Lee H.P, Sarkar A, Tankelevitch L, Drosos I, Rintel S, Banks R, Wilson N. (2025). The impact of generative AI on critical thinking: Self-reported reductions in cognitive effort and confidence effects from a survey of knowledge workers. Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/lee_2025_ai_critical_thinking_survey.pdf 

In this episode of TELSIG does SoTL, we are joined by Jane Pritchard to discuss the evolving landscape of scholarly teaching. Jane describes her transition from a material scientist to an educational developer at the University of Glasgow, emphasizing the importance of evidence-based educational enhancement. We go on to cover the historical development of SoTL since the early '90s, the role of interdisciplinary collaboration, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching practices, the intricacies of assessment and inclusivity in higher education, and the importance of challenging traditional practices and encouraging purposeful inquiry. 

Jane Pritchard is the head of Educational Development at the University of Oxford's Centre for Teaching of Learning. She is widely published in the field of educational development and scholarship of teaching and learning, particularly in the field of institutional support for SoTL.

What do academic skills do students need in higher education today? Does ‘embracing’ AI come at the cost of developing higher order thinking skills? I’m joined by Computer Science Lecturer Mike O’Dea and Associate Lecturer in Academic Skills Paulina Melichova to get their take on this. We reflect on Mike’s recent AI training session, and talk about how much curriculum time should be given to AI literacies, whether authentic assessments come at the cost of validity, the merits of the traffic light system, and how to make digital skills training accessible to all students and staff.

Michael O’Dea is a Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of York and a Senior Fellow of the HEA.. He holds an Ed.D. from the University of Leeds, which was a  technology Enhanced Learning study looking at Serious Games. His current research interests are focussed on AI literacy, Technology Acceptance and Computer Science Education. He is particularly interested in the application and integration of AI into learning and teaching.

His recent publications include articles for Policy Futures in Education, The Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, The Times Higher Education Campus, Wonkhe and Emerald Publishing. He is an Associate Editor for the Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice. He has delivered a number of workshops and invited talks on AI literacy and on the impact of GenAI in education, including for the Chartered Association of Business Schools, QAA, SRHE and the Open Access Publishing Association. Currently he is the Principle Investigator on a QAA Collaborative Enhancement Project looking at the impact of disruptive technologies on Graduate Attributes.

Further reading

HEPI (2014). Student Academic Experience Survey 2024. [Online]. HEPI, UK. Available at: https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2024/06/13/student-academic-experience-survey-2024/  

O'Dea, M. (2025). AI: an introduction to the basics. Available at : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1egvD8Y-MSyWctEQID_3_WN1ZXPBSd2Sj/view 

Perkins, M. and Roe, J. (2024). Rather than restrict the use of AI, let’s embrace the challenge it offers [Online]. Times Higher Education. Available at https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/rather-restrict-use-ai-lets-embrace-challenge-it-offers 

As we approach the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we discuss the impact of the war on Ukrainian higher education. Many university buildings have suffered extensive physical damage, especially those in the east of the country, and online teaching, a distant memory for most, is for many Ukrainian students and teachers still a reality. Despite the hardships, learning and teaching carries on, and technology and innovative teaching techniques have helped Ukrainian education to thrive.

In this episode we talk to academics from the field of Geography: Dariia Kholiavchuk, Kate Borysenko, Liz Hurrell and Simon Hutchinson about their collaborative paper on the role of digital technology in supporting geographical education in Ukraine during the ongoing conflict. We discuss the practical applications of virtual field trips, and the implications of teaching geography under war conditions. Topics include using tools like Google Earth and ThingLink to provide remote and hybrid learning experiences, the importance of fieldwork, sustaining student motivation and mental health, and the importance of the field of Geography to the eventual reconstruction of Ukraine. Finally we also talk about how the international academic community can contribute to educational resilience in Ukraine.

Further reading

Hutchinson, S.M., Hurrell, E.R., Borysenko, K., Popov, V., Kholiavchuk, D. & Popiuk, Y. (2024) Resilient education: The role of digital technology in supporting geographical education in Ukraine. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 00, e12728. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12728 

Guest bios

Kateryna Borysenko is Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Geography and Cartography Faculty of Geology, Geography, Recreation and Tourism at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. She is dedicated to the development of education and science in the city of Kharkiv, is widely published in the field of Geographical training and education, and leads educational practices in her department. 

[email protected] 

Daria Kholiavchuk is an Associate Professor at the Department of Physical Geography, Geomorphology, and Paleogeography at Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University in Western Ukraine. As the program leader for bachelor students in Geography, she is dedicated to fostering the next generation of geographers skilled in sustainability and postwar recovery. Her research focuses on climate change and natural hazards management. Daria is involved in projects to build adaptive capacities in the Ukrainian Carpathians and promote cross-border ecological management. Currently, she participates in the resilient education and research initiative, supported by British colleagues through digital tools. [email protected] 

Dr Simon M Hutchinson is a Reader / Associate Professor at the University of Salford. He believes that Environmental Education should be accessible to everyone and the using Digital Visualisation Tools (DVTs) can help to achieve this equity. His research on palaeoenvironmental records(e.g., peat, cave and lake sediments) in the Carpathian Mountains (mainly in Romania) mean that his own field work has taken him close to the border; he hopes one day to be able to extend this into Ukraine. [email protected] 

Liz Hurrell is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Geographer in the Department of Environment and Geography at York and an Associate Lecturer for the Open University. She has a passion for Geography Higher Education with interests in climate education, equality, diversity and inclusion, hybrid/online education as well as fieldwork. The latter opened up a conversation between York-Salford-Kharkiv on how virtual field trips can support education during the war. [email protected] 

In this third installment of the SoTL flavoured TELSIG podcast, Phil is joined again by Lucy Turner Voakes from York's Academic Practice team, and Nick Glover from Inclusive Learning to discuss equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in higher education and its interactions with SoTL. The conversation explores the catalysts for heightened attention on EDI, such as award gaps for black students, the interplay between broader social issues and higher education, and the importance of data-driven approaches. We talk about the barriers to implementing inclusive practices, the role of scholarship, and the complexities of measuring success. The discussion also touches on the potential benefits of partnerships between students and staff in fostering a more inclusive educational environment.

Guest profile

Nicholas Glover works in the Inclusive Education Team as an Inclusive Education Adviser. He has a background in critical approaches to student engagement and student voice. He is interested in the co-creation of learning, teaching and assessment in HE, particularly the ways in which student-staff partnerships can foster and embed inclusive practices within the classroom and throughout universities. He is currently working on a number of educational enhancement projects, including the University’s new Student Success Projects Fund, which is supporting students and staff to work collaboratively to innovate aspects of learning, teaching and assessment. 

Today we take a tour of all the free, nearly free and paid-for tools that can help language teachers create lessons and materials while also helping students become more independent learners. We talk about ways in which we can work more efficiently, but also actively boost learning gains in the process.

The discussion covers practical uses of AI for generating lesson materials, and tools like Mizou for practising conversation. Also, what is ChatGPT up to these days? We get into what makes an effective prompt, and how to navigate the limitations and opportunities of free and paid-for AI tools. This episode is a must-listen for language teachers looking to explore AI technologies to improve classroom and preparatory activities.

The conversation touches on a range of online tools, all of which are listed below:

Immersive Reader https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/use-immersive-reader-in-word-a857949f-c91e-4c97-977c-a4efcaf9b3c1

ChatGPT https://chatgpt.com

Wordwall https://wordwall.net

Learning Apps https://learningapps.org

Diffit https://app.diffit.me

MultilingProfiler https://www.multilingprofiler.net

Photoscan https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9nblggh4s87w?hl=en-gb&gl=CL

Padlet https://padlet.com

Perplexity AI https://www.perplexity.ai

Claude https://claude.ai

Mizou https://mizou.com

AudioPen https://audiopen.ai

Magic School https://www.magicschool.ai

TurboScribe https://turboscribe.ai

Adobe Firefly https://www.adobe.com/products/firefly.html

Dan Fitzpatrick’s resource page https://www.theaieducator.io

Joe’s Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/languageteachingwithai

Guest profile

Joe Dale is an independent languages consultant from the UK who works with a range of organisations such as Network for Languages, ALL, The British Council, the BBC, Skype, Microsoft and The Guardian. He was host of the TES MFL forum for six years, former SSAT Languages Lead Practitioner, a regular conference speaker and recognised expert on technology and language learning. He has spoken at conferences and run training courses in Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, the Far East and Australasia. He was a member of the Ministerial Steering Group on languages for the UK coalition government and advised on the Linguanet Worldwide project for The Language Company. He created ICT activities for the new Institut Français, ALL and Network for Languages Primary French Project Niveau Bleu, Blanc and Rouge courses and was short-listed for a NAACE Impact Award in 2013 too. Joe supported the Erasmus Plus project Conflict to Cooperation with 5 European countries and the Erasmus Plus Project Learning to think and live outside the box. He recently organised and co-hosted a 10 part series of webinars Saturday Tech-Talk in collaboration with the British Council in Indonesia and iTELL and worked on the Nusantara Go project for the British Council in Indonesia and PearTree Languages in 2022. He also worked on the Supporting Schools Reform in Algeria project through the British Council 2019-2020. He is currently working on the Stories on the Move project with the University of Reading. He was recently described in a Guardian article as an 'MFL guru' and 'the man behind the #mfltwitterati.'. Joe’s new Facebook group ‘Language Teaching with AI' already has over 5,300 members.

What is the role of a learning technologist in modern higher education? What are the career paths available, what skills do you need, and what does a typical working day look like? Today we’re joined by Lilian Joy from the University of York and Sita from the University of Sheffield: both learning technologists at different stages of their careers, who are able to offer their own answers to some of these questions. 

We get into accessibility, working with SMEs, the importance of pedagogical knowledge, how to keep your skill set current, and a range of other topics. This episode will be of interest to anyone thinking of switching career lanes, starting a new role in learning tech, or who simply wants to hear how seasoned practitioners go about their work. 

Lilian Joy is the Digital Accessibility Manager (previously Digital Education Manager) at the University of York, who is passionate about staff development and the 'learning' in technology-enhanced learning. She has over 30 years' experience as a teacher, trainer, e-learning manager and consultant in vocational education, higher education and the private sector. Her current research interests include accessible maths, the experience of disabled staff and students and appreciative inquiry as a model for development.