Enhancing EFL reading and writing through AI-powered tools: design, implementation, and evaluation of an online course

ABSTRACT

During the Covid-19 pandemic, global teachers gained extensive experiences with teaching online courses. To design quality online courses in the post-pandemic era, the impact of the latest technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), must be considered. Investigating how teachers incorporate AI-powered tools and how students perceive learning experiences with the tools is crucial for informing effective online course design. In this case study, we presented an 18-week online English course for 43 senior high school students in Taiwan. Designed according to learning theories, this course aimed to cultivate autonomous EFL learners, who learned to read and write with the support of three AI-powered tools (i.e. Linggle Write, Linggle Read, and Linggle Search). Data were collected from the instructors and students in both qualitative and quantitative formats. Results showed that a learning loop was created to connect online learning with offline practice; students had better optimal experience in student-centered presentations than in teacher-centered lectures; and language proficiency predicted semester grade and assignment quantity. This study has both theoretical and practical value; it serves as an example of how to design a quality synchronous online course on AI tools for EFL reading and writing based on theoretical approaches.

KEYWORDS:

• Quality synchronous online course design
• artificial intelligence
• EFL Reading and writing
• post COVID-19 pandemic era
• learning theories
• teaching research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Ministry of Science and Technology [grant number NSTC 111-2221-E-007-107-].

Notes on contributors

Jo-Chi Hsiao

Dr. Jo-Chi Hsiao is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Institute of Education at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and an experienced English teacher at National Hsinchu Senior High School. Her research focuses on teacher professional development, TESOL, and Computer Assisted Language Learning.

Jason S. Chang

Dr. Jason S. Chang received the PhD degree in computer science from New York University. He is a professor of computer science at National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan. His research interests span across the fields of natural language processing, computer-assisted language learning, information retrieval, and machine translation.