LatinCALL24

Emerita Bañados is an associate professor of English, and Master of Educational Technology, at the Department of Foreign Languages, at the Universidad de Concepción, Chile. She founded UdeC English Online Programme, an interactive multimedia b-learning environment for communicative English teaching and learning. She led its methodological b-learning implementation, CALL interactive platform and materials design, and was the Director from 2001 to 2018. She had previously directed the creation of other internet projects such as a a Center of Web Resources, and a Language Café for learning English, French, and German. Her experience and research interests include language b-learning and e-learning environments, CALL materials design, Virtual Exchanges, task-based language teaching, collaborative work in intercultural video web interaction projects, and professional development. She started working in Virtual Exchanges in 2006 and has continued up to the present. She has presented widely at international conferences in Europe (WorldCALL, EUROCALL, IATEFL), and the United States (CALICO, TBLT); and has been invited as a Key Speaker at the APEC 2005-2006  Future Education Forum, in Busan, South Korea; at the WorldCALL 2013 Conference in Glasgow, UK; At the CALL Research Conference 2008, University of Antwerp, Belgium; at the National Society of Higher Education Language Teachers (SONAPLES, 2013), Chile, and at the APVEA Conference 2021 Virtual Exchange Association: "Making Virtual Exchange Mainstream". She was invited twice as an international expert (Beijing & Shanghai, 2009) by the UNESCO National Commission of the government of China for advising on a "Cyber ​​Network for Language Learning" (CNLL). She has also been invited by different universities in Chile as an expert adviser for their English language teaching and learning projects with the use of ICT, granted by the Chilean Ministry of Education & the World Bank. She has published in CALICO, RECALL, The European Journal of Applied Linguistics & TEFL journal, WorldCALL book, TELECOLLABORATION 2.0 book, and in The Bloomsbury Handbook of Language Learning and Technology (2024), and other journals. She is a member of the Editorial Board of the CALL Journal (Taylor & Francis); and other national and international journals. She has been coeditor of WorldCALL 2018 proceedings book, and served as  Guest Editor of a Special Issue "Post-pandemic Technology Enhanced Language Learning"(2021) for Sustainability,  She is a member of the WorldCALL Association Steering Committee and was the local Chair for WorldCALL 5 (2018), held for the first time in Latin America, in Concepción, Chile. She is the President of LatinCALL, the newly created Latin American Association of Computer-Assisted Language Learning.

Professor Ester Quiroz is a passionate teacher from Chile, dedicated to enhancing English language instruction. She graduated as a Teacher of English from the University of Biobío in Chillán, Chile, where her innovative undergraduate thesis, "Technical English Manual for Hotels and Gastronomy," received regional recognition for its outstanding innovation. Pursuing her commitment to education, she completed a Master’s degree in Higher Education with a specialization in University Pedagogy at the Universidad Catolica de la Santísima Concepción. Her thesis, “Integración de los principios del DUA como estrategia didáctica inclusiva para la formación de los estudiantes de educación diferencial, en la Universidad de Concepción, Campus Los Ángeles,” reflects her dedication to inclusive teaching practices.In the early stages of her career, Professor Quiroz taught in vulnerable rural schools throughout Chile, gaining valuable insights into the challenges faced by diverse student populations. Her academic journey took a significant turn when she joined the Universidad de Concepción, Los Ángeles Campus as a university professor. Over the past decade, she has been actively involved in numerous research initiatives and educational projects. Her numerous presentations at various prestigious conferences. In 2024, she presented her work on “The Effects of Telecollaboration on ELLs' Motivation and Intercultural Competence: A Pilot Project” at the 21st World AILA Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, following a similar presentation at the WorldCALL Conference in Thailand in 2023. She has also participated in the XXI International Conference on Educational Psychology and the Second International Convention on English Teaching-Learning and Technology in 2023. Her research on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) was featured at the II National Congress on Second Languages and Foreign Languages in 2017, where she addressed challenges in EFL classrooms, and she served on the steering committee for several educational seminars, including the XXI International Conference on Educational Psychology. Additionally, her focus on integrating UDL principles into teaching strategies was highlighted in her presentations at the First Seminar on TEFL Methodology in Chile in 2017 and the 3rd Congress on Educational Innovation (CIED) in 2019. Through her active involvement in these events, Professor Quiroz demonstrates her commitment to advancing educational practices and fostering inclusivity in language education. Notably, she led a virtual telecollaboration project between the University of Concepción and Nazareth University in USA, which resulted in a published book chapter and earned her a Scholar Internship in Rochester, USA. Professor Quiroz is also the treasurer of ALACHI (Chilean Association of Applied Linguistics). Currently, she serves as an Assistant Professor and Head of the English Teaching Program at the University of Concepción in Los Ángeles, where she continues to inspire and educate future generations of English teachers. Additionally, she is the founder and coordinator of the Biobío English Network, which integrates teachers from various municipalities in its Province. With her extensive experience and unwavering dedication to innovative pedagogy, Professor Quiroz remains a vital contributor to the field of higher education in the Biobío region of Chile. Her work is characterized by a commitment to inclusivity and a focus on improving English language instruction for all students.

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) reaches the 'peak of inflated expectations' on the Gartner Hype Cycle for Higher Education, educators are engaging with it through a mix of enthusiasm and skepticism. In this session, we will explore some of the pressing questions surrounding AI’s role in higher education. Through concrete examples, we will examine the following critical issues:   - Should institutions prioritize efforts to prevent cheating through AI tools like ChatGPT or focus on leveraging these technologies for academic development?? - How viable are the promises of AI tutors and teaching assistants? - What are the immediate and practical applications of AI in higher education today, and where do they fall short? - Can AI realistically replace or augment language teachers? - What ethical and legal considerations should educators be mindful of when integrating AI into language learning programs? This session aims to provide an informed discussion on the evolving relationship between AI and higher education, helping educators navigate both the opportunities and challenges AI presents.