Mehrasa Alizadeh
International Professional University of Technology
About
Mehrasa Alizadeh is an assistant professor at the International Professional University of Technology in Osaka, Japan where she teaches EFL courses. She holds a PhD degree from the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University with a focus on technology-enhanced language learning, Mehrasa's research interests include blended learning, mobile learning and immersive learning in second language education.Sessions
Mixed, Augmented, and Virtual Realities Reimagining Technology-Enhanced Language Learning: Looking Back, Moving Forward more
Sun, Jul 10, 09:00-09:50 Asia/Tokyo
Technology enhanced language learning (TELL) has evolved considerably since its early days, and immersive technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality will significantly transform the way we approach learning moving forward. It is therefore important for academics and professionals to know about immersive learning and how it can help reimagine the future of TELL. In fact, immersive technologies have made their way into different sectors and industries such as entertainment, arts, manufacturing, marketing, healthcare, and education. Aside from their use in content knowledge acquisition, immersive technologies provide affordances that are highly valuable for learning such as sense of (co-)presence, embodied interaction and communication, and emotional engagement. However, their use is still limited in language education due to reasons such as low access to resources and unfamiliarity of teachers with immersive learning design. In this talk, I will introduce immersive technologies and argue that these technologies will immensely change the way we interact with digital media in future iterations of the Web. In the rest of my talk, I will connect that introduction to recent trends of research and practice in immersive learning and the affordances and challenges of these technologies in creating novel learning experiences. I will also touch upon the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on development and implementation of immersive technologies in learning contexts.
Networking JALT Officer Support Meeting more
Sun, Jul 10, 15:05-16:05 Asia/Tokyo
JALT's Officer Support Committee (OSC) was created to help orient new officers and support current officers in JALT’s SIGs, chapters, and committees. This session will be partially an introduction to the resources available to JALT officers, and partially a Q&A / troubleshooting session. If you're a JALT officer (or curious about becoming one), you are welcome to this meeting.
