Dr Zoe Handley

Hackers can hijack Wi-Fi Hello Barbie to spy on your children Security researcher warns hackers could steal personal information and turn the microphone of the doll into a surveillance device

Can't believe I only just learnt about Hello Barbie, Mattel's AI-powered doll. She's definitely going to make an appearance when I discuss AI ethics and privacy. Perhaps it's my age, but I'd be inviting her to a party, rather than talking about fashion.

#AIED

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

PaCKed with Technology: Pedagogically-Driven Technology Professional Development for Language Teaching | CALICO Journal Abstract This article reports on the design and evaluation of “PaCKed with Technology”, a pedagogically-driven technology professional development program for pre-service teachers of primary English in Kuwait. PaCKed with Technology is novel in its focus on enabling teachers to identify technologies that align with second language acquisition pedagogy. Having provided teachers space to revise and develop their pedagogical content knowledge, trainee teachers are taken through two reflective cycles. The first comprises: (1) comprehension & connection, which encourages the development of pedagogical content knowledge and makes connections between technologies and pedagogical principles; (2) experience, which enables teachers to “learn with technology”; and (3) reflection, which encourages reflection based on their experience. The second comprises the same steps and provides trainee teachers the opportunity to “teach with technology.” Pre-module and post-module surveys of the teachers’ awareness of the range of technologies they might employ in their teaching, their rationale for doing so, and their Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) were complemented with qualitative interviews exploring their experience of the training. While the trainee teachers’ self-reported levels of TPACK decreased, their rationales for using technology shifted from motivating and engaging learners to reasons grounded in approaches and methods of language teaching. Interview data suggests that these changes might be explained by changes in trainees’ understanding of what it means to use technology effectively to support their pedagogical goals and approach.

Thinking about technology integration for language teachers, check our my article with Dr Maha Alghasab on the implementation of a pedagogically-driven approach on a pre-service teacher education program in Kuwait. utppublishing.com/doi/10.3138/...

#EdTech #TESOL #MFL

Looking forward to discussing Gen AI and applied linguistics at this LLT SIG event. See below for how to join the event.

Making Languages Research Accessible to Policymakers Interviewing Dr Liv Glaze, MHRA Languages and Policy Postdoctoral Researcher, and her mentors Professor Wendy Ayres-Bennett and Professor Charles Forsdick.

www.mhra.org.uk/news/2025/04...

Enforcing Assessment Policies: “toothless” policies with “no bright line” between acceptable use and overreliance that rely on “students’ honesty”
The Future of Assessment: “AI-proofing” assessment by “taking summative written assignments off the table”

Impact of AI: A “radical change” with assessment “blocking the door” to pedagogical change
Assessment policies: Their “own work” that “demonstrate[s] their knowledge or abilities”
Authoring texts: From “gather[ing] and summaris[ing] texts” through reading and writing to proofreading

Summary of themes explored by the interviewees:
Engagement with AI: From colleagues with their “head in the sand” to “tech bros”
Conceptions of AI: From ChatGPT and “robot brain[s]” to “self-trained algorithms”
Quality of AI Generated Texts: ”dumbed down” texts “which could get a passing grade”

Insights into AI and Language Teaching and Learning A comprehensive training guide for language educators interested in incorporating AI technologies into their teaching practice for foreign/second language education across a variety of language contex...

Open access chapter available here: castledown.online/reference/97...

The full volume can be purchased here: castledown.online/reference/97...

Check out my new chapter for insights:

Handley, Z. (2025). English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Tutor's Practical Pedagogical Knowledge for (Generative) Artificial Intelligence (AI). Wang, Y. & Alm. A. (Eds.). Insights into AI and Language Teaching and Learning. Castledown.

How do EAP tutors conceive of (generative) AI? What are their beliefs and practices about (generative) AI for teaching and assessment? How are they developing their practical pedagogical knowledge for the use of (generative) AI?

#GenAI #AIED #AI #EdTech #EAP #TESOL #HigherEducation

Sign up here, to join our (Clare Wright, Leeds and I) talk for the ELINET Online Network seminar series on May 8th (14:00 BST) about international students' experiences of study abroad: uofglasgow.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

I think my discomfort with a lot of "what works" metrics contributes heavily to my interest in running "experience" and "perception" research, because we're so often guessing at WHY things do or don't appear to "work", otherwise. #academicsky

Anthropic has developed an AI 'brain scanner' to understand how LLMs work and it turns out the reason why chatbots are terrible at simple math and hallucinate is weirder than you thought Oh, and another thing: They don't just predict the next word.

www.pcgamer.com/software/ai/...

MA Artificial Intelligence and Technology-Enhanced Learning Learn how to harness digital technologies to implement innovative pedagogies.

Interested in AI and technology in education? Come study with us
@uoyeducation.bsky.social

Apply for our new MA in Artificial Intelligence and Technology Enhanced Learning to explore how digital technologies can be harnessed to implement innovative pedagogies.

www.york.ac.uk/study/postgr...

For a taster the slides are now available: docs.google.com/presentation...

#TESOL #studyabrod #internationalstudents #appliedlinguistics

YouTube video by Tutor & Tech Dr. Zoe Handley & Tech. Episode 5 teaser

In episode 5 of Tutor & Tech, we discuss language learning with Dr. Zoe Handley @zlhandley.bsky.social, a senior lecturer and researcher at the University of York and . We talk about tools, how to choose them tight, and whether people still need to learn languages.

Universities enrolling foreign students with poor English, BBC finds Institutions may be overlooking inadequate language skills to receive high fees from overseas students.

1/ Last week, a BBC report and podcast claimed UK universities enrol students with poor English to balance books. This sparked two reactions: "no shit, Sherlock" or outright denial. 🧵https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0mzdejg1d3o

Online and in-person language contact during study abroad: Using the Lang Track App to explore the experiences of international masters’ students studying in the UK

Looking forward to presenting to the Internationalisation Practitioner Network this week.

📅 March 27 1pm-2pm UK & Ireland time

Please visit the Internationalisation Practitioner Network website for details on how the session: internationalpedagogies.home.blog

I don't have it to hand but remember Rodman 1999 speech tech book providing a simple intri

Tutor & Tech is coming March 26!

We are creating Tutor & Tech, a project where we interview teachers, tutors, content creators, and learners about teaching in general and how it evolves because of and with technology.
@grahamstanley.bsky.social @zlhandley.bsky.social @missjeanteaches.bsky.social

Why Teaching Chunks in MFL is More Effective for Developing Fluency: A Research-Based Perspective Introduction Teaching chunks in Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) has been extensively supported by research as more effective for developing fluency than traditional, isolated word-based methods. Lea…

Research support for teaching through chunks (multi-word units) rather than ‘words + grammar’. gianfrancoconti.com/2025/03/11/w...

Language-Driven Pedagogy - French French

LDP have a new website where you can access resources and schemes of work. Includes older NCELP resources, some adapted, I believe. ldpedagogy.york.ac.uk/resources/we...

"...there is now a worry that REF2029 will enable a different injustice: that institutions can hold onto the outputs of staff they have sacked, while making it harder for them to gain new academic employment because they are no longer linked to the work they created."

Important points!

I haven’t banned screen time for my kids – I’ve introduced binge-watching instead | Emma Brockes Research shows that not all hours spent glued to a screen are created equal, so I’m actively encouraging nutritional content such as Young Sheldon, says Guardian columnist Emma Brockes

Not my expert area. But this is how we are approaching screentime at home - recommend quality content, current fave BBCs Merlin #smartphone #socialmedia #screentime www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Introducing "AI & How We Teach Writing" a newsletter from W. W. Norton and Annette Vee

aiandhowweteach.substack.com/p/introducin... Interesting new blog on AI and teaching writing #AI #writing

just sliding this over here…

Authors Guild Launches "Human Authored" Certification to Preserve Authenticity in Literature - The Authors Guild AI-generated books are flooding online marketplaces and increasingly look like, and sometimes even read like, human-authored books. The reader may have no way of knowing if a book they come across is ...

authorsguild.org/news/ag-laun... Will academic writing go the same way? #AI #authorship

A selection of clear, glass jars filled with dry flowers sit beside a lit candle and balls of wool, on top of fluffy cream and grey blankets. Overlaying the image is text that reads 'Researcher Renew. January 2025'

Thanks to everyone joining in with #ResearcherRenew this year. Here's a thread with an explainer on how it works and every activity listed, so you don't miss out ⬇️

#AcademicSky #PhDSky #PhDChat #PGRChat #AcademicChatter #HigherEd #MedEd

UK's first AI classroom without teachers sparks debate Britain's first teacherless AI classroom may be an "outlier", but it underlines the potential benefits and risks of a UK government drive to rollout artificial intelligence in education, exp...

As we see the first signs of AI replacing teachers in UK schools, you might be interested in my view on whether this is really possible in language learning published in the Modern Language Journal last year: shorturl.at/wRbIE

japantoday.com/category/tec...

#AI #MFL #languagelearning #TESOL