Events

UPCOMING EVENTS

Webinar • 20th October, 2026

Making the invisible visible: AI, item writing and the value of tacit expertise

Generative AI can produce language test items remarkably quickly – but producing an item is not the same as producing a good item. What, then, happens when AI-generated assessment content is subjected to the same scrutiny as human-written material?

Drawing on practical experience of using generative AI to support the development of language test items and tasks, this webinar examines not only where AI adds value and where it falls short, but what evaluating its output reveals about human expertise. In particular, I will argue that AI can help make tacit assessment expertise visible: when we evaluate, reject and refine apparently plausible AI-generated material, we are prompted to articulate the principles, judgements and quality criteria that experienced developers often apply intuitively.

The session will consider the implications of this for item writing, quality assurance and the development of assessment literacy.

Speaker: Cathy Jones

Cathy Jones is an Assessment Development Specialist at LANGUAGECERT, designing innovative language assessments for international contexts. She has developed multi-level curricula, high-stakes tests and pedagogical materials for global organisations and governments. Her research explores how assessment shapes teaching, learning, and outcomes. Committed to human-centred test development grounded in radical kindness, she prioritises learner wellbeing, dignity and humanity, while advancing oracy and employability through assessments that make linguistic competence visible, verifiable, and valued.

RECENT EVENTS

Webinar • 29th September, 2026

Empowering Tertiary Students Through Differentiated AI Curriculum Integration

Tertiary English language preparatory classrooms often include learners with diverse proficiency levels, learning preferences, and academic needs, making differentiated instruction a continuing challenge. This study explores the integration of ChatGPT into a B2-level curriculum over a fourteen-week period to support differentiated learning across writing, reading, vocabulary, grammar, and speaking. ChatGPT is used to scaffold student learning by providing individualized guidance, adaptive practice, targeted feedback, and graduated support based on learners’ needs, while the instructor plays a central role in helping students interpret AI-generated feedback, make informed learning decisions, and reflect on their progress.

Using a mixed-methods approach, the study examines the impact of ChatGPT-supported scaffolding on student engagement, language development, and learner autonomy through both qualitative and quantitative data. This presentation will share the curriculum design, classroom implementation, and practical strategies for embedding ChatGPT into language teaching in a sustainable and pedagogically meaningful way. The findings aim to demonstrate how AI can facilitate differentiated instruction while reinforcing, rather than replacing, the teacher's role in the learning process.

Speaker: Selda Gümüş

Selda Gümüş has been working at Özyeğin University, Istanbul for 13 years. Throughout her career, she has taken on a variety of roles, including serving as an Assessment Specialist for four years, B2 Level Coordinator for four years, and currently as a member of the Curriculum Unit. Selda has conducted research on the use of AI to scaffold student learning and promote learner autonomy. She has delivered three conference and professional development sessions at IATEFL on topics such as integrating AI into continuous writing assessment, training students to use AI effectively and responsibly, and embedding AI tools into language curricula. In addition, she is a member of the IATEFL TEASIG Committee.

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