Gary Ross
Kanazawa University
About
I'm the creator of Edzil.la My research interests are leveraging AI for Extensive Reading https://beta.erai.app/ And for ChatbotsSessions
Workshop AI-Enhanced Extensive Reading: Empowering Students as Content Creators more
Sat, Jul 19, 17:00-18:00 Asia/Tokyo
Extensive Reading (ER) is a powerful approach to language learning, but maintaining engagement and providing individualized support at scale remains a challenge. This interactive workshop introduces a custom-built AI-powered platform that transforms students from passive consumers into active creators of reading material. Participants will gain hands-on experience using the system to generate personalized ER stories across different levels with just a few clicks. The platform incorporates adaptive difficulty scaling, adjusting text complexity based on learner interaction time and feedback while maintaining coherence. Real-time tracking of student interactions — including reading time, vocabulary lookups, and content generation patterns — provides insights into engagement and common language challenges. Features such as context-sensitive vocabulary support, AI-generated audio narration, and optional comprehension activities may further enhance autonomous learning. A key focus will be how AI-driven analysis of student feedback informs ongoing refinements to both the system and pedagogical approaches. Participants will leave the workshop with practical experience in generating personalized ER stories, exploring learner support features, and considering how learner data can inform teaching practice. This workshop demonstrates how integrating AI technology into ER programs can create a more engaging, personalized, and data-informed learning environment while maintaining the core principles of extensive reading methodology.
Poster Session Developing an AI-Powered VR Chatbot for Immersive Medical English Training and Beyond more
Sat, Jul 19, 10:35-11:35 Asia/Tokyo
This poster session will detail the design and development of an innovative AI-Powered Virtual Reality Chatbot, specifically created for English-speaking practice. The VR simulation application aims to provide an immersive and interactive platform for EFL learners to enhance their English communication skills without a need for an English speaking human partner. This VR simulation can be applied to any speaking scenario. Here, we created a VR medical environment for the purpose of training for interviewing a patient in English, where the chatbot will play the role of the patient. The poster covers key aspects of the development process, including the integration of text-to-speech and speech-to-text technology to successfully communicate with the AI (ChatGPT) patient, the creation of the 3D VR environment, the implementation of user-friendly controls, and design decisions based on feedback from experts in medical education. Preliminary user testing results and feedback are shared, highlighting the application's potential to improve medical English proficiency, to address the lack of human speaking practice partners and to reduce language learning anxiety. Participants will have the opportunity to experience the simulation themselves.
