Eaquals Associate Members, Oxford University Press has published a position paper Humanizing Technology in Language Learning and Teaching, by Hayo Reinders.

Humanizing Technology in Language Learning and Teaching addresses the growing unease among educators regarding the influence of technology in education. Most teachers recognize and directly benefit from the enormous potential of technology to enhance learning and teaching. However, there is a growing sense of unease as technological developments increasingly dictate the agenda and appear to be taking control away from us. The ways in which algorithms, big data, and more recently, artificial intelligence are shaping education, seem to be increasingly far removed from (and increasingly difficult to understand by) those to whom it matters the most; the learners and teachers themselves.

This paper argues that the response should not be to reject technological developments, but instead to reclaim the place and purpose of technology to serve our values and pedagogical needs.

Firstly, it considers the role of technology in education. It critically considers a number of often implicit assumptions underlying new technologies to help readers better understand how education might be impacted. Then a values-first approach to technology is considered. This empowers teachers and learners to consider the outcomes that matter to them – and only then considering if and how technology might help support achieving these outcomes. Then the paper suggests four key recommendations for pedagogical practices teachers can engage in to humanize technology in language education: becoming digitally literate, developing digital well-being; humanizing the learning experience, and using data in positive ways.

The paper aims to empower teachers and learners to prioritize outcomes that matter to them and to give them more agency in their choice of technology. By taking a values-first approach, we can be optimistic about the possibility of using technology in ways that will positively impact language education.