Taiwan Pedagogy and Practice in Technology-Enhanced Language Learning Association
I. Overview
Taiwan Pedagogy and Practice in Technology-Enhanced Language Learning Association (PPTELL Association) was founded in July 2020 with Prof. Yu-Ju Lan as the first Chairman and Prof. Meei-Ling Liaw as the first Vice-Chairman. It aims to promote the collaboration between researchers in the fields of Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (TELL) and Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) for the purpose of making a greater contribution to the research in the globe.
II. History and development
The PPTELL Association originated from one of the nine Special Interest Groups under the Division of Information Education, Ministry of Science and Technology—The Technology Enhanced Language Learning Special Interest Group (TELL SIG). TELL SIG was established by Prof. Kuo-En Chang in 2007. Over the past decade, it has recruited members not only from Taiwan but also from Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, New Zealand and Australia. It aims to bring together researchers to examine and solve problems encountered in TELL. With its fruitful research outcomes published in well-known international journals, TELL SIG has remained influential.
In 2017, in order to promote the research outcomes and enhance the impact of TELL SIG, the Chairperson of TELL SIG, Prof. Yu-Ju Lan discussed with Prof. Meei-Ling Liaw and Prof. Nian-Shing Chen and confirmed the following three areas to work on: (1) boosting Taiwan’s academic synergy in the fields of TELL, (2) closely connecting with communities outside of Taiwan, (3) promoting Taiwan’s academic influence in the world, and (4) allying with the other TELL communities to develop opportunities for international collaboration.
III. Previous PPTELL conferences
Up to now, three PPTELL conferences were held. At that time, before the Association was formed, the first PPTELL Conference 2018 was held at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) Heping campus, and then the second in 2019 at NTNU Linkou campus, and the third in 2020 by NTNU in collaboration with University of North Texas (UNT), U.S.A. Thanks to the funding from the Ministry of Science and Technology and Office of Research and Development, NTNU, these conferences were held successfully.
The themes of each PPTELL conference aim to realize the contemporary requirement of competency-oriented and contextualized language learning. Modern technologies have been used to inspire unlimited innovations. Thus, in line with the rising trends mentioned above, since 2018, the PPTELL conferences have connected researchers, educators, and the front-line teachers to have conversations on the huge potential of integrating language learning theories and advanced technologies for cultivating learners’ critical competencies for pursuing success in the 21st century. Rich and diverse topics were presented and discussed in PPTELL conferences 2018, 2019 and 2020, including smart learning environments, AI, robotic technology, augmented/virtual reality, big data, mobile computing, and educational games.
Most notably is the third PPTELL conference held during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike the first and the second ones, PPTELL 2020 was conducted solely online, with the great support of many researchers and scholars, marking a breakthrough in the face of challenges when many were bound by time and space. Thus, similar to the previous PPTELL conferences, PPTELL 2020 received notable success. Following the third PPTELL conference comes the fourth, which will be held in 2021 in a hybrid mode. It will be co-hosted by PPTELL Association and the Higher Education Sprout Project Office, NTNU.
(Redirected from The IEEE Technical Committee on Learning Technology (TCLT), an excerpt from Bulletin of the Technical Committee on Learning Technology (ISSN: 2306-0212), Volume 20, Number 2, 43 (2020) )