School of Languages at XJTLU Conference 2024

Generative AI is posing challenges to the typical ways of language teaching and assessments, particularly in academic writing. In response to this, an innovative approach was piloted in a Year 2 EAP module at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, where traditionally individual non-assessed tutorials based on a formative writing task were given an assessment weighting of 5%, and a questioning approach throughout three stages of the feedback process was enforced, to enhance students’ engagement with feedback and place the responsibility on learners. Some key elements of this questioning approach included (1) lecturers adding questions to written feedback statements adapted from a feedback bank in addition to a 10-point feedback checklist focusing on other features, (2) students preparing questions in response to the lecturer's feedback, and (3) tutors not answering students’ questions directly but guiding students by asking more questions to help students understand, review and reflect during this In-Class Test (I-CT). This tutorial I-CT featuring an assessment weighting and the use of questions seemed to have improved students’ emotional, behavioural and cognitive engagement with the feedback, as evidenced by improved tutorial attendance compared with previous years, students’ positive feedback collected through the module questionnaire, their lecturers’ observance of students’ increased active participation. Join us to understand this two-way collaboration in greater detail as we strive to highlight our importance in supporting learners and encouraging engagement in the language classroom.