Set-ups/Technology required

Teachers and students can access Microsoft Teams Reading Progress with a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop, as long as they have a stable internet connection.

Teams Setup: Creating a Class (Images 1 and 2)

1. Log in to Microsoft Teams using your account.
2. Click ‘Join or create team’ in the top-right corner (See Image 1).
3. Select ‘Create team’ from the dropdown menu.
4. Select ‘From template’ on the left panel and then select ‘Class’ (See Image 2).

Procedure

Task Setup: Creating a Reading Progress Assignment (Images 3 to 8)

Step 1: Create an Assignment

1. Within your class team, select the ‘Assignments’ tab in the left-hand navigation
2. Click the purple ‘Create’ button, then select ‘Learning Accelerators’ and ‘Reading Progress’ (See Image 3).

Step 2: Add a Reading Text

1. To upload your own text, click ‘Import Word or PDF’ and then ‘Upload from this device’ to select a file (a text containing the target vocabulary) (See Image 4). Please ensure that the text does not exceed 20,000 characters.
2. Alternatively, if appropriate for your lesson objectives, use the built-in AI generate a reading passage, click ‘Generate Reading Passage’.

Step 3: Configure Assignment Settings

1. Adjust the settings to your preference (See Image 5). You may:

• • Enable ‘Reading Coach’ to allow the AI pronunciation trainer to provide feedback;
  • Disable ‘Require video’ if you would like to reduce student anxiety by allowing audio-only recordings.

2. To add a comprehension check, click ‘Add comprehension’ and then ‘Generate Questions’. Select your desired number of questions for the AI to create (See Image 6). You can also create your own questions if you would like to focus on a specific aspect of vocabulary knowledge, such as its contextual meaning. 

3. Click the ‘Next’ button in the top right corner to proceed (See Image 7).

Step 4: Finalise and Assign

1. On the final screen, edit the assignment details (e.g. title, instructions, points, due date) (See Image 8).
2. Click the ‘Assign’ button in the bottom right corner to post the task to your students.

Completing the Task – Students’ View (Images 9 to 15)

Step 1: Complete the ‘Read Aloud’ Task

1. Click ‘View Assignment’ to access the task (See Image 9).
   2. Select the assignment and test your microphone and camera (See Image 10). Click ‘Start’ to begin reading and ‘I’m done’ when you finish. The reading will be recorded automatically.
   3. Click ‘Use this recording’ to upload, or ‘Try again’ to replace this recording with a new one.

After completing the recording task, students proceed to the comprehension and pronunciation practice activities.

Step 2: Complete the Reading Comprehension Task

1. Answer the questions and submit your work when finished (See Image 11).
2. Your score will appear. Check the answers by clicking ‘View results’ (See Image 12).

Step 3: Practise Pronunciation with the Reading Coach

1. Click the ‘Reading Coach’ button (See Image 12).
2. Select the words to practise (See Image 13).
3. Press the microphone icon at the bottom to read each word aloud. You can also access the correct pronunciation and a relevant image (See Image 14).
4. You will receive positive feedback if the word is read correctly.
5. If the word is not read correctly, you will be encouraged to keep trying (See Image 15).
6. Finally, submit your work.

Giving Feedback to Students (Images 16 and 17)

1. Select the assignment and choose an individual student to review their performance by playing the audio or video clip displayed on the left (See Image 16).
2. An AI-generated report will appear. The report includes AI-generated feedback on pronunciation accuracy, omissions, repetitions, and reading fluency.
3. Click ‘Return full report to students’ if you want students to read the report (Image 17).
4. Select the type of report you want to share with students.
5. Click ‘Save’.
6. Teachers can also provide feedback in the box on the right. When finished, click ‘Return’ to send the work back to the student.

Caveats and Alternatives

Teachers can incorporate this tool into their weekly classroom practice.

1. At the start of the week, assign a text featuring the target vocabulary, accompanied by a comprehension task and a read-aloud exercise. Through this assignment, students are introduced to the new words and can practise reading the text aloud independently.
2. To reinforce learning, a second text using the same set of vocabulary set is provided at the end of the week. This serves as a review, allowing students to test their understanding of the words in a fresh context and reassess their pronunciation.

This approach is especially beneficial for lower-level students who may lack the confidence to read in front of peers, as it provides a private environment for individual practice. The repeated practice with the instant feedback from the Reading Coach effectively improves their pronunciation, which in turn can improve their confidence and fluency in both reading and speaking.

If lesson time is limited, teachers can adapt the tool for formative assessment. Every 3–4 weeks, create a new text that incorporates vocabulary from recent units to assess students’ retention and pronunciation more holistically.

Set-ups/Technology required

You can register for a free account on Edcafe. After creating your chatbot, you can share the access link or QR code with students for in-class use (see Image 2). Students can then access the chatbot on their own devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, or laptops, to practise reflective writing.

Procedure

Steps to create the Edcafe AI chatbot:

Step 1: 

1. Click ‘Create new’ (Image 3) and select ‘Chatbot’ (Image 4).

Step 2:

Write your teaching prompt in the field labelled “What do you want the chatbot to do?” (an example is provided below), then click “Create Chatbot” (Image 5).

Example prompt: “to help students develop reflective writing skills using Rolfe’s framework (What, so what, now what), including how to reflect with guiding questions, how to structure reflective thoughts, and how to write reflectively with correct tenses and vocabulary.”

This prompt enables the chatbot to scaffold the writing process by guiding students to reflect on experiences, organise ideas using Rolfe’s framework, and improve language accuracy and academic reflective vocabulary.

Step 3: 

Edcafe will auto-generate ‘Chatbot instructions’ (Image 6). You can refine these using the ‘Prompt Assistant’ (Image 7). Additionally, upload relevant materials (e.g., task sheets, rubrics, worked examples) to the ‘Knowledge’ section to ensure the chatbot’s responses align with your lesson objectives (see Image 8).

Step 4:

Test the chatbot via ‘Test me out’ (see Images 9-10). You can role-play as a student to check that the chatbot provides appropriate scaffolding (Images 11-12). After publishing, you can monitor students’ interactions and track their learning progress (Image 13).

Procedure

Teaching steps:

Task:

After the teacher’s instruction on reflective writing and Rolfe’s framework (What?/So what?/Now what?), students will write a short reflective piece (150-250 words) on the topic:

Reflect on an AI tool you used to help you complete a study task in your science module.

Step 1: Teacher instruction

Provide instructions on reflective writing for 20 to 30 minutes, including the definition, an introduction to Rolfe’s framework with worked examples, guidance on appropriate tense usage, and useful reflective language

Step 2: Student writing preparation with the chatbot

Share the chatbot link or QR code with students and guide them to use it to review the framework, respond to guiding questions, and develop a brief writing plan for 10-20 minutes. During this time, you can monitor students’ interactions with the chatbot through the pathway shown in (Image 13) and provide instant guidance as students need it.

Step 3: Independent writing

Students write their short reflective essay on the given topic using their devices for 30 minutes during class.

Step 4: Peer review

Students work in pairs to review each other’s writing using a rubric aligned with the assessment criteria for 10-15 minutes. Teacher’s general or individual feedback can be provided in the following class.

Optional extension

Provide instruction

Caveats and Alternatives

On the Edcafe free plan, teachers can create up to 3 custom chatbots and host up to 40 participants per chatbot using standard LLM models, with chatbot history reports included. For larger cohorts or access to advanced LLM models, teachers may consider updating their plan, rotating student groups, or reusing the same chatbot across classes.

Additional Information

Here is the reflective writing AI chatbot link:
https://app.edcafe.ai/chatbots/68e262bb20a4a8c1d8019eb7 

Set-ups/Technology required

Devices: Teachers and students can access MagicSchool with a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop, as long as they have a stable internet connection.

Step 1: Create the Account on MagicSchool (Image 1)

1. Open your web browser.
2. Go to MagicSchool (https://www.magicschool.ai/).
3. Click ‘Sign up free’ and register an account using your email address.
4. Sign in with your account.

Step 2: Create a Room (Image 2)

1. Click ‘MagicStudent’ in the left column.
2. Select ‘Rooms’ from the dropdown menu.
3. Click ‘Create Room’ in the top right-hand corner.

Step 3: Select the Writing Feedback AI Tool (Image 3)

Type ‘Writing Feedback’ in the search bar, and click the show-up button to open the AI tool settings.

Step 4: Edit the Details for the Writing Feedback AI Tool (Image 4)

1. Edit the details based on the task and the focus of the writing feedback you want the AI to generate (please refer to the provided documents as an example).
2. After editing the details, click ‘Save to room’.
3. Create a name for the room, then click ‘Save room’

Step 5: Test the AI Tool (Images 5 and 6)

1. On the main Room page, click ‘Preview as Student’ in the top right-hand corner (Image 5).
2. Test the AI tool with a sample text (Image 6) as if you were a student.
   Important Note: Never upload real student work to the AI tool.

Procedure

It offers a web-based version requiring no installation, desktop software for Windows and macOS, and mobile apps for iOS and Android. The tool is accessible in Mainland China.

Step 1: Invite Students to the Room (Images 7 and 8)

1. Make sure the room is active. Click ‘Invite students’ in the top right-hand corner (Image 7).
2. Click ‘Join URL’.
3. Share the hyperlink with students.
4. Students join the room by inputting their names and clicking ‘Join room’(Image 8).
5. On the main Room page, check and filter students’ status by clicking the “Active” button to the right of each student’s name (Image 7).

Step 2: Students’ Use of AI Tools to Get Feedback on Their Writing (Images 9 and 10)

1. Ask students to copy and paste their homework writing into the chat box.
2. The AI tool provides targeted feedback on linguistic and stylistic accuracy in the first two parts of the feedback (Image 9).
3. Students review the feedback. If students do not fully understand the feedback provided by the AI tool, encourage them to engage in further dialogue with it (Image 10) by:

• • • Asking the AI to clarify specific feedback. Example prompt: “You said [insert feedback given]. Can you explain why you think that?”
    • Verifying their understanding of the feedback. Example prompts: “To make sure I understand, you’re saying I should [insert a summary of the feedback given]? Is that correct?” or (after making the changes) “[insert the change you’ve made]. If I make this change, will it resolve the clarity issue you mentioned?”

Step 3: Ask Students to Make Corrections to the Sentences Selected by AI

1. After reviewing and understanding the feedback, students should correct the five sentences from their writing that were selected.
2. Encourage students to carefully study the feedback again if they continue to make mistakes

Caveats and Alternatives

1. Teachers can check student understanding of the feedback by having them submit a revised version of their writing (a paragraph in this example). For instance, teachers can ask students to revise their original writing based on the AI feedback and use the “Track Changes” function in Microsoft Word to document their edits. This approach allows teachers to:

• Review the specific changes students have made.
• Assess whether students have accurately understood and applied the feedback from the AI.

If, upon reviewing the tracked changes, teachers notice recurring misunderstandings or errors among students, they can address these by offering general feedback during the next writing lesson and clarifying common misconceptions to improve students’ comprehension and writing skills.

2. Teachers could provide example prompts for students when introducing this tool in Year 1 EAP’s first semester, as students may lack sufficient AI literacy to effectively use MagicSchool. I recommend using the prompts outlined in Procedure Step 2 above to help with the feedback process.

3.For lower-level students with limited English skills, teachers can ask them to use a familiar AI tool (e.g. Doubao) to translate and understand feedback provided.

Additional Information

The details entered into the AI tool are in the attached document below.

Set-ups/Technology required

Device required:

Smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop; stable internet connection.

Step 1: 

Go to https://padlet.com/ to register for an account. XJTLU teachers can directly access https://xjtlu1.padlet.org (via XJTLU SSO). 

Step 2: 

Go to the “Discussion Board” section to create a Padlet board. Select the “Column” format and label each column title with a group number (Image 1).

Step 3: 

Obtain the sharing link and QR code.

Procedure

In this activity, students will work in groups to set up a virtual clothing store and design clothes to be displayed in their store.

Step 1: 

Divide students into groups of 3 or 4 and assign a group number to each. Each group will have its own column (labeled with their group number), which represents their virtual clothing store.

Step 2:

Share the QR code so students can access the Padlet. Guide them on how to use the AI image function:

• Click the “＋” button under each group column and select “More attachment types” (Image 2).
• Choose “AI Image” (Image 3).
• Write a prompt in Spanish (Image 4) to generate an image.

(Note: For the prompt, encourage students to give detailed descriptions of the clothing, including aspects such as color, material, style, etc.)

Step 3: 

Show students an example of a generated image and how to share it under each store column (Image 5).

Step 4:

After generating enough clothing images, each group should:

• Decide on a name for their virtual store.
• Discuss and select their top three clothing designs.
• Each group selects three representatives. Each representative will take turns introducing one of the three selected designs to the class in Spanish.
• After each representative’s introduction, other groups try to identify the corresponding design on the Padlet board. The teacher marks the identified design in the comments section (Image 6).
• Once all groups have finished presenting their top three designs, students pair up (across groups) and have a short conversation discussing which design they like most and why, using phrases and vocabulary related to clothing and preferences.

Step 5:

To conclude the activity, the teacher invites a few pairs or volunteers to share their favorite designs and reasons with the whole class.

Caveats and Alternatives

The image generation feature in Padlet is helpful for beginners learning any language and can be applied to other topics. For example, for the topic of “food”, the teacher can use it to ask students to design hamburgers for a virtual burger shop.

Some reflections:

• Despite the many AI tools available for generating images from text, Padlet’s AI feature stands out by integrating with its real-time sharing platform. Students can create and share images instantly without switching between different applications. In my classroom, students are always delighted to discover that Padlet can also generate images.
• Some students may use their native language when writing prompts, so teachers need to monitor closely during the activity.
• Generated images may sometimes reflect cultural stereotypes. Teachers should carefully review the images students upload and can have the option to reject any inappropriate submissions.

Additional Information

If students need to keep a record of their in-class designs, the teacher can select the “Share” option, export the content as an image or PDF, and then share it with the students.

Set-ups/Technology required

It offers a web-based version requiring no installation, desktop software for Windows and macOS, and mobile apps for iOS and Android. The tool is accessible in Mainland China.

Procedure

It offers a web-based version requiring no installation, desktop software for Windows and macOS, and mobile apps for iOS and Android. The tool is accessible in Mainland China.

Step 1: Access Natural Reader (Image 1).

• Open your web browser.
• Go to: https://www.naturalreaders.com.
• Click “Get Started” and choose “Personal”.

Step 2:Input Your Text (Image 2).

• Option 1: Copy and paste the text into the white text box.
• Option 2: Upload a file by clicking the “Upload” button (supports PDF, DOCX, TXT).

Step 3: Choose a Voice and Language (Image 3).

• Click on the voice dropdown menu.
• Choose the language and select a preferred voice (e.g., “English – UK, Ada”).
• You can try different voices for different accents or genders.

Step 4: Adjust Playback Settings (Optional).

• Adjust the reading speed using the slider (Image 4).
• Click “•••” (Settings) to fine-tune pronunciation or highlight options if needed (Image 5).

Step 5: Listen to the Text (Image 6).

• Click the Play button (►).
• For onsite seminars, teachers can hide the screen and play the audio for students to take notes or answer questions.

Step 6: Download Audio (Premium Feature) (Image 7).

• If you have a premium account, click “Download MP3” to save the spoken text as an audio file.

Caveats and Alternatives

The tool can also be used by students following Steps 1-5 to improve speaking by doing shadowing. As the text is read aloud by Natural Reader, students can shadow the voice by repeating the words immediately, trying to match the pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, and pace as closely as possible. They can replay and practice multiple times, focusing first on pronunciation, then on speech flow and pacing. To track progress, students can record their own voice while shadowing and compare it to the Natural Reader audio, helping them spot differences and refine their speaking. This process improves pronunciation, builds natural rhythm, enhances listening and speaking skills, and boosts confidence in using academic language (Image 8).

After shadowing, students can play the text again and listen to the audio to check if they can understand it. A further challenge could be to orally summarize the text after listening or retell the content based on students’ notes. This could improve students’ note-taking, critical thinking and speaking skills as well.

Additional Information

The Premium version is needed for MP3 downloads, pronunciation editing and commercial usage rights.