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This initiative tackles one aspect of AI that has been overlooked widely: AI generated translation is used by multilingual students as well as researchers very frequently (see e.g. Lee 2023). Nevertheless, there is little instruction on how to use it deliberately and responsibly. This initiative’s aim is to implement a virtual learning path.

Its learning goals are that students

- have a basic understanding of how AI generated translation works - know potentials and risks of AI generated translation

- know their responsibilities when using AI translation for professional, academic, or private communication

- apply strategies to check AI generated translations

- know how to use AI generated translations for communicating across linguistic borders

The process of implementing this learning path consists of two phases:

In the first phase, two virtual classrooms for Enlight university students will be conducted. Within these virtual classrooms, students work in interdisciplinary, intercultural virtual teams following a Challenge Based Learning approach: They work on the challenge of how one can use AI generated translations in a way that helps to bridge linguistic borders, but that is responsible and does not undermine the advantages of foreign language learning. The results of these group works serve as a basis for developing the virtual learning path.

The second phase of the initative starts after two semesters: The virtual learning path implemented in the first phase can now be used by students and teachers of all Enlight universities.

The initiative will contribute to:

• a pedagogy of integrating AI generated translations deliberately, responsibly and critically into multilingual communication and writing processes
• multilingual, intercultural understanding
• a responsible handling of AI
• students‘ awareness of the challenges of climate change
• the concept of an European university with learning materials accessible to all students and teachers

Highlight

One highlight is that we can build on a lot of experiences from former Enlight Virtual Exchanges (VEs): We have worked with both partners from Tartu und Gent before and know how to collaborate both between teachers and students. We have also worked with Challenge Based Learning, asynchonous tasks and virtual learning paths – and these experiences and our learnings derived from them will definitely influence how we conceptualize the current VE! Another highlight is that we have a new, very enthusiastic staff member who will conduct the VEs and will bring in new energy and new perspectives.

What is unique about this Virtual Exchange is that it is about Machine Translation in multilingual communication and writing: Although Machine Translation has influenced multilingual writing enormously during the past years, there are very few approaches how to deal with it in terms of writing pedagogy. We think that focussing on this topic is extremely valuable.