CC-BY-NC-SA 2025 New Language Solutions Avenue Program Standards for Technology-Enhanced Language Learning, version 1.2 4 AVENUE PROGRAM STANDARDS FOR TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED LANGUAGE LEARNING The Avenue Program Standards for Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (TELL) are designed to help those in decision-making roles in a language program. They provide guidance to administrators, here defined to include both immediate and upper-level decision-makers such as funders, directors, deans, and school boards. The terms blended learning and online learning are used deliberately throughout to indicate all combinations of online delivery in face-to-face, hybrid, HyFlex and remote situations. Program administrators are encouraged to localize these definitions to their own contexts with input from their staff and redefine them over time as it suits their needs. Program administrators can use the Can-Do statements to determine how closely aligned their program is with the standards and make progress toward meeting the standards. The standards can also serve as a justification for requests for funding to meet the standards. This document presents the guiding philosophy and the five program standards, each of which has a set of performance indicators (PIs) and detailed sub-indicators to provide clearer descriptions of what the standard entails. The sub-indicators have a text that explains them and suggestions for reflecting on how each standard applies in one’s own program. A set of CanDo statements is included after each performance indicator and together as Appendix A. Programs can use the Can-Do statements to determine how fully they meet the standards, then plan ways to address any weaknesses. One vignette (so far) is included as Appendix B to demonstrate how some of the standards and PIs were met in an actual situation. The glossary is in Appendix C. We acknowledge that programs, especially smaller ones, have limited resources for addressing some of the standards, and we strongly encourage collaboration and sharing. Note on Artificial Intelligence This version of the standards (1.2) includes additional references to AI, especially generative AI (GenAI). The terms are not interchangeable, but what people see tends to be GenAI. Since the Avenue TELL standards project began in early 2023, we have witnessed a rapid expansion of the use of GenAI tools like ChatGPT, as well as “embedded GenAI” in a wide range of browsers and other apps. Administrative functions may use other AI tools for data modeling and predicting trends. For example, Starfish is a tool within some learning management systems that helps predict student success. Although GenAI tools are not the only AI tools in use, they are the most important for instructors, program administrators, learners, and teacher educators to be aware of and to use efficiently, effectively, and ethically. Thus, programs have a special responsibility to acquire, customize, and/or share policies related to use of GenAI. We use the term AI/GenAI to refer to situations where administrators, staff, instructors, and learners may be using a mix of AI tools, most of which incorporate GenAI. Although it would be tempting to do so, at this point, we are not proposing a separate standard for integrating AI. The standards themselves remain the same, but we have added GenAI-focused performance indicators (PIs) and Can-Dos, as well as enriched the PI text descriptions to include more GenAI guidance. This is because we believe that AI will become more and more interwoven with many of the aspects covered in the existing standards. We anticipate that later versions of the standards will have even more to say about this rapidly shifting area of technology-enhanced language teaching and learning. Programs should be aware of these changes and consider what elements might improve their service to stakeholders and what may create risks. Administrators need to provide opportunities and resources for instructors, learners, and staff, including information about relevant policies. For example, Canada has a policy on responsible use of AI in public education. Ethical use of AI/GenAI will remain a concern for all users. Programs should also encourage instructors to stay up-to-date by being curious, thinking about how a new tool might be used, trying it, and assessing the outcome. Good communication among instructors, program administrators, and learners will help programs use AI and its tools wisely.
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