Elämänmittaisia kasvutarinoita, joissa jokainen on tekijä
Opistotarinat avaa Tampereen seudun työväenopiston arkea, ammattiryhmien työtä ja ainealueita. Minkälaista työ ja opiskelu vapaan sivistystyön parissa on? Miten ajankohtaiset ilmiöt näkyvät opistossa?
Artificial Intelligence and Precious Books – The Erasmus+ Course Took Susanna Ylihärsilä to Dublin
Language teacher and course coordinator Susanna Ylihärsilä participated in an AI-themed course in Dublin, Ireland, in the summer of 2024 as part of The Adult Education Centre of the Tampere Region’s Erasmus+ mobility project. The course provided insights into the smart use of artificial intelligence, and also served as a reminder that cognitive skills and critical thinking still have their place in the world.
The library at Trinity College Dublin was built between 1712 and 1732. During her Erasmus+ course trip, Susanna Ylihärsilä also explored the local culture and libraries.
As a language teacher and course designer, I wanted to attend a course where I could develop my work in an English-speaking country. That’s how I ended up choosing Dublin, Ireland, as the location, and the AI-themed course "Language Teaching in the Age of AI" aimed at English teachers.
The course turned out to be very popular, so the 23 participating teachers were split into two different groups. Our group had participants from eight countries: Argentina, Spain, Italy, Austria, China, Poland, Hungary and Finland. The goals of the Erasmus+ project regarding internationalization and networking were naturally fulfilled right from the start, thanks to the lively discussions that took place.
The week-long course provided me with a bunch of new ideas and encouragement for using AI in language teaching, both indirectly through various language learning apps and directly by utilizing generative AI. In our group, we discussed the smart use of AI in language learning, considering safety aspects, common rules, and students' digital skills. We also talked about how important it is in today’s world to continue developing, for example, children’s cognitive abilities and young people’s critical thinking skills.
As a counterbalance to the course, I explored Dublin in my free time. I found myself seeking well-being in places where the sharpest edge of mass tourism hadn’t reached: I stopped at places with books or chose walking routes through quiet parks.
For my picture, however, I selected one of Dublin’s popular attractions: The Long Room in Trinity College’s Old Library (built between 1712–1732). The hall is true to its name, measuring around 65 meters long and housing nearly 200,000 of the university’s oldest books. The library has rightly been praised as one of the most beautiful in the world.
In addition to the magnificent collection, the hall also featured a six-meter-tall 3D installation named Gaia by British artist Luke Jerram. This installation evokes both the beauty and fragility of our planet and, surrounded by old books, challenges us to consider not only the future of precious books but also the future of our precious Earth.
In line with the theme of the course, this text has been translated from Finnish to English using artificial intelligence.
Erasmus+ – Invigorating Workflow is a project funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors of this text and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the Finnish National Agency for Education. The European Union and the granting authority are not responsible for them.
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