CALA Fall 2024 Conference

Welcome to the CALA Fall 2024 Conference!

Event Details

The Canadian Association for Language Assessment (CALA) invites you to our annual Fall Conference, a premier event for language assessment professionals, researchers, and educators.

Conference Highlights

• Insightful sessions on cutting-edge language assessment topics
• Networking opportunities with industry leaders and peers
• Engaging discussions on current trends and future directions in the field

Registration Information

Early Bird Registration (September 16 - September 30 - EXTENDED due to requests) FOR MEMBERS ONLY

• Members (Teachers, Professionals, Professors): $24.99
• Student Members: Free

Regular Registration (October 1st - October 7th)

• Members - $50
• Non-Members - $74.99
• Free conference attendance for all student members (Although this ticket is free of charge, tickets are still mandatory)

Membership Benefits

Become a CALA member to enjoy:

• Discounted conference rates
• Free admission for student members
• Access to exclusive resources and networking opportunities

To take advantage of member pricing, please purchase or renew your membership before registering for the conference. To become a member, please go to https://www.cala-acel.org/membership-adh-sion.html

Membership Fees

• Students ($15)
• Teachers or other professionals ($30)
• Professors ($50)

Conference Lunch Included

Your conference registration includes a complimentary lunch, offering a diverse range of options to suit various dietary preferences and requirements. The lunch is all-you-can-eat and includes coffee, tea, and other drink options. While the specific menu for the conference date is yet to be finalized, you can expect a selection similar to the following:

Sample Lunch Options

• Hearty soups (e.g., Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup)
• Meat-based entrées (e.g., Chicken Adobo)
• Vegetarian entrées (e.g., Vegetable Skillet Frittata)
• Pizza (e.g., Pepperoni, Cheese)
• Grill House (e.g., Cheeseburger, Veggie Burger)
• Salad bar
• Desserts (e.g., ice cream, various baked goods)

Join Us

Don't miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge, share your expertise, and connect with colleagues in the language assessment community. The CALA Fall 2024 Conference promises to be an enriching experience for all attendees, fostering professional growth and collaboration in our field.

Keynote Speaker

Ramsey L. Cardwell - Duolingo

Advancing Language Assessment With Human-in-the-Loop AI Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), when used responsibly, present significant opportunities to enhance the quality and accessibility of assessments. This keynote will discuss the transformative potential of AI in high-stakes language testing through its applications in test development, administration, scoring, and security. A central theme of this presentation is the concept of human-in-the-loop AI, which underscores the importance of involving educators, experts, and students in the development and implementation of AI technologies. Keeping humans involved throughout the development and application of AI tools enhances, rather than replaces, the critical contribution of human judgment in the testing process.

Using the Duolingo English Test (DET) for illustration, we will explore frameworks such as the DET’s "item factory," which merges human expertise with AI-based automated item generation to create a scalable, efficient, and high-quality item development process. This framework adapts principles of intelligent automation from manufacturing to streamline test item creation. Comparative studies indicate that AI-generated items can achieve psychometric properties comparable to those crafted by human experts. As a result, this offers a scalable solution to the intensive process of human item writing. AI applications in test administration, scoring, and proctoring will also be presented.

The talk will address broader trends in responsible AI, emphasizing the need for ethical considerations and transparency in the deployment of these technologies. By situating innovations on the DET within the wider context of language assessment research, this keynote aims to demonstrate how to implement AI advancements consistent with best practices in high-stakes testing, and to inspire collaboration among researchers, educators, and policymakers.

CALA 2024 Fall Schedule 

October 12^th 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax. NS. Canada

All conference events (besides lunch) will be in the Margaret Norrie McCain Centre for Teaching, Learning and Research located at 51 Lumpkin Rd, Halifax, NS B3M 2J6. An all-you-can eat lunch will be provided at the Rosaria Dining Hall on campus. A detailed campus map is available here: campus map.

Parking is free for this event.

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