We attended FOCI (Forum on Curricular Issues), which was held at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Foundation University Topkapı Campus, on 15th December. The forum provides an opportunity for different state, foundation and private universities within the Turkish context to come together:

  • to discuss issues of concern in the areas of needs analysis, syllabus writing, implementation, and programme evaluation;
  • to share experiences and ideas relevant to curricular issues from their diverse contexts;
  • to raise mutual awareness of the activities and approaches to curriculum issues in other programmes;
  • to build relationships and links between the curriculum teams in different institutions.

The theme of the meeting was: Collaboration of Wits and Wires: Unlocking the Opportunities of AI in Curriculum Development. Group discussions were based on but not limited to questions such as How, to what extent and at what stage should AI be involved in the process of curriculum development? How can we use the collaboration between human creativity and technological sophistication to enrich educational experiences and foster considerable strides in the domains of language teaching and learning?  Participants attempted to find out the involvement of “AI” in curriculum design and its positive and constructive effects on the curriculum.

Group reports can be accessed via the link below:

https://focionline.wordpress.com/

Having participated in the group discussions, we realized that all the participants are willing to explore and incorporate AI in their curriculum and assessment. However, there is a need for clear definitions and institutional policies. Also, limitations and drawbacks of AI use in education should be listed and necessary actions should be taken by considering those limitations and drawbacks.