The GenEAP Project

This project aims to investigate, document, and share insights into the largely undefined uses of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) by teachers and students within Canadian post-secondary English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs.

The GenEAP study will inform research in post-secondary GenAI use, international student integration and EAP pedagogy. It will support the development of sector-specific guidelines for GenAI integration to help enhance the competitiveness of Canada’s post-secondary EAP sector.

Three Goals

1.

To examine and define teachers’ uses of and beliefs about GenAI in post-secondary EAP teaching and learning;

2.

To examine and define students’ uses of and beliefs about GenAI in EAP programs; and,

3.

To identify any similarities and distinctions between teacher and student uses of and beliefs about GenAI to inform best practices and curricular innovation in EAP.

Project Timeline

1

PHASE 1 (Current Phase) 

Canada-wide Educator Survey
In this first phase of the study, we’ve distributed an online survey nation-wide to identify teachers’ perspectives across Canada on the benefits, limitations and strategies and professional development needs regarding the use of GenAI within EAP programs. The needs identified in this and subsequent phases will inform the project’s online resource toolkit and Community of Practice (CoP).

2

PHASE 2

Teacher Survey
We will use Q methodology to more deeply explore teachers’ insights into the use of GenAI in EAP contexts. In Q methodology, participants rank a series of statements on a grid in a forced quasi-normal distribution, indicating levels of agreement with the topics being examined.

  • Preparation: Teachers to sort 30 statements as part of a Q-sort survey.
  • Distribution: 30-minute Zoom facilitated sessions to guide teachers through the Q-sorting process.

Focus Groups
The findings from the Q-sorting process will inform the online focus groups with the teachers:

  • Participants: Three to five teachers per focus group.
  • Format: 60-minute Zoom facilitated semi-structured focus groups.
3

PHASE 3

In this phase, we will conduct online site visits to work with teachers and students:

Virtual Classroom Observations & Teacher Interviews

  • Virtual class observations: Two classes per site to be observed.
  • Teacher interviews: 60-minute interviews after each class observation.

Student Survey

  • Student recruitment: Random samples of three to six students from each observed virtual class.
  • Preparation: Adopting a Q methodology process, students will sort  Q-sort statements as part of a Q sort survey.
  • Distribution: 30-minute Zoom facilitated sessions to guide students through the Q-sorting process.
4

PHASE 4

Teacher Follow-Up Focus Groups

In this phase, we will conduct two focus group interviews with site visit teachers:

  • Participants: Three teachers per group.
  • Format: 90-minute semi-structured Zoom facilitated interview.

**This final phase will help teachers understand student perspectives, identify challenges and opportunities with GenAI, and explore areas for professional development, including a critical discussion of the project’s online toolkit for a sustainable post-project Community of Practice (CoP).

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