𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟏 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬

With over 204 delegates from 66 institutions all over the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, and Hawaii, the 3rd Hawaii International Conference on English Language and Literature Studies (HICELLS) with the theme, “”Innovations in Language and Literature Pedagogy: Navigating Multiliteracies for Effective Teaching and Learning,”” began its two-day affair on May 15, Wednesday, with its hybrid setup, both online and at the Royal Mandaya Hotel.

“”I hope this conference will inspire, facilitate information sharing, and create enduring connections,”” San Pedro College (SPC) President Sr. Aida Frencillo, gave her welcoming address through the Dean of the School of Business, Management, Education, Arts, and Sciences (SBMEAS), Dr. Genaro Alderite.

Over the next two days, the host school’s president hoped that the delegates could share ideas, grow as a team, and learn from each other via speakers and parallel sessions.

“”This conference is an academic event that brings together scholars, educators, and practitioners from around the globe to explore and discuss the latest trends, research, and pedagogical practices in the field of English language and literature,”” Dr. Francisco Dumanig, Chairperson of HICELLS 2024 and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Coordinator at the University of Hawaii, described the event.

Dr. Dumanig depicted the rationale of the event as multi-faceted, emphasizing the importance of fostering academic collaboration, promoting innovative research, and addressing contemporary challenges in language and literary studies.

Vice-Chair of HICELLS 2024 and Coordinator of the Teacher Education Program at SPC, Mr. Arjay Arcena, acknowledged the large number of delegates. Subsequently, Dr. Alderite introduced the first keynote speaker, Dr. Willy Renandya, from the National Institute of Education at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Dr. Renandya’s fifty-minute talk on “”Critical Thinking: Why is it so hard to teach?”” underlined how critical thinking and reading go hand-in-hand, delved into the reading process, and asserted the root of why teaching critical thinking is hard.

A delegate from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) asked to expound on Dr. Renandya’s stance on multiple-choice questions in examinations, to which the latter replied, “”Multiple choice questions are for students to recognize correct answers but correct answers aren’t as important today as they were in the past […] do not totally ban it but [I suggest to] avoid it to have a balanced assessment.””

Ms. Robelle Anne Maneja, the Coordinator of the Business Management Program, presented the second keynote speaker, Dr. Kirsten Moleegaard of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, USA.

Dr. Moleegaard addressed the sub-theme, “”Lifelong Learning in the Literature Classroom: Civil Ethics and the Pedagogy of Multiliteracies,”” sharing findings from her research and experience with students from diverse backgrounds, including the obstacles they faced and how important it is to overcome these by wielding the paddles together.

“”Instead of me taking roll calls and so and so, [the students], with paper and pen, get two minutes to draw themselves. It was a really interesting concept since many would say they could not draw,”” Dr. Moleegaard further explained during the forum, expressing that it showed the years of creativity that have been limited.

Following this, Mr. Arvie Joy Villegas, Coordinator of the Social Science and Humanities Division of SPC, introduced the event’s first featured speaker, Dr. Leah Gustilo of De La Salle University (DLSU), Manila.

Dr. Gustilo’s paper, co-authored with Dr. Ethel Ong and Dr. Minie Rose Lapinid, “”Algorithmically-driven writing and academic integrity: exploring educators’ practices, perceptions, and policies in AI era,”” delved into the investigation into what educators think, do, and propose about the growing innovative applications in education.

“”If you use AI tools in the generation of your research, state it,”” Dr. Gustilo would say to her students, and she stressed this as one of the recommendations they underlined in the study for ethical use of AI, emphasizing transparency and accountability.

HICELLS 2024 Chairperson Dr. Dumanig and Vice-Chair, Mr. Arcena presented the plaque to Dr. Gustilo.

Master of ceremony, Dr. June Prieto, Assistant Director of the Internationalization and Linkages of SPC, brought the morning events to a close. Plenary sessions commenced in the afternoon session in four separate halls.

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