Unveiling the Potential Avenues in Intelligent Computer-Assisted Language Assessment (ICALA): A Focus on Pros and Cons

Edited by:

Prof. Dr. Fidel Çakmak
Prof. Dr. Goodarz Shakibaei
Dr. Samantha Curle

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: March 31 2025

Language Testing in Asia is inviting submissions to this Topical Collection on Intelligent Computer-Assisted Language Assessment (ICALA), exploring its potential and challenges in language assessment. By incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into language education, ICALA has transformative implications for various academic disciplines, including applied linguistics, computational linguistics, and educational technology. We seek to address the gap in research on ICALA's advantages and disadvantages, emphasizing its impact on the cognitive and psychological well-being of educators and students. We invite submissions of original papers, conceptual papers, systematic reviews, opinions, and meta-analyses from researchers worldwide. Topics include the future of education with ICALA, advancements in positive psychology, practical techniques for ICALA development, and more. Submissions will undergo rigorous peer review, ensuring high-quality contributions aligned with the journal's standards.

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Meet the Guest Editors

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Fidel Çakmak, PhD, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Turkey

Assist. Prof. Dr. Fidel Çakmak from Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University specializes in advancing language education for the digital age. Her research focuses on innovative EFL teaching methods such as mobile-assisted learning and flipped classrooms. She explores how technology can optimize learning outcomes and uses learning analytics to inform instructional practices. Dedicated to 21st-century teacher education, she equips educators with the tools to thrive in digital environments. Through her pioneering work, she inspires both educators and learners to embrace the transformative potential of technology in language education.

Goodarz Shakibaei, PhD, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran

Assist. Prof. Dr. Goodarz Shakibaei, from Islamic Azad University of Ahvaz, Iran, is a distinguished scholar in linguistics, specializing in Second Language Acquisition, Discourse Analysis, Pragmatics, Psychology and Language Learning, and Teaching Language Skills and Subskills. With a prolific publication record in both domestic and international journals, Dr. Shakibaei's research illuminates the intricacies of language acquisition and comprehension. His scholarly pursuits offer valuable insights into the cognitive and socio-cultural dimensions of language learning, enriching our understanding of language education and pedagogy.

Samantha Curle, PhD, University of Bath, UK

Dr. Samantha M. Curle (DPhil, FHEA, FRSA) is a Reader in Education (Applied Linguistics) and Director of the MRes Programme in Advanced Quantitative Research Methods at the University of Bath. She is also an Associate Member of the EMI Oxford Research Group (University of Oxford). Her main research interest is in EMI academic achievement. She has published five edited books on EMI, co-authored the British Council English in Higher Education report, and published in journals such as Language Teaching, Applied Linguistics Review, Studies in Higher Education, Journal of Engineering Education, Journal of English for Academic Purposes, and Language Teaching Research.

About the Collection

Intelligent Computer Assisted Language Learning (ICALL) or Intelligent Computer Assisted Language Instruction (ICALI) is a branch of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) that incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) perspectives, methods, computations, and technologies into CALL (Heift, 2021; Weng & Chiu, 2023). The advancement of research and development in ICALL has significant potential for several academic disciplines, including applied linguistics, computational linguistics, AI, and educational technology, among others (Degraeuwe, & Goethals, 2022; Soni et al., 2022). The incorporation of AI in education may also revolutionize the methods of assessment, giving rise to the development of Intelligent Computer-Assisted Language Assessment (ICALA). Implementing ICALA in education may affect the cognitive and emotional health of the students as well as teachers. Therefore, positive psychology perspectives are needed to guarantee the psychological and professional health of students and teachers using ICALL and ICALA.

Although ICALA has great potential in the field of language assessment, there is a dearth of research on the advantages and disadvantages of its implications in language assessment. Hence, it is crucial to delve deeper into the potential as well as challenges of ICALA to determine its applicability in language assessment. Additionally, it is essential to conduct further research in this domain as ICALA could potentially affect the cognitive and psychological well-being of language educators and their students. Thus, the major purpose of this Special Issue is to fulfill a need in the present corpus of research on the subject by collecting original papers, conceptual papers, systematic reviews, opinions, and meta-analyses. Large-scale quantitative studies, in-depth qualitative studies, and mixed-methods research are welcomed. Researchers from all across the world are encouraged to submit their contributions in the following areas of study. Moreover, we welcome submissions from disciplines not specifically included here, provided that they fall within the scope of the issue. Possible themes are suggested bellow, but are not limited to them:

- The Future of Education with ICALA;
- Advancement in Positive Psychology and its Fostering Roles in ICALA;
- Proposing Practical Techniques for Developing, Practicing, Enhancing, and Evaluating ICALA;
- ICALL and Language Assessment;
- The Differences in Learning Style Preferences and ICALA;
- Identity re(construction) in ICALA;
- Digital Literacies and ICALA;
- Materials Development and ICALA;
- Motivation/Demotivation with ICALA;
- New advancement in Teaching Strategies and ICALA;
- Academic Engagement and ICALA;
- Thinking Skills (e.g., Critical Thinking, Reflective Thinking, Creativity, ...) and ICALA;
- Self-aid Constructs (e.g., Self-efficacy, Self-esteem, Self-regulation, Self-compassion, ...) in the World of ICALA;
- Academic Buoyancy, Academic Resilience, and Grit Tendencies in the Realm of ICALA;
- Emotion Regulation in ICALA.

Submissions are invited now and will be considered on a rolling basis. The review process will commence immediately after submission, with the aim of publishing accepted papers promptly online. We encourage submissions from researchers and practitioners who have participated in relevant workshops or are actively engaged in this field. Contributions from related disciplines that align with the theme are also welcome.

We invite and encourage authors to submit their original and high-quality manuscripts to this special issue. All submissions will undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure high-quality contributions and scientific validity. It is necessary to give careful thought to the guidelines for submitting a manuscript. Any submissions lacking the correct formatting, declarations, ethical approvals, or related materials will not be allowed to proceed to the review stage. Manuscripts must be submitted exclusively through the journal's submission system, and any submissions made through other channels will not be considered for inclusion in this special issue. If the manuscripts fail to meet the Language Testing in Asia’s standards in terms of English language, content, or relevance, they will be declined.

All the submissions deemed suitable to be sent for peer review will be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Papers will be published online immediately after acceptance. Please ensure you read the Submission Guidelines before submitting your manuscript.

^{References:
Degraeuwe, J., & Goethals, P. (2022). ICALL ecosystems: making ICALL’s intelligence both accessible and understandable. In B. Arnbjörnsdóttir, B. Bédi, L. Bradley, K. Friðriksdóttir, H. Garðarsdóttir, S. Thouësny, & M. J. Whelpton (Eds.), Intelligent CALL, granular systems, and learner data: short papers from EUROCALL 2022 (pp. 89–94). https://doi.org/10.14705/rpnet.2022.61.1440
Heift, T. (2021). Intelligent Computer Assisted Language Learning. In: Mohebbi, H., Coombe, C. (eds) Research Questions in Language Education and Applied Linguistics. Springer Texts in Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79143-8_114
Soni, K., Kumar, N., Nair, A.S., Chourey, P., Singh, N.J., Agarwal, R. (2022). Artificial Intelligence. In: Aswal, D.K., Yadav, S., Takatsuji, T., Rachakonda, P., Kumar, H. (eds) Handbook of Metrology and Applications. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1550-5_54-1
Weng, X., & Chiu, T. K. (2023). Instructional design and learning outcomes of intelligent computer assisted language learning: Systematic review in the field. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 4, 100117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2022.10011}

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