International Office Cultivates Critical Thinkers: Workshop Empowers Global Engagement Team for AsiaCALL Conference 2025 on AI in Language Education
Cirebon, August 8, 2025 – The International Office of UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon, under the leadership of Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D., conducted a transformative workshop for student interns from the Global Engagement Team (GET) to prepare them for the upcoming AsiaCALL Conference 2025. This intensive session, held on August 8, 2025, went beyond typical presentation preparation, focusing instead on cultivating research-oriented mindsets essential for engaging with the conference theme: "AI in Language Education: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Directions." Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. emphasized that internship at the International Office is not merely about administrative tasks, but about empowering students to become active contributors to international academic discourse. The workshop challenged GET members to think deeply about educational, technological, and cultural shifts driven by artificial intelligence in language learning. This approach reflects the office's commitment to nurturing globally competent graduates who prioritize the pursuit of knowledge over rote memorization.
The workshop delved into the fundamental differences between surface-level engagement and deep learning, encouraging students to value depth over speed in their academic pursuits. Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. highlighted how true deep learning requires reflection, patience, and joyful, meaningful, mindful engagement with knowledge. He contrasted this with the digital world's emphasis on engagement metrics that often oppose the pursuit of truth and genuine comprehension. The session addressed the dangers of epistemic bubbles created by emotional content that lacks nuance and balanced analysis, warning that such content can confirm existing biases rather than promote understanding. Students were challenged to think about how social media's optimization for clicks rather than comprehension affects learning outcomes. The Director stressed that education should prioritize inquiry over memorization, warning that focusing solely on memorization creates "dumb and dumber" students. He emphasized that educational models must shift from standardized testing to promoting curiosity, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary understanding.
A significant portion of the workshop focused on cultivating the ability to ask better questions rather than simply providing answers. Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. introduced the metaphor of "The Table Beneath the Stars" to illustrate learning environments full of wonder and imagination, where both students and teachers engage in inquiry together. He explained that students trained in memorization are only taught to answer questions, while those trained in inquiry learn to ask better questions themselves. The Director emphasized that the quality of questions received often reflects a student's intellectual capacity and depth of understanding. This approach requires moving beyond simply stating that connections exist between concepts to actually understanding the mechanisms behind those connections.
The session explored the concept of "shift" as central to genuine learning and transformation, encompassing technological, educational, and cultural dimensions. Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. challenged the GET members to consider whether their work at UIN Siber promotes these crucial shifts, particularly in how they approach learning and knowledge creation. He used real-world examples, such as drivers who never adapt their perceptions of road safety despite repeated experiences, to illustrate how the absence of mental shifting indicates a lack of true learning. The Director emphasized that shifting perspectives is a characteristic of individuals who are genuinely engaged in learning, drawing parallels to how observing the night sky in different contexts can inspire wonder and deeper inquiry. He encouraged students to think about how artificial intelligence can be used to promote classrooms "full of wonders" rather than merely focusing on engagement metrics. This concept ties directly to the AsiaCALL conference theme, where understanding how AI can facilitate meaningful educational transformation becomes paramount.
The workshop addressed the integration of philosophy, logic, media literacy, and interdisciplinary learning as essential components of 21st-century English language teaching. Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. emphasized that critical thinking pedagogy should focus on teaching students "how to think" rather than "what to think," challenging them to move beyond surface-level responses. Students were encouraged to consider how emotional engagement and aesthetic elements could be incorporated into AI-mediated language learning, recognizing that finding the right emotional connection is part of the interpretative process of learning. The session highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary approaches, suggesting that a comprehensive English language curriculum should include philosophy, literature, and logic to create well-rounded learners. Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. reminded participants that effective writing and assessment must consider how different parts of the brain interact when processing information, rather than oversimplifying complex cognitive processes. He concluded by emphasizing that learning environments promoting critical thinking always ask "What do you wonder about?" instead of simply seeking predetermined answers.
The workshop concluded with a vision for the GET members' participation in AsiaCALL Conference 2025 that goes beyond mere attendance to active contribution to academic discourse. Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. challenged students to ensure their work promotes the technological, educational, and cultural shifts necessary for meaningful progress in AI-mediated language education. He emphasized that their role as global engagement team members requires them to demonstrate these shifts in their approach to learning and research. The session prepared students to value deep learners over influencers and celebrities, recognizing that true academic contribution comes from sustained inquiry rather than surface-level engagement. Participants were encouraged to create content and presentations that reflect the complexity of AI's impact on language education while maintaining a commitment to truth and genuine comprehension. This preparation positions the GET members not just as conference participants, but as emerging scholars ready to contribute meaningfully to international discussions on the future of language education in the digital age.
Author: Resa Diah Gayatri