Studio Events

The WLDH event calendar features pedagogy and other workshops, as well  guest lecturers, symposia, and expos on innovative pedagogical technology that can be used in the  language and digital humanities classroom. 

Please add our Outlook calendar wldhs@uark.edu to see any upcoming events and booking reservations!

Recent Studio Events

Spring 2025

Spring 2025 Event Calendar

Event Recap

May 1: Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) 2026 Edited Volume Roundtable with WLLC Authors and Editors

CALL Roundtable

The Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) 2026 Edited Volume Roundtable featured a panel of authors and editors from the World Languages, Literatures and Cultures department. 

Linda Jones, chair of the department; David Fredrick, professor of classical studies in the department; and Curtis Maughan, professor of digital humanities in the department, are the editors of the 2026 volume, titled "Game-Based Approaches to CALL" (University of Toronto Press, forthcoming). 

CALL Presenters and Titles:

  • Jake Abell (Baylor): "Chatting with the Past: AI-Facilitated Learning and Medieval French" 
  • Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, Claudia Devich, Valentina Morello: "Gaming Italian Style: Adopting Commercial Videogames in the Elementary Italian Curriculum" 
  • Maria Comsa: "Digital Innovations that Enrich French Language Instruction in Higher Education" 
  • Michael Hall: "Holographic Universe: The Story and Mission of the VR Classroom at UARK" 
  • Heather Offerman: "L2 Pronunciation Instruction Methodology and L2 Perception: Assessing Production Instruction Effects on Perception in L2 Spanish" 
  • Maria Comsa, Curtis Maughan, Sung-Hye Yang: "Immerse at UARK: AI-Powered Language Practice for French and Spanish" 

April 15: Digital Humanities Collective (DHC) Open House

DHC Open House

The Digital Humanities Collaborative and World Languages & Digital Humanities Studio held "The Digital Humanities Collaborative: Open House & Lightning Talks" in the newly remodeled space, JBHT 255. The DHC is a mixed-use space for teaching, student-led research and workshops which foster the creative application of digital technology in the service of the humanities. The departments of English, History and WLLC have combined resources to renovate JBHT 255 thus far. 

March 11: Gaming Language and Playing Kafka: Intercultural Education in the Ludic Century with Vít Šisler (Co-Founder and Game Designer, Charles Games)

Award-winning game designer and co-founder of Charles Games, Vít Šisler, presents "Gaming Language and Playing Kafka: Intercultural Education in the Ludic Century" in the World Languages & Digital Humanities Studio on March 12, 2025.

The award-winning game designer and co-founder of Charles Games, Vít Šisler, visited the U of A from March 11-13. Šisler gave a public lecture on the evening of March 12 called "Gaming Language and Playing Kafka: Intercultural Education in the Ludic Century" in the World Languages & Digital Humanities Studio, located in J.B. Hunt Center, room 207.  A Q&A was held after the lecture.

February 27: Spring 2025 Innovative Pedagogy Expo

Top Left, clockwise: Sydney Massey, Annie Doucet, Li Yang, Maria Comsa, and Sung-Hye Yang at the Innovative Pedagogy Expo in Spring 2025.

Five presenters from the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures showcased a pedagogical tool and/or strategy they have used in their respective classrooms to complement language learning instruction, ranging from utilizing AI to Kahoot Quizzes to Voyant for Distant Reading. 

The presenters were:

  • Sydney Massey (French Teaching Assistant): "Teaching Time and Schedules Using Real-World Applications"
  • Annie Doucet (Assistant Professor of French): "Voyant and Distant Reading"
  • Li Yang (Instructor of Chinese): "How to Design a Multi-Functional Oral Exam"
  • Maria Comsa (Teaching Assistant Professor of French): "AI: A Student Critical Thinking Partner"
  • Sung-Hye Yang (Instructor of Spanish): "Enhancing Learning and Assessment With Online Quiz Tools: Kahoot & Forms"

January 30: Game-Based Approaches to Teaching and Research

Game-Based Approaches to Teaching and Research

Seven speakers from across campus, including World Languages, Literatures & Cultures, Journalism, Communication, Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies, and Computer Science were on the panel. Each presenter gave a 5-minute talk on the ways in which they've incorporated a game-based approach to their respective research interests or teaching practices.  

The lineup included:  

  • Joomi Lee, assistant professor of Mediated Communication, Department of Communication 

  • Dave Fredrick, associate professor of Classical Studies, Game Design, Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures 

  • Alejandro Martin Gomez, assistant professor of Engineering, I3R, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science 

  • Jenna Allemand, teaching assistant of French, WLDH Studio researcher, Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures 

  • Sam Campbell, teaching assistant of Rhetoric & Composition, Comparative Literatures & Cultural Studies Ph.D student 

  • Curtis Maughan, teaching assistant professor of Digital Humanities, director of the WLDH Studio, Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures 

  • Brandon Bouchillon, associate professor of Journalism, School of Journalism and Strategic Media 

Past Events

Fall 2024

Spring 2024

Fall 2023

Spring 2023

Fall 2022