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Seminar Schedule

We bring in a variety of speakers to campus to talk about things that might not normally be covered in our classes.

When possible, these seminars are recorded and made available to current students and faculty/staff in this Google Drive folder (requires 1Hope login).

Unless otherwise noted, all seminars take place from 11–11:50 a.m. in VanderWerf room 104.

Fall 2026

The fall seminar schedule is still being determined. This page will be updated as information becomes available.

September 3 — Dr. Charlotte kiesel

Designing Audiovisual Pronunciation Feedback for Second Language Learners

As learners acquire a second language, one of the key challenges to developing new phonetic categories (i.e., pronunciation norms) is overcoming the bias created by the learner's first language system. Prior studies show that audiovisual feedback, where learners are provided with a visual representation of their own speech and that of a native speaker, generally outperform traditional audio-only feedback. Though, how learners interpret and integrate feedback remains poorly understood, limiting our ability to design learner-oriented feedback systems.

In this work, we explore and compare learners’ perspectives on these two types of feedback to address this gap. We designed V(is)owel, an audiovisual interactive vowel chart tool, and compared it with audio-only feedback in a within-subjects pronunciation practice study. We observed two key challenges faced by learners: (1) difficulty interpreting feedback, and (2) physically implementing feedback. Our results suggest that visual feedback is effective because it is actionable, provides a goal, and motivates continued practice compared to oral perception alone.

Dr. Charlotte Kiesel is joining Hope College as an Assistant Professor in Computer Science this autumn. She completed her Ph.D. in Computer Science with a focus on Human-Computer Interaction at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in May. In particular, she enjoys researching how students approach foreign language learning and what tools can support them achieve their goals. Beyond academics, she enjoys crafting, playing video games with her husband, and various outdoor activities such as Ultimate Frisbee, beach volleyball, and kayaking.

september 17— claire lundy

Title and abstract to come.

October 1 — tbd

The speaker for this seminar has not yet been determined.

October 15 — Alex Atcheson

Title and abstract to come.

November 19 — Dr. Derek Schuurman

Dr. Schuurman will speak on the topic of Faith and AI. More details to come.

Dr. Schuurman's personal story includes working in industry for several years before returning to academia. His interest in technology began in his early teens playing with ham radio and his first computer. He is also interested in the bigger picture of ethics, perspectives, and issues related to technology using insights from the philosophy of technology in conversation with the Reformed tradition.

He is author of the book Shaping a Digital World and co-author of A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers, both published by IVP Academic. He is also a regular contributor to the Christian Scholars Review blog, and a columnist for Christian Courier.

Dr. Schuurman is a fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation, a fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion (FISSR), an associate fellow of the Kirby Liang Centre, and was made a senior member of the IEEE. He is a member of the ACM, CES, ACMS, and serves as a book review editor for Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith.

december 3 - TBD

The speaker for this seminar has not yet been determined.