2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Mediating Language Acquisition and Intercultural Growth: Comparing Pre-AI and AI-Supported EMI Humanities Learning among International Engineering Students in Japan

Presented at Multidisciplinary Engineering Division (MULTI) Technical Session 5: Learning through AI

This work-in-progress examines how AI-supported multimodal instruction, aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), influences linguistic development and learner engagement in English-Medium Instruction (EMI) humanities learning among international engineering students in the College of Engineering at Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT) in Japan. Two cohorts of students enrolled in a 14-week “History of Japan” module within an undergraduate engineering curriculum were compared: a pre-AI baseline cohort (Fall 2022, n = 22) and an AI-supported cohort (Spring 2025, n = 18). The 2022 cohort completed weekly reflective essays without AI assistance, while the 2025 cohort engaged with level-stratified multimodal resources developed using Claude 3.5 Sonnet and ElevenLabs. These multimodal resources consisted of highly detailed C2-level lecture slides paired with B2-level narrated summaries designed for accessibility; this combination was designed to reduce extraneous cognitive load while preserving conceptual challenge. English-language lexical development among the students was measured using the CEFR-based Vocabulary Level Analyzer (CVLA) v3.0, intercultural sensitivity was measured using the Miville-Guzman Universality-Diversity Scale–Short Form (MGUDS-S), and learner perceptions were recorded through surveys carried out in Week 14. CVLA results indicated significant lexical improvement in both cohorts (Fall 2022: t = −2.244, p = .036; Spring 2025: t(17) = 2.72, p = .015, Cohen’s d = 0.64), with reduced post-test variance in the AI-supported cohort suggesting convergence toward higher proficiency. MGUDS-S analysis for the 2025 cohort (n = 12) showed a small but not statistically significant change in overall intercultural sensitivity (p = .635), with the MGUDS-S subscale 'Diversity of Contact' showing a medium effect size (Cohen's dz = 0.52). A correlational analysis yielded a positive but non-significant association between lexical development and increasing intercultural sensitivity (r = +0.485, p = .110). Survey responses (n = 15) indicate that learners generally experienced the multimodal scaffolding as supportive, with notably higher ratings for visual slides than for audio-only narrations, and a majority preference for the instructor’s voice over an AI-generated one. This study offers empirically informed design implications for ethically integrating AI as strategic scaffolding in EMI humanities learning within engineering education.

Authors

Prof. Hatsuko Yoshikubo Ph.D. Shibaura Institute of Technology [biography]

Dr. Hatsuko Yoshikubo is a Professor of Humanities in the Innovative Global Program at the College of Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology, a leading engineering university in Tokyo, Japan, where she leads the Smart Education for Creative Engineers Laboratory (SECE Lab). She earned her Ph.D. in English Literature from Chiba University in 2002. Her research explores the value of incorporating humanities into science and engineering curricula, innovative assessment strategies in hybrid and international learning environments, and collaborative learning and assessment in global and COIL-based engineering education contexts, with a recent focus on AI-enhanced learning, data-driven assessment, and interdisciplinary engineering education design. She currently leads a research project funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (No. 24K06133, 2024–2027). She has presented her work at major international conferences including ASEE, WERA, BERA, IIAI-DSIR, and APAIE. Her work has been recognized with multiple awards, including the ASEE Best Diversity Paper Award (2023), the DSIR Outstanding Paper Award (2021), SIT’s Presidential Award (2023), and recent recognitions including the 20th Kanto Society for Engineering Education Award (Best Paper/Essay Award) and the JSEE Annual Conference International Session Award (2025).
Gabriele Trovato [biography]

Gabriele Trovato is currently Associate Professor in Shibaura Institute of Technology, where he leads LAB 22, as well as Senior Visiting Fellow at the University of Palermo, Italy, International Co-Investigator at the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), and Visiting Researcher in Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.
He received his M.S. degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Pisa, Italy, and Ph.D. degree in Biorobotics in Waseda University. Within the relations between the two countries, Gabriele Trovato has been in the organising committee of Italy-Japan Workshops since 2011, and has been appointed "Ambassador of Livorno in the world" by the Municipality of Livorno, Italy.
He has been Visiting Researcher in Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany), PUCP (Peru) and Imperial College London (UK) among others.
Gabriele Trovato has worked in the video game industry, being involved in the development of the world-wide known game series "Sid Meier's Civilization" and having created popular innovative mods for the game.
His main research interests are interdisciplinary and include Human-Robot Interaction, with focus on culture and religion related aspects, artificial emotions in humanoids, and robot aesthetics.

Gabriele Trovato's creations, such as SanTO robots, are a combination of engineering, AI, art and humanities, and raised interest among the worldwide press, including the Wall Street Journal and the BBC.
Ujwal Kumar Shibaura Institute of Technology [biography]

Ujwal Kumar is an undergraduate Computer Science student in the Innovative Global Program in the College of Engineering at Shibaura Institute of Technology in Tokyo. His research interests include generative AI and human–machine interaction, with practical experience developing AI agents and conducting research at both the Mobile Multimedia Communications Lab, led by Prof. Phan Xuan Tan, and the Matsuo Lab at the University of Tokyo. He joined SECE Lab. lead by Prof. Hatsuko Yoshikubo and co-authored a paper for the JSEE Annual Conference International Session (2025). He has also co-authored papers for IEEE and ACM. and has participated in international design and innovation programmes.
CHOI HYOSEOK Shibaura Institute of Technology [biography]

HyoSeok Choi is an undergraduate Civil Engineering student in the Innovative Global Program in the College of Engineering at Shibaura Institute of Technology. He is a member of the Mobility Infrastructure Lab, led by Prof. Yiping Le. His research explores how personal attributes influence travel behaviour, with a focus on promoting spontaneous travel through a support app. His global perspective has been shaped by international exchange and collaboration with peers from diverse cultural backgrounds. He joined SECE Lab. lead by Prof. Hatsuko Yoshikubo and co-authored a paper for the JSEE Annual Conference International Session (2025).

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