What is it about?
This study explores an innovative way of teaching university students by combining English language learning with urgently relevant scientific topics: Mpox (formerly monkeypox) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Conducted in Türkiye and Albania, this research included health sciences students (like nursing, veterinary medicine, dentistry) and engineering students. The goal was twofold: build English proficiency and deepen understanding of these critical global subjects. The teaching approach used is called Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), where students learn subject content through English rather than just studying the language. Two involved lecturers acted as both teachers and researchers. The first researcher designed lessons where students engaged with real scientific articles and current health updates, discussing Mpox outbreaks and AI’s role in public health and ethics—all in English. Then, she invited the second researcher to replicate this study in another country, Albania. Classroom sessions included reading academic texts, group discussions, and short presentations or written summaries. Nursing and veterinary students learned about Mpox as a rising zoonotic threat (a disease transferable between animals and humans). Engineering students examined AI’s potential and risks—such as misinformation, bias, ethical considerations, and regulation challenges. By conducting interviews, classroom observations, and reflective discussions, the study showed that students became more engaged, confident, and curious. They acquired both scientific knowledge and relevant English vocabulary, such as “zoonotic,” “outbreak,” and “AI bias.” There was also notable interdisciplinary collaboration—students learned from each other’s perspectives and grew their critical thinking. In sum, the study demonstrates how integrating content learning with language instruction helps university students master complex topics while developing the communication and analytical skills essential for today’s global academic and professional environments.
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Why is it important?
This work is significant because it empowers students to grapple with pressing global issues—like infectious disease and artificial intelligence safety—while simultaneously enhancing their English and critical thinking skills. It helps students better navigate misinformation, ethical challenges, and global health crises—skills increasingly vital in a tech-savvy, interconnected world, especially in crisis and unexpected events.
Perspectives
From my perspective as a practitioner-researcher, one of the most striking lessons of this study was showing students that scientific knowledge is not static. Mpox was long described as a zoonotic disease, mainly spreading from animals to humans. But more recent evidence shows that the virus has adapted to spread increasingly from human to human. This realization helped students see that what we once thought of as fixed knowledge can shift with new data. For me, this change is more than a medical update—it represents the dynamic nature of science and the responsibility of future professionals to keep learning and re-evaluating their assumptions. In the classroom, it meant students were not only memorizing facts but also grappling with how science evolves and why constant vigilance matters. This perspective extends beyond biology. It highlights how misinformation, stigma, and outdated beliefs can harm public health and why critical evaluation of sources is vital. It also illustrates the need for interdisciplinary collaboration: healthcare workers, engineers, and technology experts must work together, whether to control outbreaks or to regulate powerful tools like artificial intelligence. Personally, I see this study as evidence that sustainable education must combine up-to-date scientific insight, language learning, and critical thinking. By engaging with global issues in English, students learned to connect knowledge across fields and cultures, preparing them to act responsibly in a fast-changing world.
Dr Neslihan Onder-Ozdemir
Bursa Uludağ University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Practitioner Inquiry on Monkeypox Virus and AI Through Content and Language-Integrated Learning (CLIL) in Higher Education, July 2025, IGI Global,
DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3373-0305-5.ch011.
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