Affect & Relationality in the Contexts of Critical AI Literacies
The OISE Centre for Media, Culture & Education (CMCE) and the McLuhan Foundation present:
AFFECT & RELATIONALITY IN THE CONTEXTS OF CRITICAL AI LITERACIES
How does AI visibly and invisibly control our emotions and our relations with self and others? This panel explores how AI shapes emotions, identities, belonging, care, and agency, and how educators can develop critical capacities with respect to the affective and relational dimensions of AI.
🗓� Friday, October 16, 2026
Áå°&²Ô²ú²õ±è;12:00 pm — 2:00 pm
ðŸ“�&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Online (, or by scanning the QR code on the right. Zoom link will be provided once RSVP is received).
We look forward to welcoming you!
Co-sponsored by OISE's CMCE and the
About the speakers
Dani Dilkes
(PhD, OISE/UofT) is an interdisciplinary scholar and educational developer currently working at Western’s Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL). Her work sits at the intersection of knowledge and design justice, critical pedagogy, and feminist science and technology studies. She is commencing a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western University, focused on how education is shaped and constrained by contemporary social and technological imaginaries. Dani developed as a counter-framework to emerging AI Literacy frameworks, and has led multiple initiatives exploring generative AI discourse, including the . Dani is an Adjunct Research Professor in both the School of Health Studies and the Faculty of Education at Western.
Dr. Janette HughesÂ
is a Professor in the Frazer Faculty of Education at Ontario Tech University and Director of the Centre for Digital Innovation in Education. A former Canada Research Chair in Technology & Pedagogy (2015-2025), her research focuses on critical digital literacies, artificial intelligence in education, human flourishing, and innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Dr. Hughes is widely recognized for her leadership in advancing AI literacy, mentoring emerging scholars, and fostering equitable and inclusive educational practices through research, community partnerships, and knowledge mobilization initiatives.
Jialei Jiang
is a teaching assistant professor in the department of English at the University of Pittsburgh. She is interested in exploring issues related to critical AI literacy, multimodal composition, and social advocacy. Her recent edited collection is titled Designing for Social Justice: Community Engaged Approaches in Technical and Professional Communication. At the University of Pittsburgh, she instructs courses in composing digital media, technical writing, and multilingual composition. Her experience with multimodal design and emerging technologies has extended her ability to explore innovative theoretical and pedagogical approaches surrounding the integration of generative AI into multimodal composition.
Paula MacDowell
PhD, is an Associate Dean (Research, Graduate Support, and International Initiatives) and an Associate Professor in the College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan. Her research explores how people learn and teach with technology, including AI, VR, and digital games. As a dedicated mentor, she has supervised nearly 50 graduate theses and projects and is proud that her co-authored publications with students have earned multiple awards and research funding. Her innovative teaching and open-access books, developed in collaboration with students, have earned international recognition.