ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Contexts in a Paper Recommendation System with Collaborative Filtering
Author: Winoto, Pinata
Date: 2012-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Information Retrieval,Undergraduate Students,Graduate Students,Information Technology,Educational Technology,Information Seeking,Experiments,Higher Education,Electronic Learning,Comparative Analysis

Making personalized paper recommendations to users in an educational domain is not a trivial task of simply matching users' interests with a paper topic. Therefore, we proposed a context-aware multidimensional paper recommendation system that considers additional user and paper features. Earlier experiments on experienced graduate students demonstrated the significance of this approach using modified collaborative filtering techniques. However, two key issues remain: (1) How would the modified filtering perform when target users are inexperienced undergraduate students who have a different pedagogical background and contextual information-seeking goals, such as task- and course-related goals, from those of graduate students?; (2) Should we combine graduates and undergraduates in the same pool, or should we separate them? We conducted two studies aimed at addressing these issues and they showed that (1) the system can be effectively used for inexperienced learners; (2) recommendations are less effective for different learning groups (with different pedagogical features and learning goals) than they are for the same learning groups. Based on the results obtained from these studies, we suggest several context-aware filtering techniques for different learning scenarios. (Contains 7 tables, 4 figures, and 1 footnote.)
Searching for and Positioning of Contextualized Learning Objects
Author: Baldiris, Silvia
Date: 2012-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Technology,Virtual Classrooms,Lifelong Learning,Teaching Methods,Evaluation,Information Technology

Learning object economies are marketplaces for the sharing and reuse of learning objects (LO). There are many motivations for stimulating the development of the LO economy. The main reason is the possibility of providing the right content, at the right time, to the right learner according to adequate quality standards in the context of a lifelong learning process; in fact, this is also the main objective of education. However, some barriers to the development of a LO economy, such as the granularity and editability of LO, must be overcome. Furthermore, some enablers, such as learning design generation and standards usage, must be promoted in order to enhance LO economy. For this article, we introduced the integration of distributed learning object repositories (DLOR) as sources of LO that could be placed in adaptive learning designs to assist teachers' design work. Two main issues presented as a result: how to access distributed LO, and where to place the LO in the learning design. To address these issues, we introduced two processes: LORSE, a distributed LO searching process, and LOOK, a micro context-based positioning process, respectively. Using these processes, the teachers were able to reuse LO from different sources to semi-automatically generate an adaptive learning design without leaving their virtual environment. A layered evaluation yielded good results for the process of placing learning objects from controlled learning object repositories into a learning design, and permitting educators to define different open issues that must be covered when they use uncontrolled learning object repositories for this purpose. We verified the satisfaction users had with our solution. (Contains 7 tables and 2 figures.)
Instructor-Aided Asynchronous Question Answering System for Online Education and Distance Learning
Author: Wen, Dunwei
Date: 2012-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Processing,Natural Language Processing,Distance Education,Online Courses,Asynchronous Communication,Integrated Learning Systems,Information Retrieval,Electronic Learning,Semantics,Search Engines,Internet,Information Technology,Educational Technology

Question answering systems have frequently been explored for educational use. However, their value was somewhat limited due to the quality of the answers returned to the student. Recent question answering (QA) research has started to incorporate deep natural language processing (NLP) in order to improve these answers. However, current NLP technology involves intensive computing and thus it is hard to meet the real-time demand of traditional search. This paper introduces a question answering (QA) system particularly suited for delayed-answered questions that are typical in certain asynchronous online and distance learning settings. We exploit the communication delay between student and instructor and propose a solution that integrates into an organization's existing learning management system. We present how our system fits into an online and distance learning situation and how it can better assist supporting students. The prototype system and its running results show the perspective and potential of this research. (Contains 4 tables, 12 figures and 3 footnotes.)
Drawing Dynamic Geometry Figures Online with Natural Language for Junior High School Geometry
Author: Wong, Wing-Kwong
Date: 2012-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Accuracy,Geometry,Geometric Concepts,Natural Language Processing,Distance Education,Web Browsers,Textbooks,Junior High School Students,Secondary School Mathematics,Computer Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Computer Software,Foreign Countries

This paper presents a tool for drawing dynamic geometric figures by understanding the texts of geometry problems. With the tool, teachers and students can construct dynamic geometric figures on a web page by inputting a geometry problem in natural language. First we need to build the knowledge base for understanding geometry problems. With the help of the knowledge base engine InfoMap, geometric concepts are extracted from an input text. The concepts are then used to output a multistep JavaSketchpad script, which constructs the dynamic geometry figure on a web page. Finally, the system outputs the script as an HTML document that can be visualized and read with an internet browser. Furthermore, a preliminary evaluation of the tool showed that it produced correct dynamic geometric figures for over 90% of problems from textbooks. With such high accuracy, the system produced by this study can support distance learning for geometry students as well as distance learning in producing geometry content for instructors. (Contains 4 tables and 13 figures.)
A Semi-Automatic Approach to Construct Vietnamese Ontology from Online Text
Author: Nguyen, Bao-An
Date: 2012-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Language Processing,Information Retrieval,Instructional Materials,Semantics,Artificial Intelligence,Natural Language Processing,Vietnamese People,Electronic Learning,Distance Education,Taxonomy,Lexicography,Information Science,Reference Materials,Vietnamese,Data Processing,Pattern Recognition,Data Analysis,Content Analysis,Information Technology

An ontology is an effective formal representation of knowledge used commonly in artificial intelligence, semantic web, software engineering, and information retrieval. In open and distance learning, ontologies are used as knowledge bases for e-learning supplements, educational recommenders, and question answering systems that support students with much needed resources. In such systems, ontology construction is one of the most important phases. Since there are abundant documents on the Internet, useful learning materials can be acquired openly with the use of an ontology. However, due to the lack of system support for ontology construction, it is difficult to construct self-instructional materials for Vietnamese people. In general, the cost of manual acquisition of ontologies from domain documents and expert knowledge is too high. Therefore, we present a support system for Vietnamese ontology construction using pattern-based mechanisms to discover Vietnamese concepts and conceptual relations from Vietnamese text documents. In this system, we use the combination of statistics-based, data mining, and Vietnamese natural language processing methods to develop concept and conceptual relation extraction algorithms to discover knowledge from Vietnamese text documents. From the experiments, we show that our approach provides a feasible solution to build Vietnamese ontologies used for supporting systems in education. (Contains 6 tables, 7 figures and 10 online resources.)
A Qualitative Analysis Framework Using Natural Language Processing and Graph Theory
Author: Tierney, Patrick J.
Date: 2012-12-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Natural Language Processing,Qualitative Research,Data Analysis,Graphs,Theories,Statistical Analysis,Coding,Artificial Intelligence

This paper introduces a method of extending natural language-based processing of qualitative data analysis with the use of a very quantitative tool--graph theory. It is not an attempt to convert qualitative research to a positivist approach with a mathematical black box, nor is it a "graphical solution". Rather, it is a method to help qualitative researchers, especially those with limited experience, to discover and tease out what lies within the data. A quick review of coding is followed by basic explanations of natural language processing, artificial intelligence, and graph theory to help with understanding the method. The process described herein is limited by neither the size of the data set nor the domain in which it is applied. It has the potential to substantially reduce the amount of time required to analyze qualitative data and to assist in the discovery of themes that might not have otherwise been detected. (Contains 1 table and 7 figures.)
Exploring a Cross-Institutional Research Collaboration and Innovation: Deploying Social Software and Web 2.0 Technologies to Investigate Online Learning Designs and Interactions in Two Australian Universities
Author: Rossi, Dolene
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Online Courses,Electronic Learning,Educational Environment,Educational Research,Institutional Cooperation,Educational Quality,Outcomes of Education,Academic Achievement,Computer Software,Social Networks,Web 2.0 Technologies,Instructional Design,Educational Technology,Innovation

One significant manifestation of the proposition of a &quot;classroom without walls&quot; is the online learning environments evident in most contemporary Australian universities. A key element of the effectiveness of those environments is the quality of the interactions that they foster. Planning and implementing rigorous research into that quality is crucial if these particular &quot;classrooms without walls&quot; are to deliver enhanced and sustained learning outcomes. This article explores selected aspects of a cross-institutional collaboration linking two Australian universities researching the quality of learning interactions in their online courses. In particular, the authors analyse the utility of the social software and Web 2.0 technologies that have been deployed to facilitate their collaborative research. Despite the constraints and tensions attendant on within- and cross-organisational learning, teaching and research activities, the article records evidence of a developing innovation in investigating both the online learning designs and the research project developed to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of those designs. (Contains 2 figures.)
Designing Online Role Plays with a Focus on Story Development to Support Engagement and Critical Learning for Higher Education Students
Author: Dracup, Mary
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Role Playing,News Media,Political Science,Journalism Education,Asynchronous Communication,Figurative Language,Story Telling,Perspective Taking,Case Studies,Computer Simulation,Connected Discourse,Learner Engagement

Online role plays, as they are designed for use in higher education in Australia and internationally, are active and authentic learning activities (Wills, Leigh &amp; Ip, 2011). In online role plays, students take a character role in developing a story that serves as a metaphor for real-life experience in order to develop a potentially wide range of subject-related and generic learning outcomes. The characteristics of these stories are rarely considered as factors in the design--and success--of these activities. The unspoken cultural assumptions, norms and rules in the stories that impact on the meanings students make from their experiences are also rarely scrutinised in the online role play literature. This paper presents findings from a case study of an asynchronous text-based online role play involving politics and journalism students from three Australian universities. The findings highlight the centrality of students' collaborative story-building activity to their engagement and learning, including their development of critical perspectives. The study underlines the importance of certain aspects of the role play's design to support students' story-building activity. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)
Removing the Walls and Textbook from the Classroom: A Case Study of a Creative Entrepreneurship Class of Multinational Students in South Korea
Author: Parry, Zen
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Course Descriptions,Instruction,Entrepreneurship,Creativity,Multicultural Education,Multilingualism,Learning Experience,Electronic Learning,Business Administration Education,Virtual Classrooms,Classroom Environment,Cultural Context,Risk,Cultural Differences,Student Diversity,Class Organization,Higher Education

Introducing creative elements into the syllabus and pedagogy of an Entrepreneurship class in a business school can be a risky endeavour for an educator and students alike. Populating the class with students from traditionally risk-averse cultures provides opportunities for everyone involved. Identifying the core behavioural issues for students in this learning experience brought creativity and entrepreneurship together in the academic environment. Emergent was a joint learning workshop using Skype, involving a book author, a multilingual multicultural class in South Korea and a culturally homogenous class in Indonesia. Along the way, the walls of the classroom were removed and the covers from the book disappeared. At the end of the journey, a new paradigm had emerged, driven and defined by the students that want to be the Entrepreneurs of their own worlds. This is the story of one creative entrepreneurship class of multinational students in South Korea.
Wiki Use that Increases Communication and Collaboration Motivation
Author: Davidson, Robyn
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Web 2.0 Technologies,Web Sites,Editing,Collaborative Writing,Cooperative Learning,Student Projects,Technology Uses in Education,Instructional Effectiveness,Writing Skills,Access to Information,Accounting,Graduate Study,Data Interpretation,Praxis

Communication and collaboration can be readily enabled by the use of many ICT tools. A wiki, which is an easily accessible and editable website, is one such platform that provides the opportunity for students to work on group projects without the barriers that arise from traditional group work. Whilst wiki use is becoming more common, its use in education is patchy and pedagogical reasoning and evaluation of such use is under explored. This paper addresses the gap in pedagogy and evaluation in the context of accounting studies. A traditional assessment task of writing an essay that involved a research and knowledge component was redesigned to enable groups to communicate and collaborate at a distance using a wiki. Through participant observation and student reflections of the group project, a wiki was found to be an effective platform to communicate and collaborate on a group project and enabled different barriers to be broken down. Wikis provide ubiquitous access to group work, organisation and version control, levels the playing field for dominant and shy students, and provides transparency for non-performers and high achievers. (Contains 1 footnote.)
Somewhere over the Border: Grammar in a Class of Its Own
Author: Duff, Andrea
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Institutional Cooperation,Global Approach,Academic Support Services,Grammar,Web Sites,Electronic Publishing,Virtual Classrooms,Language Role,Native Speakers,English (Second Language),Intellectual Property,Ownership,Public Policy,English

The Grammar Gang blog has now passed its fourth anniversary as a borderless, non-proprietary language and learning online classroom. It gives wing to the aspirations of academic staff from four universities to explore language and learning across hemispheres. The Blog's recent birthday provides a timely opportunity to explore how this collaboration takes place and some possible ways to extend language, learning and academic support services. The Grammar Gang is an online classroom where people around the world can learn and explore their interest in language in a fun, conversational way. It is also a borderless classroom which queries the notion of institutional &quot;ownership&quot; in its traditional sense. Further, it opens wide the debate around the rights and wrongs of English language expression and learning. Four members of the Grammar Gang examine the implications of this digital collaboration in this context by addressing the ways in which the blog is used and some of the thinking within the literature around global English and institutional ownership of knowledge. The Grammar Gang continues to be an &quot;adventure across the hemispheres&quot; providing a model for others to follow.
The Role of Depth versus Breadth of Vocabulary Knowledge in Success and Ease in L2 Lexical Inferencing
Author: Hatami, Sarvenaz
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Vocabulary Development,Second Language Learning,Inferences,Language Tests,English (Second Language),Task Analysis,Role,Foreign Countries,College Seniors,Majors (Students),Second Language Instruction,Measures (Individuals)

This study determines whether breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge are related to L2 ease and success in lexical inferencing. To this end, two tests measuring vocabulary breadth and depth were administered to 50 participants. Two weeks later, all participants received an inferencing task and rated the degree of perceived ease in inferencing on a 6-point Likert-scale questionnaire. The findings indicated that although both vocabulary breadth and depth played an important role in lexical inferencing success, vocabulary breadth made a more important contribution. The results further revealed that neither vocabulary breadth nor depth had a significant effect on perceived ease of inferencing. (Contains 5 tables.)
How Well Do General-Skills ESL Textbooks Address Pronunciation?
Author: Derwing, Tracey M.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Textbooks,Pronunciation Instruction,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Teaching Guides,Content Analysis,Teaching Methods,Language Proficiency,Foreign Countries

Many instructors are reluctant to teach pronunciation in adult ESL classrooms, often because of lack of formal training. However, significant numbers of ESL students want pronunciation instruction. Although stand-alone pronunciation courses for second-language (L2) learners exist, many students cannot gain access to them. One approach to meeting the needs of both instructors and students is for general-skills L2 textbooks to include pronunciation activities. We examined 12 ESL general-skills textbook series (48 texts in total) and six accompanying teachers' manuals to determine to what extent these popular books include pronunciation activities and how consistent the texts are across individual series. We also recorded which aspects of L2 pronunciation are the focus of the lessons. Task types were examined in a subset of five series. We found striking variability in the concentration of pronunciation activities both across and within series. Similarly, whereas some textbooks used several task types, others relied heavily on a limited range. Furthermore, some texts offered little in terms of explicit explanations. In some instances teachers' manuals provided instructors with guidance; others included little more than repeated admonitions to remind the students to monitor their L2 pronunciation. The implications for teachers of general ESL courses are discussed. (Contains 2 tables.)
Implementing Portfolio-Based Language Assessment in LINC Programs: Benefits and Challenges
Author: Ripley, Daniel
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Program Effectiveness,Portfolios (Background Materials),Pilot Projects,English (Second Language),Foreign Countries,Semi Structured Interviews,Second Language Instruction,Second Language Learning,Citizenship,Models,Language Proficiency,Evaluation Methods

Although earlier research has examined the potential of portfolios as assessment tools, research on the use of portfolios in the context of second-language education in Canada has been limited. The goal of this study was to explore the benefits and challenges of implementing a portfolio-based language assessment (PBLA) model in Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) programs. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews with four LINC instructors involved in a PBLA pilot project in a large Canadian city. Similar interviews were conducted with a representative of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and a developer of the PBLA model. Participants identified both benefits and challenges related to PBLA implementation. Based on their feedback, recommendations for future implementation are provided.
Culture and Interculturality in the Adult ESL Context in Urban Quebec: A Case Study
Author: Dytynyshyn, Nancy
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teaching Methods,English (Second Language),Intercultural Communication,French Canadians,Community Centers,Second Language Learning,Case Studies,Cultural Awareness,Second Language Instruction,Foreign Countries,Cultural Differences,Teacher Attitudes,Trust (Psychology)

This article examines the treatment of culture and the development of interculturality in the transcripts of a complete 36-hour ESL course organized by a community center in Montreal. The adult participants came from a variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The adult second-language class has been identified as a potentially rich context for the development of interculturality due to direct contact between students from diverse cultures (Magos &amp; Simopoulos, 2009). However, addressing areas of cultural misunderstandings (discursive fault lines, Menard-Warwick, 2009) may be essential in the process. The research questions relate to the representation of Canadian culture, how the teacher views and approaches cultural issues, and any evidence that this approach promotes intercultural competence. Results show Canada represented as a culturally diverse community with French Canadian culture minimally represented. The teacher emphasized cultural adaptation and commonality of students' experience across cultures. She did not address discursive fault lines in whole-class contexts, but was able to capitalize on the contact between her multiethnic learners to facilitate intercultural communication and the development of relationships of trust with those normally seen as &quot;other.&quot; There was insufficient evidence to conclude that her approach promoted interculturality, but we argue that it did provide key elements from which interculturality may develop. (Contains 1 table and 4 notes.)