Collaborating with xe2x80x98familiarxe2x80x99 strangers in mobileassisted environments: The effect of socializing activities on learning EFL writing Abstract   Learners in computer or mobileassisted collaborative learning environments could remain anonymous or unfamiliar, as educators might not provide explicit socializing activities with the assumption that effective interactions could happen naturally in these situations. However, from the perspectives of social presence, it was hypothesized that for learners who were unfamiliar to their peers in online collaborative learning environments, performing explicit socializing activities prior to learning phases would help them have better learning performance, experience lower levels of working memory load, and experience higher levels of social presence than performing implicit socializing activities. This research was conducted to test the hypotheses with 60 participants. The results showed that providing explicit socializing activities to unfamiliar learners in mobileassisted collaborative learning environments increased the level of social presence, facilitated their acquisition of complex cognitive skills such as EFL argument essay writing skills, and reduced the level of cognitive load in learning. These results are discussed in light of human cognitive architecture and the social presence theory.

A Preliminary Analysis of Learners Social Behavioral Cues When Interacting with Language Learning Robots and IoT Based Toys This paper reports a pilot study of an ongoing project focusing on analyzing learnersu0027 social behavioral cues as learners interact with an English learning environment constructed by language learning robots and IoT based toys. In accordance with Vygotskyu0027s sociocultural perspective that learning process occurs when learners interact with the external world, this study observes and analyzes learning process taking place in the realworld learning situations through the lens of social behavioral cues. A qualitative method of interaction analysis is used to understand learnersu0027 social behavioral cues when they interact with robots, IoT based toys, and other persons or objects present at the English learning environment. With interaction analysis, this study aims at identifying what kind of social behavioral cues observed in the English learning environment. The frequently observed social behavioral cues reflect learnersu0027 learning situation and inform the design of learning activities and the development of learning technologies. With such findings, this study hopes to initiate the awareness and endeavors to facilitate learnersu0027 learning by supporting diverse types of social interaction when they engage in the learning activities with robots and IoT based toys.