a study on developing “personalized online english learning diagnosis and advice” ma xiaomei,...
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A Study on Developing “Personalized Online English Learning
Diagnosis and Advice”
Ma Xiaomei, Meng Yaru
Xian Jiaotong University
Website: (http://220 200.164.6:8086/)
本项目由全国教育科学规划，教育部“十五”规划立项支持 (2002-2006)（ No. FIB011311 ）
Key Term Interpretation Personalized Learning
“Personalized learning” is a learner-centered modern teaching approach, which is tailored to learners’ cognitive ability, learning objectives, learning needs as well as learning features.
Diagnosis
It is used in this context to diagnose the learner features and English learning problems.
Main Headings
Background & purposes
Method and procedure
Results
Limitations
Background & Purpose
The trend of EFL education
“One size fits all” teaching and learning mode ： far from enough to meet individual learners’ learning needs and interests.
“Personalization” “Autonomy” and “Hypertext” ：the new trend of EFL education in 21th century.
Educating learners to “learn how to learn”.
Previous Studies
Studies on Individual differences are abundant.
Reforms of curriculum design, and teaching methods and means are ongoing.
Various web-based English learning systems have been developed
However, few put research findings into practical use.
Due to the restriction of class time and space, classroom teaching mode hardly meets individual learners’ needs.
Most of them simply provide learning materials. Few attempt, to offer personalized English learning strategies.
Personalized learning
“Personalized learning” is a learner-centered modern teaching approach, which is tailored to learners’ cognitive ability, learning objectives, learning needs as well as learning features.
Learners should be fully supplied with learning materials unconstrained by classroom routines (in hypertext), and recommended to learning strategies tailored to their personal learning features like personality traits, learning style preferences, and the like.
Ultimately, their potentials are brought into full play, hence the optimal achievements are attained. (Ma, 2006).
Research questions
How to meet students learning needs and interests without constricting them in the classroom?
how to help them identify the way of learning that is tailored to their individual learning features?
Development of the system
With the notion of “personalized learning” and the theories of constructivism, cognitive psychology and SLA, and by taking the web technologies and artificial intelligence, we developed the online system “Personalized Online English Learning Diagnosis and Advice”, which is characterized by diagnosing, evaluating, consulting and giving advice.
Purposes
Purposes
To explore the appropriate way of “autonomous” “hypertext” and personalized” college English learning
To enhance the learner’s awareness of self-identification, self-control, self-management and self-development
To help learners identify the learning strategies that match their learning features.
Method and Procedure
System development
Data collectingScript designingDatabase constructing
Empirical studies Reviewing
previous findings
Empirical studies
Strategies training
Empirical studies
Learning strategies
Learning motivation
Learning beliefs
Successful & less successful
learners
Personality&strategies
styles &strategies
Motivation &
strategies
Beliefs & strategies
Learning styles
Methods forempirical studies
EmpiricalStudyseries
Instruments Subjects
Learning strategies
Learning styles
91-400
Total 1500
QuestionnairesInterviews
ObservationThink-aloud
Learning motivation
Learning beliefs
Personality traits
Research methods
Script designing
The script, the cyber-text designed for the web system development.
Steps: Determining rationale Drawing up outline, Designing samples, Writing up the texts Laying out the web page interface and technology
requirements such as super links, fonts, pictures, motions and etc.
Script featured by 4 modules
Static learning feature Diagnostic Module
Cases of Successful Learners Module
English learning strategies consulting and tutoring
Dynamic Reading Diagnostic Module
Rationale of Script designing
1.Cognitive reading based on Teaching Comprehension Process (Irwin’s, 1986).
2.National College English Curriculum Requirements (2004)
1. Individual differences （ Ellis,1994 ）2. Findings of empirical studies 3. Findings of previous
1. College English Teaching Syllabus
2. Empirical findings : in English reading, listening, and vocabulary learning strategies use
3. Teaching experiences of excellent teachers.
Experiences of excellent college students
Features of 4 modules
Static LearnerDiagnostic Module
Static LearnerDiagnostic Module
Cases of Successful Learners Module
Cases of Successful Learners Module
strategies consulting
and tutoring
strategies consulting
and tutoring
Dynamic Reading Diagnostic ModuleDynamic Reading
Diagnostic Module
Features of 4 modules
Features of 4 modules
Users’ reading proficiency, behaviors and time are assessed through reading, System records them; analyze the individual reading patterns; make an evaluation and gives constructive suggestions.
Users can identify their personality traits and learning style preferences, motivations and learning beliefs & strategies and then gain advice.
7 parts in Q & A form. Users can consult any question they encounter in language learning, e.g. reading, speaking, listening and etc.
Essays written by 60 good learners: categorized into different themes & in Question-and-Answer form. Users can consult any case.
Results
Empirical studies
Web system
Results 1 Major findings of Empirical Study
The study of correlations between 16 PF and strategies:
14 PF exhibit significant correlation with learning strategies
The study on learning styles
Independent, analytic and serial learning have significantly positive correlation with their Band 4 scores;
while group, dependent oriented learning style have significantly negative correlation with test scores.
Correlation between learning style preferences and their English achievement
Correlation
between learning styles and strategies
Language learning style preference has great effect on learning strategy choice. Visual, auditory, hands-on, independent, group,
analytic, serial, impulsive and left-brained learning styles are all significantly correlated with some aspects of learning strategies;
right-brained learning style manifests significantly negative correlation with rote-memory strategies while positive correlation with cognitive strategies.
The relationship between motivation and strategies
Intrinsic motivation is positively correlated with
management, affective strategies as well as language
form strategies of cognitive strategies.
Study on students’ beliefs about language learning
The high achievers possess more open and positive beliefs about language learning. In contrast, low achievers to much extent lack enough confidence about their English learning.
Beliefs about language learning have direct impact on the choice of language learning strategies.
Comparative studies in micro-learning
strategies
The successful learners differ greatly from unsuccessful learners in terms of reading, listening and vocabulary learning strategies.
The successful learners demonstrate both common features and differences in the above strategies use.
Results 2 :Web system
Results of System Development
Dynamical reading diagnosis
Learners Self-diagnostic system
Strategies consulting system
Cases of successful learners
User’s personal information
Website: (http://220 200.164.6:8086/)
Dynamical reading diagnosisreading
Learning
Review
Statistic Results
Passage Long sentence Words teachingAnswer keysText translation
Diagnosis
Individual scoreIndividual curveScore comparison
Detail analysisDiagnostic feedback
Absolute analysisrelative analysis Regression analysis
consists of 8 units of reading comprehension, each with 5 passages.5 parts, passage
reviews, translations, new word explanations, long sentence and answer explanations
With 3 graphs: self progress curves, 2 bar charts for both absolute and relative personal feedback curves
With absolute Score Diagnosis (the score of single items and average scores of individual readers), relative Score Diagnosis (the average scores of all the users) and regression and finally evaluating suggestions provided
Learner self-diagnosis
Learner factors
Cartell Personality 16 PF
Learning motivationLearning beliefs
Learning styles
Learning strategies
16 factors with 180items7 dimensions with 75 items2 types with 32 items 6 groups with
42items:4 groups with 54 items
Learner self diagnostic model
By using this subsystem, learner can identify what personality traits and learning style preferences he possesses, what motivation and learning beliefs he holds and what strategies he is using, and then gain corresponding advice on what he should do.
Strategies consulting
systemSpeaking
Writing Vocabulary
self-assessing tests
Reading
Listening
Strategies consulting system5 self-assessing tests in reading, listening, speaking, writing and vocabulary learning skills.
Learners can click any question he happens to have and get the desired answer.
Grammar
Translation
Cases of successful learners Some successful experiences were written in essay form by good
learners whose 4 band scores were all above 90 and categorized in 6 themes. Summaries of learning experience; English learning beliefs; motivation, interest and perseverance; vocabulary learning; integrated skills of reading, listening, speaking and writing. the selected excellent learners’ experiences.
Learners can click any of them they are interested in
Main Features of the System Fast and convenient
Easy to upgrade
Language learners can get the test results and the evaluation feedback the moment they have finished the each test
This can guarantee that the learners know the
latest information
about learning materials
and learning strategies.
Applicable for learners, teachers and researchers as well
Learner: be aware of his own learning features, identify the learning strategies and gain advice
Teacher: learn students’ learning features and personalize his teaching.
Researchers: collect data for further research. The data can be transferred to SPSS software from Oracle for processing.
System Application and Feedback The Questionnaire investigation
Subjects: 103 from the 2200 undergraduate users in Xi’an Jiao tong University
The results showed: 60% (62); 60 %( 62); “59.2 % (61) rated the design
223 messages and students interview indicate
The results of teachers interview
very satisfie
d
“very helpful” for autonomous learning;
very creativ
e
Conclusion
A breakthrough to the “one size fits all” mode of English learning guidance.
Manageable and practicable for teachers to tutor and guide students differentially
A resource to serve teachers as well
Limitations Firstly, more needs to be met in the Dynamic Diagnosis.
Feedback showed that the users also need self-diagnosis in listening and other skills.
The dynamic reading module itself needs to accommodate to learners of different levels.
Secondly, The successful learner cases should cover the experience of people from other walks of life.
Lastly, more is desired in the webpage design.
Prospect
Ongoing Studies applying for the follow-up research projects with the
aim to perfect the present system developing new modules hopefully with the
cooperation of the experts at home and overseas. The system will hopefully provide the service of
personalized learning strategies for English users from more areas, even all over the country.
Thank you !
Statistic results 1: Bar chart
Average score
comparison
Average score of the Individual
User
Average score of all the users
Average score of the high achiever
Statistic results 2: CurveThe curve of individual reader’s learning progress
Statistic results 3: Bar chartThe statistical passage number users have read through.
The number of passages the individual user has read
The number of passages the average users have read
The number of passages the users have read most.
Diagnostic analysis 1
The detail analysis of each passage 1
Diagnostic analysis
The detail analysis of each passage 2
Blue represents the average correct percentage for this question type; red wrong percentage.
Diagnostic analysis 2
Absolute diagnostic
Relative diagnostic
Regression analysis
Average scoreMain idea scoreDetail score Vocabulary score
Evaluation
Static learning feature Diagnosis Module
Cartell 16 PF
Learning motivation
testLearning
beliefs test
Learning styles test
Learning strategies test
English learning strategies consulting & tutoring
Reading
listening
speaking
writing
translating
Vocabulary
grammar
The example
interface of writing
Cases of Successful Learner Module
The example interface of successful learners’
experience
The interface of
questionnaire for users’ feedback
5 instruments
5 instruments: adopted, adapted or designed by referring to authorities’ & Chinese learning context; pilot-tested, processed through factor loading and Alpha Coefficients (above 0.6). by SPSS