Emerging spaces for language learning: AI bots, ambient intelligence, and the metaverse

Looking at human communication from the perspective of semiotics extends our view beyond verbal language to consider other sign systems and meaning-making resources. Those include gestures, body language, images, and sounds. From this perspective, the communicative process expands from individual mental processes of verbalizing to include features of the environment, the place and space in which the communication occurs. It may be—and it is increasingly the case today—that language is mediated through digital networks. Online communication has become multimodal in virtually all platforms. At the same time, mobile devices have become indispensable digital companions, extending our perceptive and cognitive abilities. Advances in artificial intelligence are enabling tools that have considerable potential for language learning, as well as creating more complexity in the relationship between humans and the material world. In this column, we will be looking at changing perspectives on the role of place and space in language learning, as mobile, embedded, virtual, and reality-augmenting technologies play an ever-increasing role in our lives. Understanding that dynamic is aided by theories and frameworks such as 4E cognition and sociomaterialism, which posit closer connections between human cognition/language and the world around us

Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum

The field of specialization known as the science of learning is not, in fact, one field. Science of learning is a term that serves as an umbrella for many lines of research, theory, and application. A term with an even wider reach is Learning Sciences (Sawyer, 2006). The present book represents a sliver, albeit a substantial one, of the scholarship on the science of learning and its application in educational settings (Science of Instruction, Mayer 2011). Although much, but not all, of what is presented in this book is focused on learning in college and university settings, teachers of all academic levels may find the recommendations made by chapter authors of service. The overarching theme of this book is on the interplay between the science of learning, the science of instruction, and the science of assessment (Mayer, 2011). The science of learning is a systematic and empirical approach to understanding how people learn. More formally, Mayer (2011) defined the science of learning as the “scientific study of how people learn” (p. 3). The science of instruction (Mayer 2011), informed in part by the science of learning, is also on display throughout the book. Mayer defined the science of instruction as the “scientific study of how to help people learn” (p. 3). Finally, the assessment of student learning (e.g., learning, remembering, transferring knowledge) during and after instruction helps us determine the effectiveness of our instructional methods. Mayer defined the science of assessment as the “scientific study of how to determine what people know” (p.3). Most of the research and applications presented in this book are completed within a science of learning framework. Researchers first conducted research to understand how people learn in certain controlled contexts (i.e., in the laboratory) and then they, or others, began to consider how these understandings could be applied in educational settings. Work on the cognitive load theory of learning, which is discussed in depth in several chapters of this book (e.g., Chew; Lee and Kalyuga; Mayer; Renkl), provides an excellent example that documents how science of learning has led to valuable work on the science of instruction. Most of the work described in this book is based on theory and research in cognitive psychology. We might have selected other topics (and, thus, other authors) that have their research base in behavior analysis, computational modeling and computer science, neuroscience, etc. We made the selections we did because the work of our authors ties together nicely and seemed to us to have direct applicability in academic settings

Intervention Curriculum Based Off Of Fastbridge Kindergarten Assessments

The research question addressed in this project was, does using specific interventions based off of Fastbridge fall data help students reach the winter benchmarks in reading (set by Fastbridge)? It documents one teacher’s creation of a ten day unit plan that meets the needs of learners in the areas of: letter sounds, onset sounds, nonsense words, and word segmenting. The author documents details of the unit, as well as uses related research literature to show the validity of differentiation within the classroom. She discusses both the successes and limitations to implementing the unit, while concluding the necessity of differentiation within the classroom to meet the needs of all learners

Understanding Relationships Between Cultural Competency And Teacher Efficacy

Advisor: Dr. Carolyn Shields Major: Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Degree: Doctor of Philosophy The teachers in the US classrooms are facing an unprecedented challenge of serving significantly large population of students who come from culturally and linguistically different backgrounds. These challenges are further exasperated because many teachers are not prepared to work with English Language Learners (ELLs) who have specific needs and require pedagogy that goes beyond content teaching. Therefore, many ELL students are not receiving the appropriate principles, practices and strategies necessary for them to succeed in the American classrooms. As the population of ELL students is steadily increasing, there is an immediate need for the mainstream teachers to be prepared to effectively deal with these challenges. Previous research studies have pointed out that intercultural sensitivity and cultural competence may contribute to positive educational experiences for students who are from diverse background, (Hammer, Bennett, & Wiseman). The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore the relationships between cultural competency and teacher self-efficacy and investigate in which ways, if any, cultural competency influences teachers’ efficacy in working with ELL students. This research was conducted in an urban high school with a large, primarily Yemeni immigrant population. Using surveys and interviews, ten participants (4 females and 6 males) comprised of teachers and school leaders provided the qualitative data for this research. The findings of this research study were that teachers and leaders of culturally and linguistically different students need cultural competence in order to succeed in their given positions. This investigation also highlighted the importance of professional development and hands-on experiences along with the significance of teacher attitudes in cultivating cultural and linguistic competence. The findings from this research also indicate that teachers whose cultural background was similar to that of the students perceived themselves to have more efficacy in dealing with students’ academic and social needs

Sistemas de diálogo: una revisión

Spoken dialogue systems are computer programs developed to interact with users employing speech in order to provide them with specific automated services. The interaction is carried out by means of dialogue turns, which in many studies available in the literature, researchers aim to make as similar as possible to those between humans in terms of naturalness, intelligence and affective content. In this paper we describe the fundaments of these systems including the main technologies employed for their development. We also present an evolution of this technology and discuss some current applications. Moreover, we discuss development paradigms, including scripting languages and the development of conversational interfaces for mobile apps. The correct modelling of the user is a key aspect of this technology. This is why we also describe affective, personality and contextual models. Finally, we address some current research trends in terms of verbal communication, multimodal interaction and dialogue management.Los sistemas de diálogo son programas de ordenador desarrollados para interaccionar con los usuarios mediante habla, con la finalidad de proporcionarles servicios automatizados. La interacción se lleva a cabo mediante turnos de un tipo de diálogo que, en muchos estudios existentes en la literatura, los investigadores intentan que se parezca lo más posible al diálogo real que se lleva a cabo entre las personas en lo que se refiere a naturalidad, inteligencia y contenido afectivo. En este artículo describimos los fundamentos de esta tecnología, incluyendo las tecnologías básicas que se utilizan para implementar este tipo de sistemas. También presentamos una evolución de la tecnología y comentamos algunas aplicaciones actuales. Asimismo, describimos paradigmas de interacción, incluyendo lenguajes de script y desarrollo de interfaces conversacionales para aplicaciones móviles. Un aspecto clave de esta tecnología consiste en realizar un correcto modelado del usuario. Por este motivo, discutimos diversos modelos afectivos, de personalidad y contextuales. Finalmente, comentamos algunas líneas de investigación actuales relacionadas con la comunicación verbal, interacción multimodal y gestión del diálogo

A Document Analysis of Leadership Language That Enhances Family-School Collaboration in Efforts to Narrow the Achievement Gap

Complex problems such as the achievement gap need to be presented to all the stakeholders in the school community to utilize their combined expertise. This requires a specific language to encourage all the stakeholders in the process. Effective leaders achieve this through the principles of transformative leadership by communicating in a way that motivates, challenges, and encourages cooperation. This qualitative comparative case study utilized a document analysis to understand the barriers and solutions to family–school collaboration and leadership solutions to narrow the achievement gap in a highly resourced district. This district recently passed an equity initiative that called for the consistent collection and examination of the critical criterion that improves family and community engagement (see Appendix A, p. 5). Seattle University (SU) student researchers compared the District Annual Strategic Plan and two Elementary School Improvement Plans (belonging to the highest- and lowest-performing elementary schools, based on test scores) to determine their congruence, compare their practices to the literature documenting the achievement gap, and assess the leadership language of these documents. The researchers coded for autocratic leadership language that works against family–school collaboration and transformative leadership language that supports family–school collaboration. They triangulated their findings to identify recommendations at the individual building and district level regarding the use of leadership language in documents and outlining improvement efforts to close the achievement gap as it relates to the relevant literature

An Assessment of Contextual Design and Its Applicability to the Design of Educational Technologies

Thesis (PhD) - Indiana University, School of Education, 2008Increased use of computing technology in support of learning necessitates the collaboration of instructional designers with technology designers. Yet the instructional designer portrayed in current instructional design textbooks does not participate in technology design but instead designs instructional strategies and materials that are implemented by others. For instructional systems design as a field to move towards the kinds of collaborative work required for the development of effective, innovative educational technologies, there is a need for methods that can integrate the concerns and activities of both instructional and technology designers. This research critically examines a human-computer interaction design method, contextual design (CD), assessing how practitioners employ and characterize it as a method and explores its potential utility in instructional systems design. CD is briefly described and available evaluative studies are summarized. Next, three studies are presented: a case study of CD usage in the design of a digital music library, a case study of CD integrating with another design approach called PRInCiPleS, and a learning-oriented analysis of CD work models. Based on the findings of the literature review and these three studies, a practitioner survey and interview guide were developed. Results from 106 survey respondents and 16 interviews characterized CD as a guiding framework and a collection of useful techniques. However, because of its resource requirements and other limitations, the method is rarely used in full or exclusively. Respondents reported valuing the ability of CD to uncover and communicate user needs but also suggested CD did not provide a means of resolving conflicts between user needs and organizational objectives. Implications of these results are explored for three constituencies: developer-designers of instructional places or interactive materials, educators of instructional designers who will work with software developers, and educational researchers and their graduate students

A Guided Chatbot Learning Experience in the Science Classroom

This dissertation describes a practitioner’s design-based development of a prototype chatbot to guide students in learning biological concepts of genetic mutations and protein synthesis. This chatbot’s architecture provides learning activities, feedback, and support throughout a series of short, connected lessons. The chatbot is designed to scaffold learners through a predict, observe, explain model of inquiry learning. It utilizes real-world phenomena to lead students through biology core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. Results of prototype testing include survey results in support of the proof of concept among both students and teachers, as well as accuracy measurements of chatbot intents. Descriptive statistics and suggestions were collected from both groups to evaluate the relevancy, consistency, practicality, and effectiveness of the project as well as speak to improvements for future projects. The designer finds that the construction of chatbots as guided learning experiences holds untapped potential in science educational technology. Advisor: Guy Traini

Expectations for implementing Common Core State Standards and new programs for reading in a Title I school: case studies of the role of teachers’ knowledge and beliefs

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the role of six elementary teachers’ knowledge and beliefs when implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for reading in their school context. The source(s) of any change(s) in teachers’ knowledge and beliefs while learning about and implementing the CCSS was also investigated. Six focal teachers were selected to participate in this study based on purposeful sampling at a Title I school in the southeastern United States. Data were collected about these teachers’ knowledge and beliefs about reading through observations, interviews, and the Literacy Orientation Survey (Lenski, 1998) to craft case studies of each teacher. Three District and school leaders were also interviewed to provide additional perspectives on the context of this study. A cross-case analysis highlighted several key findings. First, the teachers did not have solid knowledge of reading or the CCSS for reading. Second, their prior beliefs, including their beliefs about their students’ abilities and motivation, informed their instructional decision-making. Third, although the teachers viewed themselves as constructivists, their traditional application of reading practices followed District and school expectations for instruction. Fourth, changes in teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, and practices were attributed to those expectations. Finally, teachers in the study made choices about how to implement the CCSS based on District and school expectations, their students, state assessments, and online resources. This study yielded several recommendations related to implementing new instructional programs and structures for teaching reading when teachers are also expected to use standards-based instruction. Recommendations for district leaders include collaborating with teachers, administrators, and curriculum leaders to create a common vision, common vocabulary, and aligned goals for implementing new programs and standards. District leaders should also create a timeline for preparing and supporting school-based professionals implementing new programs and standards, allocating resources, and providing on-going professional development. School administrators must ensure that school visions and timelines are aligned with District expectations and support the needs of the school. School-based teachers, teacher leaders, curriculum coaches, and administrators need opportunities to collaborate in order to create a shared commitment to learning when implementing new programs and standards

Learners as Learning Leaders: How Does Leadership for Learning Emerge Beyond the Traditional Teaching Models?

This E-book is a collection of outcome reports by thematic working groups (TWGs) of EDUsummIT2019 held from September 29 – October 2, 2019 in Quebec City, Canada. The theme of EDUsummIT2019, “Learners and learning contexts: new alignments for the digital age” was chosen to consider misalignments due to the consequences of changing knowledge representations, human computer interactions, blurring of formal and informal learning, changes in leadership patterns and many more emerging influences from IT. Thirteen TWGs discussed aspects of the overall them