Development and evaluation of a multimedia interactive CD: Public speaking interactive media

This paper reports on a study that endeavours to develop a Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) multimedia courseware namely, Public Speaking Interactive Media. This courseware was developed specifically for diploma students undergoing ENG4113 (Business English) and ENG 4153 (Public Speaking Skills) at Kolej Profesional MARA Indera Mahkota, Kuantan, Pahang. The objectives and goals of this study is to develop a CAL courseware which is in-line with the syllabus of the courses using multimedia elements together with the application of behaviorist, cognitive and constructivist learning theories as a basis in the design of the courseware. Moreover, the instructional design and implementation of this CAL multimedia courseware employ active and flexible learning strategies. Utilizing Hannafin and Peck’s Design Model, this courseware was developed using Macromedia Director and Macromedia Authorware to ensure that multimedia elements and simulations can be fully integrated. The findings of the study revealed that the courseware fulfilled its objectives in aiding students in comprehending the concept of public speaking skills better by using multimedia elements. In addition, the courseware is in-line with the syllabus and has incorporated the theories and strategies intended successfully

Exploring persuasive multimedia techniques in attitude and behavior change: A comparative study

Persuasive technology in education settings has become a popular technique used in behavior and attitude change.Due to its capability therefore the purpose of this paper is to review and examines persuasive multimedia techniques for the past four years (2010-2014) and seeks how persuasive technology can be implemented in truancy problem.Ten papers were selected based on the persuasive technique used and this study is related and scoped in Malaysia context. This paper was reviewed based on the components, elements as well as the theory and approaches that are adapted by researchers in their experiment.It can be concluded computer as a persuasive tool in changing attitude and behavior can engage and motivate the students to do the task and achieve a level of objectivity

Mobile-assisted language learning [Revised and updated version]

Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) is the use of smartphones and other mobile technologies in language learning, especially in situations where portability and situated learning offer specific advantages. A key attraction of mobile learning is the ubiquity of mobile phones. Typical applications can support learners in reading, listening, speaking and writing in the target language, either individually or in collaboration with one another. Increasingly, MALL applications relate language learning to a person’s physical context when mobile, primarily to provide access to location-specific language material or to enable learners to capture aspects of language use in situ and share it with others. Mobile learning can be formal or informal, and mobile devices may form a bridge connecting in-class and out-of-class learning. When learning takes place outside the classroom, it is often beyond the reach and control of the teacher. This can be perceived as a threat, but it is also an opportunity to revitalize and rethink current approaches to teaching and learning. Mobile learning appeals to a wide range of people for a variety of reasons. It may exclude some learners but it is often a mechanism for inclusion. It is likely that the next generation of mobile learning will be more ubiquitous, which means that there will be smart systems everywhere for digital learning. Mobile learning is proving its potential to address authentic learner needs at the point at which they arise, and to deliver more flexible models of language learning

The Development and Usability of a Multimedia Black Cat Courseware using Storytelling Approach

Computer technology and multimedia in education have long been in the education field since there are many advantages offered by the applications. The combination of multimedia elements has influenced the way students learn, increase their performance and change the study environments. Multimedia can also help in solving the matters pertaining to teaching and learning process. This research aims to fulfil three main objectives: to design a simple model for storytelling approach that can be used in the multimedia courseware; to develop a multimedia courseware for English literature (BC-C) learning for pre-university level; to evaluate the effectiveness and usability of the developed courseware. The development of BC-C has taken into considerations few components such as the pedagogy, learning theories and elements of multimedia in one digital environment. This will allow the students to visualize the plots in the literature story, to understand some of the English words and to make learning process more enjoyable. The developed courseware adapted ADDIE methodology into the BC-C Life Cycle, as the Instructional Design Method. The courseware has been developed using Macromedia Director, Flash and other multimedia software. There are four modules: story, exploratory, reinforcement and enrichment. Storytelling approach in BC-C has presented via 2D cartoon movie to help students visualize the flow of the plots for the Black Cat literature story. Based on Quasi experiment, the sample study consisted of 60 Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) second semester, Foundation program students. Various instruments such as sets of pre-test and post-test, direct observation, questionnaires and interview have been designed to measure the effectiveness and usability of the multimedia courseware. The effectiveness and usability of the courseware were evaluated based on the quantitative and qualitative analyses using SPSS version 11.5. Overall, the results show that BC-C prototype is effective for learning English literature at the pre-university level, for the case study of UTP Foundation students

The Effectiveness of Using Computer Assisted Instruction in Teaching English as a Foreign Language in a Japanese Secondary School (Fukuoka, Japan)

This paper examines the history and the current state of computer-assisted language teaching and learning to provide a context for the present study. A discussion of teaching English using computer-mediated communication in japan is also described along with the explanation of the courseware used. The study involved one hundred eighty-six high school students learning Oral Communication 1 in a traditional classroom environment and in a computer classroom environment using Dynamic English 1 courseware. The participants were assessed quantitatively and qualitatively before and after five lessons to determine their progress and attitudes towards CALL. The students’ results were analyzed and compared. The major conclusion of the study is that CALL was most effective for those students who had a lower ability and the CALL lessons were interesting. Those students who had a higher ability found the courseware too easy for them and were likely to have lost interest, contributing to the unexpected results. A clear majority of the students would have liked to continue the CALL lessons for longer

Implementing ARCS model to design a motivating multimedia e-book for polytechnic ESL classroom

This paper describes the design of multimedia E-book (mE-book) based on the Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivational Design (1987).This paper also presented the implementation of mE-book as a motivating learning aid to promote ESL language learning in Polytechnic classrooms. Sixty (60) Polytechnic students experienced mE-book in their language classroom and their perceived motivation towards this learning material is measured using the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS). This study is an attempt to adduce a scope for implementing multimedia in language learning in a motivating way for adult learners

A comparative study on the development of Chinese and English abilities of Chinese primary school students through two bilingual reading modes: human-AI robot interaction and paper books

To address the challenges encountered by Chinese primary school students, particularly left-behind and migrant children, who exhibit a preference for animations, video games, and short videos over reading books and struggle with Chinese-English bilingual skills, this study introduces an educational robot AI-assisted method for simultaneous bilingual reading. To assess the effectiveness of this method, a 6-month Chinese-English bilingual extracurricular reading comparative experiment was conducted involving 85 grade 5 students from two classes in a primary school in Hangzhou, China. The AI-assisted class freely read 100 bilingual/English electronic picture books and 200 Chinese electronic classic serial picture books by employing the AI-assisted human-computer interactive electronic reading mode of the “Educational Robot+Audio Electronic Picture Book+Character-play Based Reading.” In contrast, the paper book group read the same content presented in the traditional paper book format, following the “regular independent reading” mode. Post-experimental analyses were conducted employing t-tests and MANCOVA and the results revealed that: the primary factors influencing reading effectiveness are the choice of reading materials, reading tools, and reading mode, while reading time does not emerge as the principal influencing factor. Furthermore, students in the AI class demonstrated significant enhancements in bilingual reading motivation, reading amount, reading comprehension, independent learning ability, pronunciation proficiency, and test scores compared to their peers in the paper book class. The AI-assisted reading mode utilizing educational robots garnered positive feedback from teachers, parents, and students. It offers the potential to effectively substitute parental involvement in parent–child reading and English tutoring, while also enabling the simultaneous acquisition of bilingual proficiency in both Chinese and English. This approach proves to be highly effective, cost-efficient, and convenient, particularly for enhancing children’s foreign language abilities. Moreover, it fosters positive reading habits and independent learning skills among primary school students, contributes to the establishment of lofty aspirations, and enhances bilingual performance. Overall, this innovative mode offers an effective means of facilitating children’s acquisition of bilingualism and foreign language skills, as well as promoting reading education

The implementation of learning strategies in the design of an on-line medical course supplement

Given the charge of integrating technology in the medical school curriculum, faculty members are faced with the challenge of designing new materials for their courses. Often, these materials become on-line resources such as hypermedia and electronic communication. Strategies may assist students who are unfamiliar with on-line materials to use such materials more effectively. This study investigated the elaborative interrogation strategy used in conjunction with on-line materials to promote more efficient processing of difficult material. Twenty second-year medical students volunteered to participate in the study. The course in which they were enrolled required the use of an on-line lecture supplement. The elaborative interrogation intervention consisted of a written page of instruction for including why questions in their independent study process. The control students were instructed to simply record their study behaviors during the intervention period. Results indicated no significant differences between groups with or without strategy instruction. It is likely that as advanced students, medical students have existing strategies that were as effective as the strategy used during the intervention. As an auxiliary study of the overall effects of using on-line materials, exam scores of the current students were compared to the exam scores of a cohort group from the previous year who did not use on-line materials. The students from the previous year performed significantly better than the students from the current year on a similar examination of content knowledge. It is possible that volunteers in the current study were particularly anxious about using on-line materials due to the timing of the introduction of the strategy and lack of computer experience. Qualitative analysis of student feedback supports these assumptions. Future research should address the issues of timing of the presentation, more effective strategy training, and embedding the strategy instruction to increase student participation

Adaptive and maladaptive motivational responses in online learners

The speed at which on-line technologies are being adopted in the learning of English as a second or foreign language creates an urgent need to establish links between theoretical positions and professional practice in the digital realm. As far as issues in motivation studies are concerned, much of what is known about the way learners of English behave is classroom and print-based and may not illuminate operational matters on-line to their fullest extent. This thesis describes the trial of English academic reading skills materials designed for Chinese scholars attending a tertiary-level Institution overseas and attempts to Identify and understand the variables that affected their performance on-line. The data collected from both quantitative and qualitative sources were considered within a framework that Identifies distinct patterns of behaviour, classified either as adaptive or maladaptive, Insofar as they affect the ways learners use their talents In the classroom. Analysis of the data showed that some participants seemed to obstruct their own learning on-line through their negative affective responses to the technology, materials and pedagogy used on the course. Others were able to achieve to a certain extent personally challenging and valued achievement goals. The data also highlighted challenges facing language tutors on-line In relationship building, fostering reflective practice and promoting Independence, and self-direction. Such areas of research are considered to be of particular value to practitioners who work In on-line contexts and have difficulty In Identifying and managing the dynamics of the environment they are involved in. Several implications are drawn from this study concerning the exploitation of online learning environments with Chinese students. Chief among these concerns the claim that cultural factors have a powerful Influence on the manner in which these students study and react on-line. In particular, Issues of 'face-management' and the operation of the 'self-worth motive' are highlighted and commented upon