An Intelligent Tutoring System for Teaching Grammar English Tenses

The evolution of Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) is the result of the amount of research in the field of education and artificial intelligence in recent years. English is the third most common languages in the world and also is the internationally dominant in the telecommunications, science and trade, aviation, entertainment, radio and diplomatic language as most of the areas of work now taught in English. Therefore, the demand for learning English has increased. In this paper, we describe the design of an Intelligent Tutoring System for teaching English language grammar to help students learn English grammar easily and smoothly. The system provides all topics of English grammar and generates a series of questions automatically for each topic for the students to solve. The system adapts with all the individual differences of students and begins gradually with students from easier to harder level. The intelligent tutoring system was given to a group of students of all age groups to try it and to see the impact of the system on students. The results showed a good satisfaction of the students toward the system

An Intelligent Tutoring System for Teaching the 7 Characteristics for Living Things

Recently, due to the rapid progress of computer technology, researchers develop an effective computer program to enhance the achievement of the student in learning process, which is Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS). Science is important because it influences most aspects of everyday life, including food, energy, medicine, leisure activities and more. So learning science subject at school is very useful, but the students face some problem in learning it. So we designed an ITS system to help them understand this subject easily and smoothly by analyzing it and explaining it in a systematic way. In this paper, we describe the design of an Intelligent Tutoring System for teaching science for grade seven to help students know the 7 characteristics for living things smoothly. The system provides all topics of living things and generates some questions for each topic and the students should answer these questions correctly to move to the next level. In the result of an evaluation of the ITS, students like the system and they said that it is very useful for them and for their studies

Fostering criticality in a beginners’ Japanese language course: a case study in a UK higher education modern languages degree programme

This thesis examines the development of criticality based on an empirical study in beginners' Japanese language courses within a UK Modem Languages Degree Programme. A starting point for this study is Barnett's (1997) claim concerning the significance of fostering criticality and setting educational aims against the current trend of mass education at the Higher Education. The empirical base is inspired by the Criticality Project by the University of Southampton which, also based on Barnett's model, investigates a whole Modern Languages course. This thesis, however focuses on the phases of Modern Language Studies which have not been explored: beginners' level language courses with the example being a n on-European language. The examination of the current issues of Modem Languages Degree Programmes illustrates the fact that there is a problem of a lack of coordination of the diversity of various components within programmes. The nature of language modules, especially at beginners' level, inclines to the acquisition of practical language skills focusing on grammar rather than on 'content', and widens the gap from academic content modules. In this thesis, the notion of criticality is highlighted as a single 'linkage' connecting each component to others. This issue needs to be examined from two perspectives: the empirical study of criticality development in beginners' level language courses and the theoretical concept of criticality. Action Research was conducted in beginners' Japanese language courses at a Modern Languages Degree Programme where the researcher was teaching. Lessons with activities which target criticality development in cultural and language dimensions were inserted in the existing grammar based language course framework. The observations of beginners' level language lessons in other institutions ensured the aims and syllabus of the normal lessons of the target courses have the same standard as them. Various types of qualitative data were collected. Among them, particularly the participants' output data; group interviews and post-lesson questionnaires became the main sources of analysis of this study. The analysis of empirical data made two important resources for criticality visible: skills and knowledge. Skills appeared as the students' theory building process comprising three stages: inquiry, analysis and conclusion. The concept of inquiry stage corresponds to inquiry and scepticism which was highlighted by a review of Critical Pedagogy and Critical Thinking. From these examinations of two perspectives, one from empirical and another one from theoretical, the fundamental concept of 'being critical' is defined as inquiry and scepticism. During the theory building process, various kinds of knowledge are employed, and the students' theories were presented according to nine thematic categories comprising culture, language, and learning process. The factors contributing to the development of criticality are found to be cultural and linguistic dimensions and also the learning process itself. The analysis of empirical data also highlights the existence of criticality specifically in the language modules and that criticality could work as a connection among the components of Modern Languages Degree Programme. Barnett's theoretical criticality model of domains and levels is supported by the empirical data, but they also showed that criticality development does not appear in a neat order nor the steady progression from lower to higher levels as in his framework. It is concluded from this study that both instrumental and educational aims can be and need to be compatible in language modules even at the beginners' level and all the components of Modern Languages Degree Programme need to be connected by a single linkage, criticality, which realizes an educational aim of the Modern Languages Degree Programme. However, it also implies that further research is needed to bring the issues to the level of curriculum development

Pedagogical relationships: A master-apprentice model in music teaching

The thesis entitled Pedagogical Relationships: A master-apprentice model in music teaching is a pedagogical and phenomenological inquiry into the lived experience of the master-apprentice model of piano teaching in a private studio. It surveys the history of the instrument, its literature, its pedagogy and the importance of genealogy in this mentor-protégé relationship. Using narratives, interviews, audio-visual links, illustrations, musical score illustrations and literary references, the thesis illuminates authentic lived experiences of both teacher and student

Square dancing: official magazine of the Sets in Order American Square Dance Society.

Published monthly for and by Square Dancers and for the general enjoyment of all

Teaching Chinese through integrating songs in Task-based learning : a teacher action research project

This research focuses on the exploration of integrating songs in the Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) approach to enhance the learnability of Chinese. The aim of this study is to develop a series of effective curriculum resources, including songs and tasks and a novel framework combining songs and tasks in language teaching. This research is also designed as an action research to improve the teacher-researcher proficiency of the researcher with his teaching experience in Pianpi High School. In this study, different types of songs were experimented with and different tasks were utilized to allow the language to be used in life-like contexts. Finally, an adjusted framework of TBLT, including the Pre-task phase, Song phase, Core task phase and Post-task phase, is developed to combine songs and tasks, and to move the learning of songs to a higher plane of practice and application

Implementation of a constructivist-oriented training for kinesiology graduate teaching assistants

Increasingly, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are not assisting faculty instructors, but finding themselves in the role of lead instructor, particularly in physical activity courses. Despite this responsibility, GTAs receive little or no pedagogical training and often feel unprepared to teach. Conversely, college and university physical education teacher education (PETE) programs grounded in constructivist principles provide a strong nurturing environment for teacher growth and are increasingly commonplace. Constructivist methods foster learners’ active involvement by utilizing real-life learning situations that they perceive as relevant to their own lives – situations that are contextual and holistic. While constructivist PETE programs have been studied, constructivist kinesiology GTA training has not. Alignment (curricular elements reinforcing each other and fitting together logically) is a goal of constructivist teaching. Built on a pilot study that revealed the absence or poor articulation of three key curricular elements - student learning objectives (SLOs), learning cues, and teacher-provided feedback, this dissertation study was conducted to implement and evaluate a constructivist-oriented program to train new university GTAs to enhance their teaching effectiveness through alignment of these three elements. This study utilized a qualitative research design, focusing on process, understanding, and meaning, rather than product. The sample was purposeful and non-probabilistic. The primary participants were 11 GTAs new to the physical activity instruction program at a public university in the United States. I led a three-hour constructivist-oriented training session with this group in the week preceding the fall semester, and observed each GTA teach on three occasions, offering feedback, mentoring, and support. I conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews with each GTA, two undergraduate students taught by each GTA, and the director of physical activity instruction. I analyzed the data (observation field notes, interview transcriptions, orientation/training documents, lesson plans, and syllabi) using constant comparison. The training/mentoring intervention enhanced the ability of most GTAs to align SLOs, learning cues, and feedback in the execution (although much less so in the written planning) of their lessons. Most of the new teachers shared that the training session reduced their anxiety regarding their upcoming teaching assignment, and nearly all agreed or strongly agreed that the training had been useful, had increased their pedagogical knowledge, and had increased their self-confidence regarding their teaching. All the GTAs described the semester-long mentoring as beneficial, particularly because most were eager to receive feedback on their teaching performance. In turn, most undergraduate students interviewed expressed that they felt their instructor had been successful in presenting a well-sequenced curriculum that fostered their learning

Real and ideal perception of the intelligent classroom environment of future teachers

The proliferation of information and communication technology tools in the last years has led many teachers to review the way they teach and structure their learning environments. The growth of technological applications in teaching and the training of future teachers is not only gaining momentum; it is also becoming an important part of the current educational scene. The objectives of this study were to adapt and validate the Real and Ideal Intelligent Classroom Questionnaires (REQSC) and (IEQSC), and to determine if there were significant differences in the perception that future teachers had of the real and ideal environment of intelligent classrooms. A quantitative methodology was used, applying the statistical software SPSS 23 for the factor analysis. The results indicated that both questionnaires showed a valid and reliable internal consistency. The real and ideal perceptions of the use of technology as a learning tool and access to information make it clear that it is currently being used correctly. It is important that future teachers acquire adequate skills for their use and research in different topics

Square dancing: official magazine the Sets in Order American Square Dance Society.

Published monthly for and by Square Dancers and for the general enjoyment of all