Can a kitchen teach languages? : Linking theory and practice in the design of context-aware language learning environments

Abstract Smart learning environments offer rich opportunities for language learners. In particular, context-aware systems which allow learners’ progress to be sensed within and across an activity, enable instructed language learning to move beyond the traditional confines of the classroom walls. In this paper we present the European Kitchen, a real-world task-based environment for cooking and language learning. In doing so, we demonstrate how specific design decisions, in the development of this longer-term iterative design project, conjoin Human Computer Interaction practice and learning theory for situated language learning. We also show how this approach is combined with Conversation Analysis, which is used as a tool to measure the impact of these decisions on the interactions taking place in and with the kitchen. Our work reveals that in order to design for and evaluate effective and meaningful language learning, there should be more balance between technologically-driven theory and theory driven research which has a strong pedagogical foundation. Our work has implications for a transferable, interdisciplinary model of task-based, situated learning which can be applied and adapted to different skill and knowledge sets

Importance and management of IT project stakeholders

Information technology project success rates remain low despite increased investments in information systems and their importance for contemporary organisations. Both research and practice suggest that stakeholders play a key role in ensuring the successful delivery of projects. The success or failure of a project is significantly influenced by a combination of the stakeholders' needs, and the ability and readiness of the project manager to effectively coordinate and manage these aspects. This research sought to explore and understand the importance and management of IT project stakeholders. A mixed-method approach, using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics was followed. Semi-structured interviews, along with a survey questionnaire, were conducted with a selected sample of IT project managers and IT managers, from various sectors. Results of this study indicate that the project team, technical expert, subject matter expert, and the project sponsor are considered the most important stakeholders on IT projects. Furthermore, the results indicate that supplier/vendor, customer/client and project team are considered to be the stakeholders that cause the most uncertainty and problems on IT projects. Lastly, the results of this study indicate that failure to identify one or more stakeholders on an IT project can have a potential negative impact on overall project delivery. Key themes were also identified which provide context to the results of the findings. The results of this research will prove beneficial to IT project managers as it will assist in providing insight into which stakeholders require greater focus regarding stakeholder management, thereby working toward improving IT project delivery results

Multimodal language learning environment of the Korean digital kitchen : a study on the impact of physicality and technological affordances on Korean vocabulary learning

PhD ThesisTask Based Language Learning and Teaching (TBLT) has been integrated with computer-assisted language learning (CALL), contributing to pedagogical developments in the field of foreign/second language teaching and learning (Thomas and Reinders, 2010). While the majority of studies have used the integrated pedagogy inside the classroom context, little attention has been paid to the area outside the classroom (Seedhouse et al., 2013; Seedhouse et al., 2014; Preston et al., 2015). This issue has recently been addressed by the European Digital Kitchen (EDK) project team (Seedhouse, 2017), which has successfully investigated the efficacy of digital technology on foreign language learning out of the classroom. However, as the EDK was designed as a holistic learning environment in which many different environmental factors would contribute to learning, there was a need to disaggregate some of these factors and discover which factors were more or less significant. In order to determine one of the environmental factors to learning, this study attempted to use the technological components of a previous project to create Korean pedagogical materials. This formed the Korean Digital Kitchen (KDK), a real-world environment of a kitchen where students can simultaneously learn Korean language and culture by carrying out the real-world task of cooking. Korean is one of the important global languages to be taught, according to an Ethnologue report (Lewis et al., 2016). Based on the literature on vocabulary learning, especially Nattinger’s (1988) claim that touching and manipulating real objects, as opposed to seeing them, increases learnability, this study explored whether kinesthetic mode adds extra value to foreign language learning processes. Would there be any significant difference between vocabulary learning which involves seeing the learning items only in a classroom and learning which also involves touching the items in the KDK? Thus, this study examined the power of physicality. Furthermore, the salience of real-world and pedagogical tasks has been investigated as factors to different level of vocabulary learning. To this end, a quasi-experimental design was employed for users to conduct two cooking sessions, one in a digital kitchen by using real objects and the other in a classroom by looking at pictures/photos in the textbook. Participants were 48 adults of both British and international origins, living in Newcastle, UK, coming from 20 different countries. To determine which environment between a digital kitchen and a classroom is more conducive to vocabulary learning, users needed to carry out two ii different recipes in the two locations in order to control a practice effect. Subjects went through the real-life cooking activities in three stages of TBLT in both settings using two different recipes with two different set of vocabularies. There were tests before and after cooking to compare their scores to examine the results of learning. Ten vocabulary noun items were targeted in this research. In addition to test score data, three more data sources were employed, namely questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and video-observations for triangulation, revealing the outcomes and processes of learning in two different learning environments. A series of data sets clearly demonstrated which of the two learning settings was more effective to learn foreign language vocabulary and culture in and what their attitudes towards a digitalized learning environment were. Findings suggest that physicality in the KDK makes students link the word and cultural aspects to their memory better than simply looking at photos of objects in the classroom. The learning differences reached statistical significance. Other environmental factors such as technology and its affordances may have contributed to different learning outcomes, playing a role in learners taking positive attitudes (Stricker et al., 2004). In contrast, users in the conventional setting demonstrated relatively less learning, due to fewer senses and its typical features such as the relationship with a teacher, less interaction with peers (Shen et al., 2008) and boredom. It is these differences that contributed to the different results and processes of learning in two settings. From these findings, it could be concluded that the digital kitchen can provide a motivating learning environment which is multi-modal, multi-sensory, multi-interactional, multi-experiential and multi-layered. It is physicality, meaningful tasks and computer technology that foster learning in vocabulary and cultural aspects. This project contributes to building up one more dimension of psycholinguistic factor in language learning, and supports the development of innovative ICT for foreign language learning across the world

Landscapes of Affective Interaction: Young Children's Enactive Engagement with Body Metaphors

Empirical research into embodied meaning making suggests specific sensorimotor experiences can support children’s understanding of abstract science ideas. This view is aligned with enactive and grounded cognition perspectives, both centred in the view that our ability to conceptualise emerges from our experiences of interaction with our environment. While much of this research has focused on understanding action and action processes in individual children or children in pairs, less attention has been paid to affective dimensions of young children’s group interaction, and how this relates to meaning making with body metaphors. Indeed, Gallagher describes how no action exists in a vacuum, but rather revolves around a complex web of affective-pragmatic features comprising a ‘Landscape of Interaction’ (2020, p.42). This research project addresses gaps in research in understanding young children’s affective engagement from an enactivist cognition perspective. It takes a Design-Based Research approach with an iterative design orientation to examine young children’s interaction with multisensory body-based metaphors through an embodied participation framework. A series of empirical studies with young children, aged 2-7 years, comprising of experiential workshops, build iteratively upon each other. A novel theoretically informed method, Affective Imagination in Motion, is developed involving several purpose-built multisensory body metaphors prompts to enable access to dimensions of young children’s affective engagement. This research makes theoretical and methodological contributions. It extends the theoretical notion of ‘affect’ from enactive and grounded cognition perspectives through identifying key interactive processes in young children’s engagement with multisensory action metaphors. In addition, the novel method offers a contribution as a way of ‘looking’ at affect within a group situation from affective-pragmatic and social embodiment perspectives. Finally, the research contributes to embodied learning design frameworks offering a guideline for designers wishing to inform their work from enactive cognition perspective

An empirical examination of knowledge and community within the higher education matrix

This study is a conceptual and empirical investigation into the knowledge base of university administrators and thus their position as an emerging profession, which has been a hitherto neglected area of research. The aim is to examine what this knowledge consists of and how it is configured across academic and administrative staff working together on academic activities. I begin by discussing the changing nature of academic work in response to evolving external influences and show that it is now process-based. It involves academic staff and administrative staff working together, with the latter providing a different type of expertise in response to external sector needs. This knowledge base has been neglected up to this point by researchers. I go on to use the principles arising from Bernstein’s concepts of knowledge structures (Bernstein, 2000) and Adler’s concept of the collaborative community (Adler et al, 2006; 20008) to formulate a theoretical framework which I use as a lens to explore the knowledge held by university administrators working with academic staff in two different academic departments within a multi-faculty university. My research finds an increasingly identifiable knowledge base alongside a more generic type of expertise which is born of experience and tacit learning, but this group’s professionalisation and development is currently limited. I elaborate on how this knowledge has been acquired by the administrators interviewed and identify that it is situated on the axis of the organisation, as opposed to being part of academic subject expertise; academic activities such as delivering a degree programme are a product of these different type of knowledge. I conclude the study by defining the knowledge base utilised by university administrators, clarify the organisational relationship between this group and academic staff and thus the contribution of the former and then make suggestions for their professional development

Interview approaches to researching embodiment

The methods of data collection that we choose determine the kinds of data that we have access to, and thus shape analyses. In the context of novel interfaces where different modes, available through the environment and context, mediate the interaction, understanding methodological approaches is critical. This paper examines alternative methods of data collection for exploring children’s interaction with novel technology in a learning context. Specifically it analyses non-facilitated interaction in a tangible learning environment, in conjunction with three different post activity interview approaches: semi-structured interviews; semi-structured interview with video prompted recall; and interviews with the technology itself. Findings suggest that the different interview approaches change the nature of information elicited, and that non-facilitated interaction offers clearer insight into interpretation, both in terms of the meaning that emerges through, and is, therefore, embodied in the interaction, and in terms of representation, directly informing design