T2D: Generating Dialogues Between Virtual Agents Automatically from Text

The Text2Dialogue (T2D) system that we are developing allows digital content creators to generate attractive multi-modal dialogues presented by two virtual agents–by simply providing textual information as input. We use Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST) to decompose text into segments and to identify rhetorical discourse relations between them. These are then 'acted out' by two 3D agents using synthetic speech and appropriate conversational gestures. In this paper, we present version 1.0 of the T2D system and focus on the novel technique that it uses for mapping rhetorical relations to question–answer pairs, thus transforming (monological) text into a form that supports dialogues between virtual agents

Incorporating Interactive Electronic Storybooks into Shared Reading Programs by Kindergarten Teachers: A Multiple Case Study

This qualitative study investigated how two kindergarten teachers used interactive electronic storybooks (referred to as e-storybooks) for shared reading, as well as their attitudes towards adopting this tool as a resource for shared reading. The research inquiry was guided by three research questions: 1) What instructional strategies did the kindergarten teachers employ to try to achieve pedagogical effectiveness of the e-storybooks for shared reading programs? 2) What problems did the kindergarten teachers encounter in utilizing the e-storybooks for shared reading programs, and how did they try to overcome them? 3) What were the kindergarten teachers’ attitudes towards adopting e-storybooks as a resource for their reading block

On-screen children's stories: The good, the bad and the ugly

Based on the available empirical evidence, it was investigated in the present dissertation which features of electronic storybooks are beneficial for young children's language and literacy development. In a meta-analysis interactive features like 'hotspots' and games were found to distract children from the story. Switching between listening to a story and playing with interactive elements requires multitasking and might be too demanding for young children's cognitive capacities. In contrast, multimedia elements like animation, background music and sound effects that illustrate the abstract language of narrative stories were found to facilitate children's comprehension of the story and word learning. For instance, motion in animated illustrations were found to attract children's attention to the part of the picture that is relevant to the oral narration and thus facilitate story comprehension. Guidelines for developers, parents and teachers are discussed.Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO)Development Psychopathology in context: clinical setting

Decoding learning: the proof, promise and potential of digital education

With hundreds of millions of pounds spent on digital technology for education every year – from interactive whiteboards to the rise of one–to–one tablet computers – every new technology seems to offer unlimited promise to learning. many sectors have benefitted immensely from harnessing innovative uses of technology. cloud computing, mobile communications and internet applications have changed the way manufacturing, finance, business services, the media and retailers operate. But key questions remain in education: has the range of technologies helped improve learners’ experiences and the standards they achieve? or is this investment just languishing as kit in the cupboard? and what more can decision makers, schools, teachers, parents and the technology industry do to ensure the full potential of innovative technology is exploited? There is no doubt that digital technologies have had a profound impact upon the management of learning. institutions can now recruit, register, monitor, and report on students with a new economy, efficiency, and (sometimes) creativity. yet, evidence of digital technologies producing real transformation in learning and teaching remains elusive. The education sector has invested heavily in digital technology; but this investment has not yet resulted in the radical improvements to learning experiences and educational attainment. in 2011, the Review of Education Capital found that maintained schools spent £487 million on icT equipment and services in 2009-2010. 1 since then, the education system has entered a state of flux with changes to the curriculum, shifts in funding, and increasing school autonomy. While ring-fenced funding for icT equipment and services has since ceased, a survey of 1,317 schools in July 2012 by the british educational suppliers association found they were assigning an increasing amount of their budget to technology. With greater freedom and enthusiasm towards technology in education, schools and teachers have become more discerning and are beginning to demand more evidence to justify their spending and strategies. This is both a challenge and an opportunity as it puts schools in greater charge of their spending and use of technolog

Digital books in literary education: a semiotic approach to analysis

http://www.ester.ee/record=b4715970*es

Wayang Authoring: A Web-based Authoring Tool for Visual Storytelling for Children

This research focuses on the development of the Wayang Authoring tool as it aims to assist children in creating and performing stories, developing an appreciation for cultural artifacts, and enhancing intercultural empathy while building a young storyteller community in a virtual world. This study seeks a framework of interaction design of an authoring media which is appropriate to support children s narrative development. The concept of the tool is based on the narrative element of the ancient Indonesian art form wayang, a traditional two dimensional shadow puppet theater. To understand the user s requirements and the cultural dimension, children and professional story performers who use wayang have been involved in the design process. In order to evaluate the tool, several workshops have been conducted with children from different cultural backgrounds as well as with their teachers. Wayang Authoring is composed of three elements: the imagination-building element, the creative acting element and the social interaction element. Children take existing materials as an inspiration tool, imagine what they themselves want to tell, create a story based on their own ideas, play with their creations, share their stories and creations with others, and reflect on their experiences at the end. This virtual creative production tool is expected to provide a space for young people to change their role from a simple user to a (co-)creator in the virtual and narrative worlds. The core contributions are in the field of web technology for storytelling. The uses of web-based authoring media enable children to put themselves into the process of developing stories. When they are connecting stories, they are connected and immersed with other children as well. They have to act and play by themselves or with others within the stories in order to experience the narratives. They train to have the skills to interact, to share their ideas and to collaborate constructively. This makes it possible for them to participate in today s media-driven culture. This research found that a better understanding of how stories are crafted and brought to life in a performance tradition offers a better design of interaction of an authoring media. The handling of cultural artifacts supports the ability to understand different cultural codes and to pursue the learning process surrounding the original culture behind these artifacts

The digital literacy and multimodal practices of young children: engaging with emergent research: proceedings of the first Training School of COST Action IS1410, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, 6th - 8th June, 2016

CIEd - Centro de Investigação em Educação, UID/CED/01661/, Instituto de Educação, Universidade do Minho, através de fundos nacionais da FCT/MCTES-P

Children's Understanding of English Television Programmes in EFL Contexts

This study explores how Korean children aged 4 to 6 construct the understanding of English televised narratives in a foreign language context. Based on sociocultural theory, which assumes children as active meaning makers and language learners in social processes, this study focuses on the social nature of children’s engagements which shows how their social and cultural resources are adapted in making sense of the world presented in media. 6 Korean preschool children participated in this study. From visiting each child’s home, the children watched English television progarmmes in a similar way of his or her home viewing experiences, retold the stories viewed, and drew a picture. Through looking at the children’s engagement with the television programmes, what meanings they constructed, how they interpreted the world where English narratives are presented, and how they constructed their understanding of English narratives were explored. Data illuminated the ways children drew on their linguistic, social, and cultural resources moving meaningfully across contexts. The participant children were able to build on their own internal knowledge through social interactions. The children’s narrative-related experiences in early years allowed them to make sense of the characteristics of narratives, to develop their social and linguistic knowledge, and to bring with them their understandings and knowledge in different contexts. The findings of this study thus suggest that children’s experiences of various types of narratives are meaningful to them. It was also indicated that English learning might take place through interacting with the world where English is used without direct instruction. The children were able to formulate their own hypotheses in the light of their prior knowledge and experiences. The process of hypothesis formation leading to their understanding of the narratives in English may enhance their narrative and language learning. This might indicate the possibilities that if children build on their understanding and knowledge of narratives regardless of the language, they might be able to adapt them in foreign language contexts