Knowledge-based intelligent error feedback in a Spanish ICALL system

This paper describes the Spanish ICALL system ESPADA which helps language learners to improve their syntactical knowledge. The most important parts of ESPADA for the learner are a Demonstration Module and an Analysis Module. The Demonstration Module provides animated presentation of selected grammatical information. The Analysis Module is able to parse ill-formed sentences and to give adequate feedback on 28 different error types from different levels of language use (syntax, semantics, agreement). It contains a robust chart-based island parser which uses a combination of mal-rules and constraint relaxation to ensure that learner input can be analysed and appropriate error feedback can be generated

The cell fusion-free vegetable list helps organic farmers to find suitable cultivars (Liveseed Practice Abstract)

You can download the list for free in German and French: https://www.fibl.org/en/shop-en/1671-zf-freie-sorten.html Further Information: FiBL breeding manual https://www.fibl.org/en/shop-en/1202-plant-breeding.html - IFOAM-strategy on artificial CMS https://www.ifoam.bio/sites/default/files/cell_fusion_replacement_strategy_2017_for_website_upload.pdf - IFOAM position paper: Compatibility of Breeding Techniques in Organic S

Design, development, implementation and evaluation of a purilingual ICALL system for romance languages aimed at advanced learners

Plurilingual teaching and learning of Romance languages exploits the similarities between these languages to teach them contrastively and to raise the language awareness of the learner. Several European projects have been devoted to plurilingual teaching and learning of Romance languages. The materials developed in these projects do not involve Natural Language Processing (NLP) capabilities and almost exclusively focus on receptive skills. The research goal of my Ph.D. dissertation was the design, development, implementation and evaluation of an interactive plurilingual ICALL (Intelligent Computer-Assisted Language Learning) software system (ESPRIT) for contrastive learning of French, Spanish and Italian aimed at advanced learners. I investigated how techniques from NLP enhance the plurilingual teaching and learning of these languages. The ESPRIT toolset comprises dictionary tools, a concordancer, an input analysis and feedback module, custom-made animated grammar presentations and an authoring tool for animated text. Dictionary tools provide useful information on unrestricted texts. The concordancer gives extensive information about how a language term is used in different contexts. The input analysis and feedback module dynamically provides precise feedback on restricted learner input up to paragraph level. Custom-made animated grammar presentations and learning materials created with the animation authoring tool visualise contrastive grammatical properties and processes. ESPRIT represents an interactive and flexible learning environment and is designed for autonomous learning. Formative and summative evaluation processes provided learner assessment data of different components of ESPRIT. A web-based databasedriven evaluation platform developed for ESPRIT can easily be adapted to other evaluation projects

The direction of the response scale matters - accounting for the unit of measurement

Purpose: Psychometric analyses of self-administered questionnaire data tend to focus on items and instruments as a whole. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the functioning of the response scale and its impact on measurement precision. In terms of the response scale direction, existing evidence is mixed and inconclusive. Design/methodology/Approach: Three experiments are conducted to examine the functioning of response scales of different direction, ranging from agree to disagree versus from disagree to agree. The response scale direction effect is exemplified by two different latent constructs by applying the Rasch model for measurement. Findings: The agree-to-disagree format generally performs better than the disagree-to-agree variant with spatial proximity between the statement and the agree-pole of the scale appearing to drive the effect. The difference is essentially related to the unit of measurement. Research limitations/implications: A careful investigation of the functioning of the response scale should be part of every psychometric assessment. The framework of Rasch measurement theory offers unique opportunities in this regard. Practical implications: Besides content, validity and reliability, academics and practitioners utilising published measurement instruments are advised to consider any evidence on the response scale functioning that is available. Originality/value: The study exemplifies the application of the Rasch model to assess measurement precision as a function of the design of the response scale. The methodology raises the awareness for the unit of measurement, which typically remains hidden

Paper Session III-C - Transforming Technical Education

Recent changes in the aerospace industry have resulted in increased interest in educational initiatives by a number of states (e.g., Florida, Texas, Alabama), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense (DOD), and business organizations facing a challenging future. In response, the Community Colleges for Innovative Technology Transfer (CCITT) – a 15 college consortium located adjacent to all the NASA Centers and several DOD facilities – has embarked upon the development of a national skills standards program for aerospace technicians. This new program not only will educate the workforce of the future but also will use the lure of space-related activities to infuse new levels of interest in academic programs of all kinds. Already the work by this group has resulted in initiatives in workforce training, curriculum development, educational technology, and space-related research initiatives by post-secondary institutions. The aerospace industry has responded with strong support and endorsement by advisory groups such as the Aerospace Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) in Florida, and programs of study are now being offered to students who meet the basic requirements of prospective aerospace employees. The purpose of this paper is to describe the programmatic needs for educational activities for aerospace technical education. It will outline the approaches being developed to utilize partnerships that will link K-12, community college, and university systems to sustain a qualified and technically competent workforce. To meet the growing need for a technically competent workforce, powerful alliances with business and industry, educational institutions, and government organizations such as state spaceport authorities for aerospace program activities have been formed. If successful, these activities can transform education with sustainable structures and flexible curricula that meet the needs of the ultimate stakeholders

Paper Session III-A - Evolution of the Aerospace Technician

The contractors to NASA and the Air Force at Cape Canaveral Spaceport in Florida, teach and train new aerospace technicians specialized job skills on a continuing basis. They provide over 3000 courses, taking from a few hours to several weeks to complete. However, learning the history, culture, building locations and vocabulary specific to the Cape can take years. It has been estimated that it costs from $40,000 to$80,000 to fully train an aerospace technician. This large cost and long lead-time in technician training are the reasons Brevard Community College (BCC) was asked to teach “The Right Stuff.

Thermo-chemical district networks

Thermo-chemical networks are a new technology for district networks, which can provide heating, cooling and drying in one heat loss-free multiservice network. The innovation is the use of thermo-chemical fluids as transport medium, e.g. in the form of concentrated salt solutions, rather than water. Due to the hygroscopic characteristics of the salt solutions, a chemical potential is transported and not thermal energy as in conventional networks. The chemical potential is used to generate useful heat or cold from ambient heat at the place and time of demand or to dehumidify air for drying or air conditioning processes. An important advantage of this novel technology is that the technology is heat loss-free, which means the thermochemical potential stored in the fluids degrade neither in the piping infrastructures nor in storages. In comparison to conventional district heating networks, thermo-chemical networks can be realized with less investment (no insulation is required) and over longer distances (no heat losses occur). The aspect of heat loss-free storage is also interesting for applications of seasonal thermal storage. In particular with solar energy, allowing shifting the energy available in summer to the wintertime. Thermo-chemical district networks and the possibility of long-term storages will improve the efficiency and profitability of the use of solar energy in district heating networks. The demonstrators, realised in Canton Zurich, are part of the project "H-DisNet" funded by the European Program Horizon2020 (Agreement No. 695780