Search results for: learners with disabilities

Authors: Se-Hyuk Park, Hee-Jung Seo

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Previous studies have investigated effective coping strategies for excessive stress, positive adaptation, resilience, mental health, and personal growth. However, to the best of the authors' knowledge, little research has been conducted to investigate how Koreans with physical disabilities deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to identify coping strategies and coping resources that Koreans with physical disabilities utilized during the COVID-19 crisis. This study used semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 15 participants. Data were qualitatively analyzed using the constant comparative method with content mapping and content mining questions. We identified three salient themes that were used by participants as coping strategies to deal with various COVID-related challenges: (a) engagement in meaningful activities, (b) improvement of social and emotional support, and (c) experience of resilience. The findings of the present study highlighted that Korean adults with SCI actively engaged in various leisure activities, maintained and developed closer social relationships, and experienced resilience to face COVID-19-related stressors. These coping strategies were noted as a catalyst for physical health as well as psychological well-being of individuals with SCI.

Keywords: spinal cord injury, covid-19 pandemic, coping strategies, coping resources, leisure

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Authors: Abdulkabir Abdullahi

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The paper is a pre-use evaluation of grammar activities in three primary English course books (two of which are international primary English course books and the other a popular Nigerian primary English course book). The titles are - Cambridge Global English, Collins International Primary English, and Nigeria Primary English – Primary English. Grammar points and grammar activities in the three-course books were identified, grouped, and evaluated. The grammar activity which was most common in the course books, simple past tense, was chosen for evaluation, and the units which present simple past tense activities were selected to evaluate the extent to which the treatment of simple past tense in each of the course books help the young learners of English as a second language in Nigeria, aged 8 – 11, level A1 to A2, who lack the basic grammatical knowledge, to know grammar/communicate effectively. A bespoke checklist was devised, through the modification of existing checklists for the purpose of the evaluation, to evaluate the extent to which the grammar activities promote the communicative effectiveness of Nigerian learners of English as a second language. The results of the evaluation and the analysis of the data reveal that the treatment of grammar, especially the treatment of the simple past tense, is evidently insufficient. While Cambridge Global English’s, and Collins International Primary English’s treatment of grammar, the simple past tense, is underpinned by state-of-the-art theories of learning, language learning theories, second language learning principles, second language curriculum-syllabus design principles, grammar learning and teaching theories, the grammar load is insignificantly low, and the grammar tasks do not promote creative grammar practice sufficiently. Nigeria Primary English – Primary English, on the other hand, treats grammar, the simple past tense, in the old-fashioned direct way. The book does not favour the communicative language teaching approach; no opportunity for learners to notice and discover grammar rules for themselves, and the book lacks the potency to promote creative grammar practice. The research and its findings, therefore, underscore the need to improve grammar contents and increase grammar activity types which engage learners effectively and promote sufficient creative grammar practice in EFL and ESL material design and development.

Keywords: evaluation, activity, second language, activity-types, creative grammar practice

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Authors: Mohammed Alkiyumi

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Educational systems are currently paying special attention to developing learners' higher thinking skills to develop the capabilities of human resources to deal with contemporary challenges. Although psychologists disagree about the concept of higher-order thinking skills and the skills they include, there is unlimited effort in designing them and building strategies for their implementation. The most important factor helping to develop these skills is their classification according to specific criteria, and the most important of these classifications is Bloom's classification, which is dominant in most educational systems at all levels. Previous classifications have many limitations, including the comprehensiveness of the skills they contain, the logical structure of their hierarchy, and classification criteria. Therefore, this article puts another step in this area by providing a new classification of higher-order thinking skills that includes five categories: the first response stage, transformative stage, application, reasoning stage, and the production stage with a logical justification for this classification, with some techniques to developing it among learners.

Keywords: high-order thinking skills, classification, teaching, education

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Authors: Kimberly Ho, Maeve Donnelly

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In this paper, a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and Board Certified Behavior Analysts® (BCBA) with a combined professional experience of almost 50 years will discuss their experiences working with individuals on the autism spectrum. Some autistic children require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to meet their communication needs. These learners present with unique strengths and challenges, often requiring intervention from a team of professionals to generalize skills across environments. Collaboration between SLPs and BCBAs will be discussed in terms of strengths and challenges. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) will be defined and explained in the context of the treatment of learners on the autism spectrum with complex communication needs (CCN). The requirement for collaboration will be discussed by the governing boards for both BCBAs and SLPs. The strengths of each discipline will be compared along with difficulties faced when professionals experience disciplinary centrism. The challenges in teaching autistic learners with CCN will be reviewed. Case studies will be shared in which BCBAs and SLPs engage in interprofessional practice to support autistic children who use AAC to participate in a social skills group. Learner outcomes will be shared and assessed through both an SLP and BCBA perspective. Finally, ideas will be provided to promote the interprofessional practice, including establishing a shared framework, avoiding professional jargon and moving towards common terminology, and focusing on the data to ensure the efficacy of treatment.

Keywords: autism, cross disciplinary collaboration, augmentative and alternative communication, generalization

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Authors: Isah Mohammed Patizhiko

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This paper aimed at discussing the important role learning resources play in enhancing the teaching and learning of science and technology courses in post primary institution in Nigeria. The paper highlighted the importance learning resources contributed to the effective understanding of the learners. The use of learning resources in the teaching of these courses will encourage teachers to be more exploratory and the learners to have more understanding. In this paper, different range of learning resources particularly common learning resources (learning resources not design primarily for education purposes) to enrich their teaching. The paper also highlighted how ordinary resource can be turned into an educational resource. Recommendations were proffered in the sourcing of learning resources ie from the market, library, institutions, museums, and dump refuse and concluded that good demonstration on the use of resources will engage the learner’s interest and will develop higher level of conceptual understanding in the learning area.

Keywords: enhance, learning, resources, science and technology, teaching

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Authors: Jennifer Duffy, Liz Fleming

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Teacher shortage in special education is an American educational problem. Due to the implementation of The No Child Left Behind Act (2001) and The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004), there has been an increase in the number of students requiring special education services. Consequently, there has been an influx to hire more special education teachers. However, the historic challenge of hiring certified special education teachers has been intensified with this the profession’s increasing demand of positions to fill. Efforts to improve recruitment and entry into the field must be informed by an understanding of the factors that initially inspire special education teachers to choose this career pathway. Hence, an understanding of reasons why teachers select special education as a profession is needed. The purpose of this study was to explore personal, academic, and professional motivations that lead to the selection of special education as a career choice. Using the grounded theory approach, this research investigation examined the factors that were most instrumental in influencing applicants to select special education as a career choice. Over one hundred de-identified graduate school applications to Bay Path University’s Graduate Special Education Programs from 2014- 2017 were qualitatively analyzed. Grounded coding was used to discover themes that emerged in applicants’ admissions essays explaining why he/she was pursuing a career in special education. The central themes that were most influential in applicants’ selection of special education as a career trajectory were (a) personal/familial connections to disability, (b) meaningful paraprofessional experiences working with disabled children, (c) aptitudes for teaching, and (d) finding personal rewards and professional fulfillment by advocating for vulnerable children. Implications from these findings include educating family members of children with disabilities about possible career tracks in special education, designing programs for paraprofessionals to become certified teachers, exposing prospective teacher candidates to the field of special education, and recruiting professionals from the human services field who seek to improve the quality of life and educational opportunities for children with special needs.

Keywords: career choice, professional pathways to teaching children with disabilities, special education, teacher recruitment

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Authors: Raziel Felix-Aguelo

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Language competencies refer to the knowledge and abilities to use English in four inter-related skills: Speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Cooperative learning is a type of instruction where learners are grouped together to work on an assignment, project, or task. To become competent in second language, one needs to actively use English in each of four modalities. Learning English is challenging to second language learners. Sometimes, some students feel demotivated and scared to use English during class discussions and recitations. This paper explores the students’ attitude and perception towards cooperative learning in enhancing their language competencies. The primary method for this research is case study. Thirty-two grade 9 students within a single selected class are used as sample. The instruments used in data collection were questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The finding shows that collaborative learning activities enhance the four skills of the students. The participants consider this approach motivational as they engage and interact with others. This indicates that students develop their language competencies as they rely to one another in doing meaningful language activities.

Keywords: language competencies, collaborative learning, motivation, language activities

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Authors: Geeta Goyal

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Teaching-learning of English as a second language is a challenge for the learner as well as the teacher. Whereas a student may find it hard and get demotivated while communicating in a language other than mother tongue, a teacher, too, finds it difficult to integrate necessary teaching material in lesson plans to maximize the outcome. Studies reveal that task-based teaching can be useful in diverse contexts in a second language classroom as it helps in creating opportunities for language exposure as per learners' interest and capability levels, which boosts their confidence and learning efficiency. The present study has analysed the impact of various activities carried out in a heterogenous group of second language learners at tertiary level in a semi-urban area in Haryana state of India. Language tasks were specifically planned with a focus on engaging groups of twenty-five students for a period of three weeks. These included language games such as spell-well, cross-naught besides other communicative and interactive tasks like mock-interviews, role plays, sharing experiences, storytelling, simulations, scene-enact, video-clipping, etc. Tools in form of handouts and cue cards were also used as per requirement. This experiment was conducted for ten groups of students taking bachelor’s courses in different streams of humanities, commerce, and sciences. Participants were continuously supervised, monitored, and guided by the respective teacher. Feedback was collected from the students through classroom observations, interviews, and questionnaires. Students' responses revealed that they felt comfortable and got plenty of opportunities to communicate freely without being afraid of making mistakes. It was observed that even slow/timid/shy learners got involved by getting an experience of English language usage in friendly environment. Moreover, it helped the teacher in establishing a trusting relationship with students and encouraged them to do the same with their classmates. The analysis of the data revealed that majority of students demonstrated improvement in their interest and enthusiasm in the class. The study revealed that task-based teaching was an effective method to improve the teaching-learning process under the given conditions.

Keywords: communication skills, English, second language, task-based teaching

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Authors: Felix Böck

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Nowadays, data about learners and their digital activities are collected, which could help educational institutions to better understand learning processes, improve them and be able to provide better learning assistance. In this research project, custom knowledge- and data-driven recommendation algorithms will be used to offer students in higher education integrated learning assistance. The pre-requisite for this is a learner model that is as comprehensive as possible, which should first be created and then kept up-to-date largely automatically for being able to individualize and personalize the learning experience. In order to create such a learner model, a roadmap is presented that describes the individual phases up to the creation and evaluation of the finished model. The methodological process for the research project is disclosed, and the research question of how learners can be supported in their learning with personalized, customized learning recommendations is explored.

Keywords: research agenda, user model, learner model, higher education, adaptive educational digital learning environments, personalized learning paths, recommendation system, adaptation, personalization

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Authors: Szu-Yin Chu

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Self-determination has been particularly influential in obtaining a better quality of life through successful transition processes for students with disabilities. The development of self-determination through learning has raised attention at an early age. This study used a survey questionnaire to construct the understanding of the self-determination in Taiwan, learn the perspectives about the environmental and situational contexts where the respondents expect children to display self-determination skills in different cultures. Specifically, the research questions are: (a) What are Taiwanese families’ general perspectives about the development of foundations of self-determination for young children with special needs? and (b) how does families’ demographic background (i.e., income level, educational background) and child characteristics (i.e., age, emotional or behavior problems) impact Taiwanese families’ perspectives on the foundations of self-determination across three critical components (i.e., choice-making and problem-solving, self-regulation, and engagement) for young children with special needs? Data from 125 participants were gathered and analyzed. The findings suggested that Taiwanese families showed very positive attitudes toward promoting a foundation of self-determination for young children with special needs. Families’ income level and child’s severity of emotional/behavioral problems were two variables that were found to impact families’ views on their child’s foundational self-determination skills. Implications for future research and practice in supporting families to promote foundations of self-determination for young children with special needs will be provided.

Keywords: disabilities, self-determination, Taiwan, young children

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Authors: Sindile Ngubane-Mokiwa

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This paper addresses two questions: (1) what barriers do the blind students face with assessment and feedback in open distance learning contexts? And (2) How can these barriers be removed? The paper focuses on the distance education through which most students with disabilities elevate their chances of accessing higher education. Lack of genuine inclusion is also evident in the challenges the blind students face during the assessment. These barriers are experienced at both formative and summative stages. The insights in this paper emanate from a case study that was carried out through qualitative approaches. The data was collected through in-depth interview, life stories, and telephonic interviews. The paper provides a review of local, continental and international views on how best assessment barriers can be removed. A group of five blind students, comprising of two honours students, two master's students and one doctoral student participated in this study. The data analysis was done through thematic analysis. The findings revealed that (a) feedback to the assignment is often inaccessible; (b) the software used is incompatible; (c) learning and assessment are designed in exclusionary approaches; (d) assessment facilities are not conducive; and (e) lack of proactive innovative assessment strategies. The article concludes by recommending ways in which barriers to assessment can be removed. These include addressing inclusive assessment and feedback strategies in professional development initiatives.

Keywords: assessment design, barriers, disabilities, blind students, feedback, universal design for learning

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Authors: Tianqi Wu, Min Wang

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Research investigating language acquisition from a constructionist perspective has demonstrated that language is learned as constructions at various linguistic levels, which is related to factors of frequency, semantic prototypicality, and form-meaning contingency. However, previous research on construction learning tended to focus on clause-level constructions such as verb argument constructions but few attempts were made to study morpheme-level constructions such as the progressive construction, which is regarded as a source of acquisition problems for English learners from diverse L1 backgrounds, especially for those whose L1 do not have an equivalent construction such as German and Chinese. To trace the developmental trajectory of Chinese EFL learners’ use of the progressive with respect to verb frequency, verb-progressive contingency, and verbal prototypicality and generality, a learner corpus consisting of three sub-corpora representing three different English proficiency levels was extracted from the Chinese Learners of English Corpora (CLEC). As the reference point, a native speakers’ corpus extracted from the Louvain Corpus of Native English Essays was also established. All the texts were annotated with C7 tagset by part-of-speech tagging software. After annotation all valid progressive hits were retrieved with AntConc 3.4.3 followed by a manual check. Frequency-related data showed that from the lowest to the highest proficiency level, (1) the type token ratio increased steadily from 23.5% to 35.6%, getting closer to 36.4% in the native speakers’ corpus, indicating a wider use of verbs in the progressive; (2) the normalized entropy value rose from 0.776 to 0.876, working towards the target score of 0.886 in native speakers’ corpus, revealing that upper-intermediate learners exhibited a more even distribution and more productive use of verbs in the progressive; (3) activity verbs (i.e., verbs with prototypical progressive meanings like running and singing) dropped from 59% to 34% but non-prototypical verbs such as state verbs (e.g., being and living) and achievement verbs (e.g., dying and finishing) were increasingly used in the progressive. Apart from raw frequency analyses, collostructional analyses were conducted to quantify verb-progressive contingency and to determine what verbs were distinctively associated with the progressive construction. Results were in line with raw frequency findings, which showed that contingency between the progressive and non-prototypical verbs represented by light verbs (e.g., going, doing, making, and coming) increased as English proficiency proceeded. These findings altogether suggested that beginning Chinese EFL learners were less productive in using the progressive construction: they were constrained by a small set of verbs which had concrete and typical progressive meanings (e.g., the activity verbs). But with English proficiency increasing, their use of the progressive began to spread to marginal members such as the light verbs.

Keywords: Construction learning, Corpus-based, Progressives, Prototype

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Authors: Tharwat N. Hijjawi

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Learning oral skills in an Arabic speaking environment is challenging. A blended course (material, activities, and individual/ group work tasks …) was implemented in a module of level B1 for undergraduate students of French as a foreign language in order to increase their opportunities to practice listening and speaking skills. This research investigates the influence of this modality on enhancing active learning and examines the effectiveness of provided strategies. Moreover, it aims at discovering how it allows teacher to flip the traditional classroom and create a learner-centered framework. Which approaches were integrated to motivate students and urge them to search, analyze, criticize, create and accomplish projects? What was the perception of students? This paper is based on the qualitative findings of a questionnaire and a focus group interview with learners. Despite the doubled time and effort both “teacher” and “student” needed, results revealed that the NTIC allowed a shift into a learning paradigm where learners were the “chiefs” of the process. Tasks and collaborative projects required higher intellectual capacities from them. Learners appreciated this experience and developed new life-long learning competencies at many levels: social, affective, ethical and cognitive. To conclude, they defined themselves as motivated young researchers, motivators and critical thinkers.

Keywords: active learning, critical thinking, inverted classroom, learning paradigm, problem-based

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Authors: Md. Shaiful Islam, Mahani Bt. Stapa

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To help learners overcome their struggle in developing proficiency in spoken English, self-regulated learning strategies seem to be promising. Students in the private universities in Bangladesh are expected to communicate with the teachers, peers, and staff members in English, but most of them suffer from their inadequate oral communicative competence in English. To address this problem, the researchers adopted a qualitative research approach to answer the research questions. They employed the learner diary method to collect data from the first-semester undergraduate students of a reputed private university in Bangladesh who were involved in writing weekly diaries about their use of self-regulated learning strategies to improve speaking in an English speaking course. The learners were provided with prompts for writing the diaries. The thematic analysis method was applied to analyze the entries of the diaries for the identification of themes. Seven strategies related to the effectiveness of SRL for the improvement of spoken English were identified from the data, and they include goal-setting, strategic planning, identifying the sources of self-motivation, help-seeking, environmental restructuring, self-monitoring, and self-evaluation. However, the students reported in their diaries that they faced challenges that impeded their SRL strategy use. Five challenges were identified, and they entail the complex nature of SRL, lack of literacy on SRL, teachers’ preference for controlling the class, learners’ past habit of learning, and students’ addiction to gadgets. The implications the study addresses include revising the syllabus and curriculum, facilitating SRL training for students and teachers, and integrating SRL in the lessons.

Keywords: private university in Bangladesh, proficiency, self-regulated learning, spoken English

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Authors: Yidan Shao

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With the advancement of the economy, technology promotes online teaching, and learning has become one of the common features in the educational field. Meanwhile, the dramatic expansion of the online environment provides opportunities for more learners, including second language learners. A greater command of vocabulary improves students’ learning capacity, and word acquisition and development play a critical role in learning. Furthermore, the Word Wall is an effective tool to improve students’ knowledge of words, which works for a wide range of age groups. Therefore, this study is going to use the Word Wall as an intervention to examine whether it can bring some memorization changes in an online English language class for a second language learner based on the word morphology method. The participant will take ten courses in the experiment as it plans. The findings show that the Word Wall activity plays a slight role in improving word memorizing, but it does affect instant memorization. If longer periods and more comprehensive designs of research can be applied, it is expected to have more value.

Keywords: second language acquisition, word morphology, word memorization, the Word Wall

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Authors: Kafi Razzaq Ahmed

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Speaking fluently in a second language requires vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation skills. Teaching the English language entails teaching pronunciation. In professional literature, there have been a lot of attempts to integrate technology into improving the pronunciation of learners. The technique is also neglected in Kurdish contexts, Salahaddin University – Erbil included. Thus, the main aim of the research is to point out the efficiency of using video materials for both language teachers and learners within and beyond classroom learning and teaching environments to enhance student's pronunciation. To collect practical data, a research project has been designed. In subsequent research, a posttest will be administered after each lesson to 100 first-year students at Salahaddin University-Erbil English departments. All students will be taught the same material using different methods, one based on video materials and the other based on the traditional approach to teaching pronunciation. Finally, the results of both tests will be analyzed (also knowing the attitudes of both the teachers and the students about both lessons) to indicate the impact of using video in the process of teaching and learning pronunciation.

Keywords: video, pronunciation, teaching, learning

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Authors: Majed Al-Quran

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Language arts, as a domain of learning, principally covers the study of literature and the arts of reading and writing. These three areas deal with the art of conceptualizing and representing in language how people live and might live their lives. And all three are significantly concerned with gaining command of language and expression. Of course, there is no command of language separate from the command of thought. The paper addresses how EFL learners can develop insight and sense into what can be earned from literature and a sense of putting experiences into words. It further shows how critical thinking-based instruction helps students develop command of their own ideas, which consequently requires command over the words in which they express them. Critical thinking stipulates that in words and ideas, there is the power to create systems of beliefs and multiple conceptions of life. Remodeling language lessons aim at overcoming the challenge of stimulating learners to cultivate a new and different conception of language skills, including those of reading and writing.

Keywords: language arts, remodeling, critical thinking, pedagogy

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Authors: Hooriya Sadr Dadras, Shiva Seyed Erfani

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Speaking skills merit meticulous attention both on the side of the learners and the teachers. In particular, accuracy is a critical component to guarantee the messages to be conveyed through conversation because a wrongful change may adversely alter the content and purpose of the talk. Different types of tasks have served teachers to meet numerous educational objectives. Besides, negotiation of meaning and the use of different strategies have been areas of concern in socio-cultural theories of SLA. Negotiation of meaning is among the conversational processes which have a crucial role in facilitating the understanding and expression of meaning in a given second language. Conversational strategies are used during interaction when there is a breakdown in communication that leads to the interlocutor attempting to remedy the gap through talk. Therefore, this study was an attempt to investigate if there was any significant difference between the effect of reasoning gap tasks and information gap tasks on the frequency of conversational strategies used in negotiation of meaning in classrooms on one hand, and on the accuracy in speaking of Iranian intermediate EFL learners on the other. After a pilot study to check the practicality of the treatments, at the outset of the main study, the Preliminary English Test was administered to ensure the homogeneity of 87 out of 107 participants who attended the intact classes of a 15 session term in one control and two experimental groups. Also, speaking sections of PET were used as pretest and posttest to examine their speaking accuracy. The tests were recorded and transcribed to estimate the percentage of the number of the clauses with no grammatical errors in the total produced clauses to measure the speaking accuracy. In all groups, the grammatical points of accuracy were instructed and the use of conversational strategies was practiced. Then, different kinds of reasoning gap tasks (matchmaking, deciding on the course of action, and working out a time table) and information gap tasks (restoring an incomplete chart, spot the differences, arranging sentences into stories, and guessing game) were manipulated in experimental groups during treatment sessions, and the students were required to practice conversational strategies when doing speaking tasks. The conversations throughout the terms were recorded and transcribed to count the frequency of the conversational strategies used in all groups. The results of statistical analysis demonstrated that applying both the reasoning gap tasks and information gap tasks significantly affected the frequency of conversational strategies through negotiation. In the face of the improvements, the reasoning gap tasks had a more significant impact on encouraging the negotiation of meaning and increasing the number of conversational frequencies every session. The findings also indicated both task types could help learners significantly improve their speaking accuracy. Here, applying the reasoning gap tasks was more effective than the information gap tasks in improving the level of learners’ speaking accuracy.

Keywords: accuracy in speaking, conversational strategies, information gap tasks, reasoning gap tasks

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Authors: K. T. Sun, Y. H. Tai, H. W. Yang, H. T. Lin

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This paper presented the technique of robot control by event-related potentials (ERPs) of brain waves. Based on the proposed technique, severe physical disabilities can free browse outside world. A specific component of ERPs, N2P3, was found and used to control the movement of robot and the view of camera on the designed brain-computer interface (BCI). Users only required watching the stimuli of attended button on the BCI, the evoked potentials of brain waves of the target button, N2P3, had the greatest amplitude among all control buttons. An experimental scene had been constructed that the robot required walking to a specific position and move the view of camera to see the instruction of the mission, and then completed the task. Twelve volunteers participated in this experiment, and experimental results showed that the correct rate of BCI control achieved 80% and the average of execution time was 353 seconds for completing the mission. Four main contributions included in this research: (1) find an efficient component of ERPs, N2P3, for BCI control, (2) embed robot's viewpoint image into user interface for robot control, (3) design an experimental scene and conduct the experiment, and (4) evaluate the performance of the proposed system for assessing the practicability.

Keywords: severe physical disabilities, robot control, event-related potentials (ERPs), brain-computer interface (BCI), brain waves

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Authors: Yi Ding

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With the rapid development of educational technologies, higher education institutions are facing the challenge of creating an inclusive learning environment for students from diverse backgrounds. Academic libraries, the hubs of research, instruction, and innovation at higher educational institutions, are facing the same challenge. While academic librarians worldwide have been working hard to provide services for emerging information technology such as information literacy education, online learning support, and scholarly communication advocacy, the problem of digital exclusion remains a difficult one at higher education institutions. Information services provided by academic libraries can result in the digital exclusion of students from diverse backgrounds, such as students with various digital readiness levels, students with disabilities, as well as English-as-a-Second-Language learners. This research study shows how academic librarians can design digital learning objects that are cognizant of differences in learner traits and student profiles through the lens of design thinking. By demonstrating how the design process of digital learning objects can take into consideration users’ needs, experiences, and engagement with different technologies, this research study explains design principles of accessibility, connectivity, and scalability in creating inclusive digital learning objects as shown in various case studies. Equipped with the mindset and techniques to be mindful of diverse student learning traits and profiles when designing information services, academic libraries can improve the digital inclusion and ultimately student success at higher education institutions.

Keywords: academic librarians, digital inclusion, information services, digital learning objects, student success

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Authors: Haq Nawaz, Muhammad Amjad Iqbal, Kamran Malik

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"Altasreef" is an automated system available for Web and Android users which provide facility to the users to learn the Quran verbs. It provides the facility to the users to practice the learned material and also provide facility of exams of Arabic verbs variation focusing on Quran text. Arabic is a highly inflectional language. Almost all of its words connect to roots of three, four or five letters which approach the meaning of all their inflectional forms. In Arabic, a verb is formed by inserting the consonants into one of a set of verb patterns. Suffixes and prefixes are then added to generate the meaning of number, person, and gender. The active/passive voice and perfective aspect and other patterns are than generated. This application is designed for learners of Quranic Arabic who already have learn basics of Arabic conjugation. Application also provides the facility of translation of generated patterns. These translations are generated with the help of rule-based approach to give 100% results to the learners.

Keywords: NLP, Quran, Computational Linguistics, E Learning

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Authors: Massra M. Sabeima, Myriam lamolle, Mohamedade Farouk Nanne

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Adapting the learning resources of an e-learning system to the characteristics of the learners is an important aspect to consider when designing an adaptive e-learning system. However, this adaptation is not a simple process; it requires the extraction, analysis, and modeling of user information. This implies a good representation of the user's profile, which is the backbone of the adaptation process. Moreover, during the e-learning process, collaboration with similar users (same geographic province or knowledge context) is important. Productive collaboration motivates users to continue or not abandon the course and increases the assimilation of learning objects. The contribution of this work is the following: we propose an adaptive e-learning semantic platform to recommend learning resources to learners, using ontology to model the user profile and the course content, furthermore an implementation of a multi-agent system able to progressively generate the learning graph (taking into account the user's progress, and the changes that occur) for each user during the learning process, and to synchronize the users who collaborate on a learning object.

Keywords: adaptative learning, collaboration, multi-agent, ontology

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Authors: Amal M. Alrayes, Hayat M. Ali

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Since the beginning of distance education with the rapid evolution of technology, the social network plays a vital role in the educational process to enforce the interaction been the learners and teachers. There are many Web 2.0 technologies, services and tools designed for educational purposes. This research aims to investigate instructors’ acceptance towards web-based learning systems in higher educational institutes in Kingdom of Bahrain. Questionnaire is used to investigate the instructors’ usage of Web 2.0 and the factors affecting their acceptance. The results confirm that instructors had high accessibility to such technologies. However, patterns of use were complex. Whilst most expressed interest in using online technologies to support learning activities, learners seemed cautious about other values associated with web-based system, such as the shared construction of knowledge in a public format. The research concludes that there are main factors that affect instructors’ adoption which are security, performance expectation, perceived benefits, subjective norm, and perceived usefulness.

Keywords: Web 2.0, higher education, acceptance, students' perception

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Authors: Harun Bozna

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MOOC (massive open online course) is a groundbreaking education platform and a current buzzword in higher education. Although MOOCs offer many appreciated learning experiences to learners from various universities and institutions, they have considerably higher dropout rates than traditional education. Only about 10% of the learners who enroll in MOOCs actually complete the course. In this case, perceptions of participants and a comprehensive analysis of MOOCs have become an essential part of the research in this area. This study aims to explore the MOOCs in detail for better understanding its content, purpose and primarily drop out issues. The researcher conducted an online questionnaire to get perceptions of graduate students on their learning experiences in MOOCs and arranged a semi- structured oral interview with some participants. The participants are Turkish graduate level students doing their MA and Ph.D. in various programs. The findings show that participants are more likely to drop out courses due to lack of time and lack of pressure.

Keywords: distance education, MOOCs, drop out, perception of graduate students

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Authors: Bernice Badal

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The South African English curriculum emphasizes the adoption of the Communicative Approach (CA) using Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) methodologies to develop English as a second language (ESL) learners’ communicative competence in contexts such as township schools in South Africa. However, studies indicate that the adoption of the approach largely remains a rhetoric. Poor English language proficiency among learners and poor student performance, which continues from the secondary to the tertiary phase, is widely attributed to a lack of English language proficiency in South Africa. Consequently, this qualitative study, using a mix of classroom observations and interviews, sought to investigate teacher knowledge of Communicative Competence and the methods and strategies ESL teachers used to develop their learners’ communicative competence. The success of learners’ ability to develop communicative competence in contexts such as township schools in South Africa is inseparable from materials, tasks, teacher knowledge and how they implement the approach in the classrooms. Accordingly, teacher knowledge of the theory and practical implications of the CLT approach is imperative for the negotiation of meaning and appropriate use of language in context in resource-impoverished areas like the township. Using a mix of interviews and observations as data sources, this qualitative study examined teachers’ definitions and knowledge of Communicative competence with a focus on how it influenced their classroom practices. The findings revealed that teachers were not familiar with the notion of communicative competence, the communication process, and the underpinnings of CLT. Teachers’ narratives indicated an awareness that there should be interactions and communication in the classroom, but a lack of theoretical understanding of the types of communication necessary scuttled their initiatives. Thus, conceptual deficiency influences teachers’ practices as they engage in classroom activities in a superficial manner or focus on stipulated learner activities prescribed by the CAPS document. This study, therefore, concluded that partial or limited conceptual and coherent understandings with ‘teacher-proof’ stipulations for classroom practice do not inspire teacher efficacy and mastery of prescribed approaches; thus, more efforts should be made by the Department of Basic Education to strengthen the existing Professional Development workshops to support teachers in improving their understandings and application of CLT for the development of Communicative competence in their learners. The findings of the study contribute to the field of teacher knowledge acquisition, teacher beliefs and practices and professional development in the context of second language teaching and learning with a recommendation that frameworks for the development of communicative competence with wider applicability in resource-poor environments be developed to support teacher understanding and application in classrooms.

Keywords: communicative competence, CLT, conceptual understanding of reforms, professional development

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Authors: Alper Tolga Kumtepe, Erdem Erdogdu, M. Recep Okur, Eda Kaypak, Ozlem Kaya, Serap Ugur, Deniz Dincer, Hakan Yildirim

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Interaction is one of the most important components of open and distance learning. According to Moore, who proposed one of the keystones on interaction types, there are three basic types of interaction: learner-teacher, learner-content, and learner-learner. From these interaction types, learner-content interaction, without doubt, can be identified as the most fundamental one on which all education is based. Efficacy, efficiency, and attraction of open and distance learning systems can be achieved by the practice of effective learner-content interaction. With the development of new technologies, interactive e-learning materials have been commonly used as a resource in open and distance learning, along with the printed books. The intellectual engagement of the learners with the content that is course materials may also affect their satisfaction for the open and distance learning practices in general. Learner satisfaction holds an important place in open and distance learning since it will eventually contribute to the achievement of learning outcomes. Using the learner-content interaction activities in course materials, Anadolu University, by its Open Education system, tries to involve learners in deep and meaningful learning practices. Especially, during the e-learning material design and production processes, identifying appropriate learner-content interaction activities within the context of learning outcomes holds a big importance. Considering the lack of studies adopting this approach, as well as its being a study on the use of e-learning materials in Open Education system, this research holds a big value in open and distance learning literature. In this respect, the present study aimed to investigate a) which learner-content interaction activities included in interactive courses are the most effective in learners’ achievement of verbal information learning outcomes and b) to what extent distance learners are satisfied with these learner-content interaction activities. For this study, the quasi-experimental research design was adopted. The 120 participants of the study were from Anadolu University Open Education Faculty students living in Eskişehir. The students were divided into 6 groups randomly. While 5 of these groups received different learner-content interaction activities as a part of the experiment, the other group served as the control group. The data were collected mainly through two instruments: pre-test and post-test. In addition to those tests, learners’ perceived learning was assessed with an item at the end of the program. The data collected from pre-test and post-test were analyzed by ANOVA, and in the light of the findings of this approximately 24-month study, suggestions for the further design of e-learning materials within the context of learner-content interaction activities will be provided at the conference. The current study is planned to be an antecedent for the following studies that will examine the effects of activities on other learning domains.

Keywords: interaction, distance education, interactivity, online courses

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Authors: Jeong-Won Lee, Kyeong-Ok Yoon

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The current study aimed to investigate the effects of topic familiarity and language proficiency on linguistic aspects (lexical complexity, syntactic complexity, accuracy, and fluency) in EFL learners’ argumentative essays. For the study 64 college students were asked to write an argumentative essay for the two different topics (Driving and Smoking) chosen by the consideration of topic familiarity. The students were divided into two language proficiency groups (high-level and intermediate) according to their English writing proficiency. The findings of the study are as follows: 1) the participants of this study exhibited lower levels of lexical and syntactic complexity as well as accuracy when performing writing tasks with unfamiliar topics; and 2) they demonstrated the use of a wider range of vocabulary, and longer and more complex structures, and produced accurate and lengthier texts compared to their intermediate peers. Discussion and pedagogical implications for instruction of writing classes in EFL contexts were addressed.

Keywords: topic familiarity, complexity, accuracy, fluency

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Authors: Fatemeh Miraki

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The use of authentic materials in English Language Teaching (ELT) has become increasingly prominent as educators recognize the value of exposing learners to real-world language use and cultural contexts. The integration of authentic materials in ELT aligns with the understanding that language learning is most effective when situated within authentic contexts (Richards & Rodgers, 2001). Tomlinson (1998) highlights the significance of authentic materials in ELT by research indicating that they offer learners exposure to genuine language use and cultural contexts. Tomlinson's work emphasizes the importance of creating meaningful learning experiences through the use of authentic materials. Research by Dörnyei (2001) underscores the potential of authentic materials to enhance students' intrinsic motivation through their relevance to real-life language use. The goal of this review paper is to explore the use of authentic materials in English Language Teaching (ELT) and its impact on language learning. It also discusses best practices for selecting and integrating such authentic materials into ELT curriculum, highlighting the benefits and challenges of using authentic materials to enhance student engagement, motivation, and language proficiency. Drawing on current research and practical examples, this paper provides insights into how teachers can effectively navigate the world of authentic materials to create dynamic and meaningful learning experiences for 21st century ELT learners. The findings of this study advocates for a shift towards embracing authentic materials within the ELT classroom, acknowledging their profound impact on language proficiency, intercultural competence, and learner engagement. It showed the transformative potential of authentic materials, educators can undergo a vibrant and immersive language learning experience, enriched with real-world application and cultural authenticity.

Keywords: authentic materials, ELT Classroom, ELT curriculum, students’ engagement

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Authors: Mirriam M. Moleko, Sekanse A. Ntsala

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Language in mathematics instruction enables the teacher to communicate mathematical knowledge to the learners with precision. It also enables the learner to deal with mathematical activities effectively. This scholarly piece was motivated by the fact that mathematics performance in the South African primary classrooms has not been satisfactory, and English, which is a Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT) for the majority of the learners, has been singled out as one of the major impediments. This is not only on the part of the learners, but also on the part of the teachers as well. The study thus focused on the lack of competency in English among the primary school teachers as one of the possible causes of poor performance in mathematics in primary classrooms. The qualitative processes, which were premised on the social interaction theory as a lens, sourced the narratives of 10 newly qualified primary school mathematics teachers from the disadvantaged schools on the matter. This was achieved through the use of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The data, which were analyzed thematically, highlighted the actuality that the challenges cut across the pre-service stage to the in-service stage. The findings revealed that the undergraduate mathematics courses in the number of the institutions neglect the importance of language. The study further revealed that the in-service mathematics teachers lack adequate linguistic command, thereby finding it difficult to successfully teach some mathematical concepts, or even to outline instructions clearly. The study thus suggests the need for training institutions to focus on improving the teachers’ English language competency. The need for intensive in-service training targeting the problem areas was also highlighted. The study thus contributes to the body of knowledge by providing suggestions on how the mathematics teachers’ language incompetency can be mitigated.

Keywords: Competency, English language proficiency, language of learning and teaching, primary mathematics teachers

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Authors: Khaleel Bader Bataineh

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Past studies have maintained that the Arab learners' beliefs about language learning hold vital effects on their performance. Thus, this study was carried out to investigate the language learning beliefs of Irbid National University students. It aimed at identifying the language learning beliefs according to gender. This study is a descriptive design that employed survey questionnaire of Language Learning Beliefs Inventory (BALLI). The data were elicited from 83 English major students during the class sessions. The data were analyzed using an SPSS program in which frequency analysis and t-test were performed to examine the students’ responses. Thus, the major findings of this research indicated that there is a variation in responses with regards to the subjects’ beliefs about English learning. Also, the findings show significant differences in four questionnaire items according to gender. It is hoped that the findings provide valuable insights to educators about the learners’ beliefs which assist them to develop the teaching and learning English language process in Jordan universities.

Keywords: foreign language, students’ beliefs, language learning, Arab students

Procedia PDF Downloads 488