A Study on Developing

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A Study on Developing Personalized Online
English Learning Diagnosis and Advice

• Ma Xiaomei, Meng Yaru
• Xian Jiaotong University
• Website (http//220 200.164.68086/)

????????????,???????????(2002-2006)(No.
FIB011311)
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Key Term Interpretation

• Personalized Learning
• Personalized learning is a learner-centered
  modern teaching approach, which is tailored to
  learners cognitive ability, learning objectives,
  learning needs as well as learning features.
• Diagnosis
• It is used in this context to diagnose the
  learner features and English learning problems.

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Main Headings

• Background purposes
• Method and procedure
• Results
• Limitations

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Background Purpose

• The trend of EFL education
• One size fits all teaching and learning
  modefar from enough to meet individual
  learners learning needs and interests.
• Personalization Autonomy and Hypertextthe
  new trend of EFL education in 21th century.
• Educating learners to learn how to learn.

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Previous Studies

• However, few put research findings into
  practical use.

• Studies on Individual differences are abundant.
• Reforms of curriculum design, and teaching
  methods and means are ongoing.
• Various web-based English learning systems have
  been developed

Due to the restriction of class time and space,
classroom teaching mode hardly meets individual
learners needs.
Most of them simply provide learning materials.
Few attempt, to offer personalized English
learning strategies.
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Personalized learning

• Personalized learning is a learner-centered
  modern teaching approach, which is tailored to
  learners cognitive ability, learning objectives,
  learning needs as well as learning features.
• Learners should be fully supplied with learning
  materials unconstrained by classroom routines (in
  hypertext), and recommended to learning
  strategies tailored to their personal learning
  features like personality traits, learning style
  preferences, and the like.
• Ultimately, their potentials are brought into
  full play, hence the optimal achievements are
  attained. (Ma, 2006).

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Research questions

• How to meet students learning needs and interests
  without constricting them in the classroom?
• how to help them identify the way of learning
  that is tailored to their individual learning
  features?

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Development of the system

• With the notion of personalized learning and
  the theories of constructivism, cognitive
  psychology and SLA, and by taking the web
  technologies and artificial intelligence, we
  developed the online system Personalized Online
  English Learning Diagnosis and Advice, which is
  characterized by diagnosing, evaluating,
  consulting and giving advice.

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Purposes
To enhance the learners awareness of
self-identification, self-control,
self-management and self-development
To explore the appropriate way of autonomous
hypertext and personalized college English
learning
Purposes
To help learners identify the learning strategies
that match their learning features.
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Method and Procedure
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Empirical studies
Empirical studies
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Methods forempirical studies
Research methods
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Script designing

• The script, the cyber-text designed for the web
  system development.
• Steps
• Determining rationale
• Drawing up outline,
• Designing samples,
• Writing up the texts
• Laying out the web page interface and technology
  requirements such as super links, fonts,
  pictures, motions and etc.

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Script featured by 4 modules
1.Cognitive reading based on Teaching
Comprehension Process (Irwins, 1986).
2.National College English Curriculum
Requirements (2004)

• 1. Individual differences (Ellis,1994)
• 2. Findings of empirical studies
• 3. Findings of previous

1. College English Teaching Syllabus 2.
Empirical findings in English reading,
listening, and vocabulary learning strategies
use 3. Teaching experiences of excellent
teachers.
Experiences of excellent college students
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Features of 4 modules
Users reading proficiency, behaviors and time
are assessed through reading, System records
them analyze the individual reading patterns
make an evaluation and gives constructive
suggestions.
Users can identify their personality traits and
learning style preferences, motivations and
learning beliefs strategies and then gain
advice.
Essays written by 60 good learners categorized
into different themes in Question-and-Answer
form. Users can consult any case.
7 parts in Q A form. Users can consult any
question they encounter in language learning,
e.g. reading, speaking, listening and etc.
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Results

• Empirical studies
• Web system

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Results 1 Major findings of Empirical Study

• The study of correlations between 16 PF and
  strategies
• 14 PF exhibit significant correlation with
  learning strategies

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The study on learning styles
Correlation between learning style preferences
and their English achievement

• Independent, analytic and serial learning have
  significantly positive correlation with their
  Band 4 scores
• while group, dependent oriented learning style
  have significantly negative correlation with test
  scores.

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Correlation between learning styles and
strategies

• Language learning style preference has great
  effect on learning strategy choice.
• Visual, auditory, hands-on, independent, group,
  analytic, serial, impulsive and left-brained
  learning styles are all significantly correlated
  with some aspects of learning strategies
• right-brained learning style manifests
  significantly negative correlation with
  rote-memory strategies while positive correlation
  with cognitive strategies.

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The relationship between motivation and
strategies

• Intrinsic motivation is positively correlated
  with management, affective strategies as well as
  language form strategies of cognitive strategies.

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Study on students beliefs about language
learning

• The high achievers possess more open and positive
  beliefs about language learning. In contrast, low
  achievers to much extent lack enough confidence
  about their English learning.
• Beliefs about language learning have direct
  impact on the choice of language learning
  strategies.

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Comparative studies in micro-learning strategies

• The successful learners differ greatly from
  unsuccessful learners in terms of reading,
  listening and vocabulary learning strategies.
• The successful learners demonstrate both common
  features and differences in the above strategies
  use.

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Results 2 Web system
Website (http//220 200.164.68086/)
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Dynamical reading diagnosis
consists of 8 units of reading comprehension,
each with 5 passages.
5 parts, passage reviews, translations, new word
explanations, long sentence and answer
explanations
With 3 graphs self progress curves, 2 bar charts
for both absolute and relative personal feedback
curves

• With absolute Score Diagnosis (the score of
  single items and average scores of individual
  readers), relative Score Diagnosis (the average
  scores of all the users) and regression and
  finally evaluating suggestions provided

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Learner self-diagnosis
Cartell Personality 16 PF
16 factors with 180items
Learning styles
7 dimensions with 75 items
Learning motivation
2 types with 32 items
Learning beliefs
6 groups with 42items
Learning strategies
4 groups with 54 items
Learner factors
By using this subsystem, learner can identify
what personality traits and learning style
preferences he possesses, what motivation and
learning beliefs he holds and what strategies he
is using, and then gain corresponding advice on
what he should do.
Learner self diagnostic model
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• Strategies consulting system

5 self-assessing tests in reading, listening,
speaking, writing and vocabulary learning skills.
Strategies consulting system
Learners can click any question he happens to
have and get the desired answer.
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Cases of successful learners

• Some successful experiences were written in essay
  form by good learners whose 4 band scores were
  all above 90 and categorized in 6 themes.
• Summaries of learning experience
• English learning beliefs
• motivation, interest and perseverance
• vocabulary learning
• integrated skills of reading, listening,
  speaking and writing.
• the selected excellent learners experiences.
• Learners can click any of them they are
  interested in

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Main Features of the System

• Fast and convenient
• Easy to upgrade

Language learners can get the test results and
the evaluation feedback the moment they have
finished the each test
This can guarantee that the learners know the
latest information about learning materials and
learning strategies.
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Researchers collect data for further research.
The data can be transferred to SPSS software from
Oracle for processing.

• Applicable for learners, teachers and researchers
  as well

Learner be aware of his own learning features,
identify the learning strategies and gain advice
Teacher learn students learning features and
personalize his teaching.
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System Application and Feedback

• The Questionnaire investigation
• Subjects 103 from the 2200 undergraduate users
  in Xian Jiao tong University
• The results showed
• 60 (62)
• 60 ( 62)
• 59.2 (61) rated the design
• 223 messages and students interview indicate
• The results of teachers interview

very satisfied

• very helpful for autonomous learning

very creative
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Conclusion

• A breakthrough to the one size fits all mode of
  English learning guidance.
• Manageable and practicable for teachers to tutor
  and guide students differentially
• A resource to serve teachers as well

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Limitations

• Firstly, more needs to be met in the Dynamic
  Diagnosis.
• Feedback showed that the users also need
  self-diagnosis in listening and other skills.
• The dynamic reading module itself needs to
  accommodate to learners of different levels.
• Secondly, The successful learner cases should
  cover the experience of people from other walks
  of life.
• Lastly, more is desired in the webpage design.

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Prospect

• Ongoing Studies
• applying for the follow-up research projects with
  the aim to perfect the present system
• developing new modules hopefully with the
  cooperation of the experts at home and overseas.
• The system will hopefully provide the service
  of personalized learning strategies for English
  users from more areas, even all over the country.

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Thank you !
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Statistic results 1 Bar chart
Average score comparison
Average score of the high achiever
Average score of the Individual User
Average score of all the users
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Statistic results 2 Curve
The curve of individual readers learning progress
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Statistic results 3 Bar chart
The statistical passage number users have read
through.
The number of passages the individual user has
read
The number of passages the average users have
read
The number of passages the users have read most.
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Diagnostic analysis 1
The detail analysis of each passage 1
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Diagnostic analysis
The detail analysis of each passage 2
Blue represents the average correct percentage
for this question type red wrong percentage.
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Diagnostic analysis 2
Absolute diagnostic
Average score
Main idea score
Detail score
Relative diagnostic
Vocabulary score
Evaluation
Regression analysis
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Static learning feature Diagnosis Module
Cartell 16 PF
Learning motivation test
Learning beliefs test
Learning styles test
Learning strategies test
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English learning strategies consulting tutoring
Reading
listening
The example interface of writing
speaking
writing
translating
Vocabulary
grammar
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Cases of Successful Learner Module
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The example interface of successful learners
experience
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The interface of questionnaire for users feedback
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5 instruments

• 5 instruments adopted, adapted or designed by
  referring to authorities Chinese learning
  context pilot-tested, processed through factor
  loading and Alpha Coefficients (above 0.6). by
  SPSS