Authors:
Xiwen Lu
1
;
Korinn S. Ostrow
2
and
Neil T. Heffernan
2
Affiliations:
1
German, Russian, and Asian Languages and Literature, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453 and U.S.A.
;
2
Computer Science Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609 and U.S.A.
Keyword(s):
Chinese (Mandarin), Foreign/Second Language Learning/Acquisition, Sound, Meaning, Character, Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL), Randomized Controlled Trial, ASSISTments Testbed.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Blended Learning
;
Computer-Supported Education
;
Course Design and e-Learning Curriculae
;
e-Learning
;
Instructional Design
;
Learning/Teaching Methodologies and Assessment
;
Social Context and Learning Environments
Abstract:
Because Chinese reading and writing systems are not phonetic, Mandarin Chinese learners must construct six-way mental connections in order to learn new words, linking characters, meanings, and sounds. Little research has focused on the difficulties inherent to each specific component involved in this process, especially within digital learning environments. The present work examines Chinese word acquisition within ASSISTments, an online learning platform traditionally known for mathematics education. Students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions in which researchers manipulated a learning assignment to exclude one of three bi-directional connections thought to be required for Chinese language acquisition (i.e., sound-meaning and meaning-sound). Researchers then examined whether students’ performance differed significantly when the learning assignment lacked sound-character, character-meaning, or meaning-sound connection pairs, and whether certain problem types were more
difficult for students than others. Assessment of problems by component type (i.e., characters, meanings, and sounds) revealed support for the relative ease of problems that provided sounds, with students exhibiting higher accuracy with fewer attempts and less need for system feedback when sounds were included. However, analysis revealed no significant differences in word acquisition by condition, as evidenced by next-day post-test scores or pre-to post-test gain scores. Implications and suggestions for future work are discussed.
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