Content Assessment in Intelligent Computer-aided Language Learning: Meaning Error Diagnosis for English as a Second Language

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Bailey, Stacey M.
Language:English
Published: The Ohio State University / OhioLINK 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1204556485
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spelling ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-osu12045564852021-08-03T05:53:19Z Content Assessment in Intelligent Computer-aided Language Learning: Meaning Error Diagnosis for English as a Second Language Bailey, Stacey M. Educational Software Linguistics ICALL meaning error diagnosis language learning content assessment natural language processing <p>Language practice that includes meaningful interaction is a critical component of many current teaching theories. At the same time, existing research on intelligent computer-aided language learning (ICALL) systems has focused primarily on providing practice with grammatical forms. Thus, there is a real need for ICALL systems that provide accurate content assessment. This thesis addresses that need by taking an empirically driven approach to the exploration of content assessment. </p><p>The primary source of material for this exploration is a new corpus of language learner data. The corpus is comprised exclusively of responses to short-answer reading comprehension questions by intermediate English language learners. Responses to these questions are ideal for developing and testing an approach to content error diagnosis because they exhibit linguistic variation on lexical, morphological, syntactic and semantic levels, but they have definable target responses that reflect acceptable content. The corpus is one of the first known to be annotated with diagnoses of meaning errors. Diagnoses were developed by analyzing the learner data and adopting an annotation scheme based on target modification. This corpus provided invaluable insight into the considerations necessary for developing an approach to diagnosing meaning errors. </p><p>Because variation is possible across learner responses, any degree of content assessment must be flexible and support the comparison of target and learner responses on several levels including token, chunk and relation levels. This thesis presents an architecture for a content assessment module (CAM) which provides this flexibility using multiple, surface-based matching strategies and existing language processing tools. Results show that content assessment using shallow NLP strategies is feasible for language activities of the type used for the case study. Detection of meaning errors approaches 90%. Results also indicate that diagnosis of meaning errors is possible using an approach that relies on machine learning, though additional testing with a larger corpus is needed. By developing and testing this model, as well as exploring the middle ground of activities, this work begins to bridge the gap between what is practical and achievable from a processing perspective and what is desirable from the perspective of current theories of language instruction.</p> 2008-03-18 English text The Ohio State University / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1204556485 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1204556485 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.
collection NDLTD
language English
sources NDLTD
topic Educational Software
Linguistics
ICALL
meaning error diagnosis
language learning
content assessment
natural language processing
spellingShingle Educational Software
Linguistics
ICALL
meaning error diagnosis
language learning
content assessment
natural language processing
Bailey, Stacey M.
Content Assessment in Intelligent Computer-aided Language Learning: Meaning Error Diagnosis for English as a Second Language
author Bailey, Stacey M.
author_facet Bailey, Stacey M.
author_sort Bailey, Stacey M.
title Content Assessment in Intelligent Computer-aided Language Learning: Meaning Error Diagnosis for English as a Second Language
title_short Content Assessment in Intelligent Computer-aided Language Learning: Meaning Error Diagnosis for English as a Second Language
title_full Content Assessment in Intelligent Computer-aided Language Learning: Meaning Error Diagnosis for English as a Second Language
title_fullStr Content Assessment in Intelligent Computer-aided Language Learning: Meaning Error Diagnosis for English as a Second Language
title_full_unstemmed Content Assessment in Intelligent Computer-aided Language Learning: Meaning Error Diagnosis for English as a Second Language
title_sort content assessment in intelligent computer-aided language learning: meaning error diagnosis for english as a second language
publisher The Ohio State University / OhioLINK
publishDate 2008
url http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1204556485
work_keys_str_mv AT baileystaceym contentassessmentinintelligentcomputeraidedlanguagelearningmeaningerrordiagnosisforenglishasasecondlanguage
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