LANG

Project Title

Creation a web-based learning platform for advanced Chinese Learners

Project Leader

Dr Shelia Liang

School / Dept

SHSS / CLE

Project Duration

Jan 2017 - Feb 2018

Project Description

This proposal aims to incorporate Technology Enhanced Language Learning (TELL) materials to enhance an advanced Chinese communication course (LANG 1127), designed for UST undergraduates of non-Chinese speaking backgrounds and exchange students who have learned Chinese for about 350 hours. We would like to create a learning platform where

1. students can have ready access to language resources to support their autonomous learning;
2. students are encouraged and required to take some responsibility of their own learning;
3. increased collaboration between students, and between students and instructor, is made possible through the provision of adequate time and space for collaborative learning;
4. teachers can regularly observe and review students’ progress, and offer timely feedback to individuals based on their language levels and needs.

Project Outcome

The project is still ongoing. Project outcomes will be updated upon project completion.

Status

Ongoing

Project Documents
(Only accessible by HKUST users)

• Project Plan

Adaptation

Full Project

Project Title

Writing across the disciplines: building self-paced online modules for senior undergraduates

Project Leader

Dr Claudia Wong

School / Dept

SHSS / CLE

Project Duration

Jul 2016 - Feb 2018

Project Description

The project aims at building a self-paced online course on academic writing will allow both language instructors and students to interact at different levels. Instructors can provide specific feedback on students’ activities and writing at the opportune moment where students are in genuine need of help. Students will benefit from taking this course as they can use their time more effectively by skipping modules they are already comfortable with while spending more time on activities and readings that they find useful. Since it is an online course, learners will enjoy autonomy in choosing the format and frequency of interaction according to their preference. (Rhode and Krishnamurthi, 2016). Currently, the plan is to pilot a module in the senior year Science UG English course; the project leader will teach this herself. Students will be asked to complete some activities online (L-C interactions) and some in class (L-I interactions) where they can get timely feedback about their work.

Project Outcome

The project is still ongoing. Project outcomes will be updated upon project completion.

Status

Ongoing

Project Documents
(Only accessible by HKUST users)

• Project Plan

Adaptation

Full Project

Project Title

The Language of Chinese Business Cases

Project Leader

Dr Linda Tsung

School / Dept

LANG

Project Duration

Nov 2004 - Jun 2005

Project Description

Case-based learning is now a core feature of business education programs in many parts of the world including China. This problem-based methodology, however, can pose difficulties in a context where students are more familiar with traditional didactic models of teaching and learning. The use of online case studies developed under this project assisted in breaking down these traditional barriers to this type of learning. This project aimed to support the case-based approach of teaching and learning used in the Chinese curriculum. While the face-to-face classroom teaching sessions of the course, “Chinese Business Communication”, focused on oral discussion and presentation skills, the online materials  provided a collaborative and flexible medium of support for the course, especially with regard to reading and writing tasks associated with case analysis.

Project Outcome

• Designed and developed a website platform to host online teaching and learning activities by disseminating various course materials, providing online support for discussion and analyses of course texts and providing links to relevant reference materials.

• Designed and developed online interactive tasks on case analysis that include examples and exercises to help students develop their skills in understanding and analyzing business cases in Chinese.

• Developed individual and small group Chinese learning materials based upon the texts of 2 business cases collected from Mainland China.

• Adapted word templates which include guided questions on case analysis to encourage the students to exchange ideas and express opinions during classroom interaction

Status

Completed

Project Documents
(Only accessible by HKUST users)

• Project Plan
• Final Report

Adaptation

Adaptation from The Language of Business Cases

Project Title

The Language of Business Cases

Project Leader

Elsie Christopher

School / Dept

LANG

Project Duration

Jan 2004 - Jun 2005

Project Description

This new course project adopted elements of problem-based learning such that tasks and activities were designed to build upon each other as the learner progresses. It also followed a systematic approach to case analysis closely related to specific language learning objectives. Overall, the course was designed to integrate both analytical and communication skills. The face-to-face classroom sessions were used mainly for oral skills development and practice; whereas the reading and writing tasks were reserved for homework accessible via a course website. The website was only contain essential reading and writing tasks for classroom use, but also relevant and timely reference materials, visual learning cues to reinforce skills and an online portfolio where students collected their work. Each major unit was concluded with a formal assessment. These assessments were designed as a combination of individual and group tasks which covered all four language development skills.

Project Outcome

• New Student Book – Classroom Teaching

• New Teacher Book – Classroom Teaching & Relevant Resources

• New Course Website – LC Computer Lab, by HKUST Internet Access

Status

Completed

Project Documents
(Only accessible by HKUST users)

• Project Plan
• Progress Report: First | Second |
• Final Report

Adaptation

Full Project

Project Title

LANG 201 Business Communication: a Simulated Interactive On-line Business Environment (Virtual Office) for Developing Business Communication Skills

Project Leader

Edward Li

School / Dept

LANG

Project Duration

Dec 2003 - May 2005

Project Description

The proposed simulated interactive online business environment replaced a fifth of current face-to-face teaching activities within this course. It targeted functional skills in an interactive manner to optimize students’ participation within and across sections. Peer and collaborative learning were encouraged in order to develop the leadership, team-building and interpersonal skills needed. The set-up also provided students hands on problem-solving experience with other professionals so that students’ thinking skills were further developed. It also promoted students’ self-directed, generic learning skills as well as increased learning motivation and confidence.

Project Outcome

• Three company websites were developed.  The components of the website included ‘Home’, ‘Mission’, ‘History’, ‘Approach’, ‘Services’, ‘Careers’ and ‘Contact us’.

• In each company website, there was a staff intranet section which had online modules on business writing skills located under ‘Staff Development’, discussion boards under ‘Email’, time-release downloadable client profiles under ‘Clients’, and online peer evaluation under ‘Staff Appraisal’.

Status

Completed

Project Documents
(Only accessible by HKUST users)

• Project Plan
• Progress Report: First | Second |
• Final Report

Adaptation

Full Project

Project Title

Development of a Computer-Aided Marking System and Learner Reference for Language Teaching and Learning

Project Leader

Dr John Milton

School / Dept

LANG

Project Duration

Sept 2002 - Jun 2005

Project Description

This project involved developing a tool (Mark My Words) consisting of MS-Word toolbars to enable markers to insert pre-written comments, and online references in students’ written assignments and then save and upload the files to a server. Currently comments and tools are supplied for feedback on English language writing assignments, but comments can be multilingual and directed at written assignments for any subject where feedback requires repetitive comments or benefits from online content or language-based references. Comments were uploaded to a central database so that instructors can track students’ progress in written assignments throughout a course or across courses. Problems and progress could be monitored, and subsequent instructors could retrieve the comment history for any student, section, etc. This tool also helped students evaluate and proofread both their own work (by using online resources such as concordancers) as well as one another’s writing (e.g. by selecting expertly written comments). Website: http://mws.ust.hk/mw/account/login.php

Project Outcome

• Mark My Words: i) Provided a means for teachers of any subject (especially language) to insert comments with embedded html links to online resources. ii) Commenting assisted via AI algorithms (Part-of-Speech tagging). iii) Generated comment/error logs for teachers’ and students’ reference. iv) Addressed many of the problems associated with giving feedback on student writing.

• Check My Words: i) Allowed students to access online resources to help the write more accurately and fluently in any language, especially English. ii)  Promoted discovery-based learning by helping students formulate queries and helps them identify their own common errors.

• Assignment Management System: Assisted students and teachers to exchange, archive and manage assignments.

• Other developments: This suite of tools had afforded opportunities to develop other related programs, such as a vocabulary acquisition program (provisionally called ‘My Words’).

Status

Completed

Project Documents
(Only accessible by HKUST users)

• Project Plan
• Progress Report: First | Second | Third | Forth | Fifth |
• Final Report

Adaptation

Full Project

Project Title

Enhancing Task-Based Language Learning and Teaching with Mobile Devices

Project Leader

Sean McMinn

School / Dept

LANG

Project Duration

Jan 2012 - Feb 2013

Project Description

This proposal aimed to develop, implement and test task-based language and teaching  methodology with mobile devices connected to the HKUST wireless network and classroom computer terminals to enhance student-student and student-teacher collaboration and communication throughout various stages in the TBLT methodology and to enable teachers to give prompt and appropriate feedback based on students' immediate needs.

Project Outcome

1. Developed, implemented and tested task-based language and teaching  (TBLT) methodology with mobile devices;
2. Documented and recommended ways to enhance student-student and student-teacher collaboration and communication throughout various stages in the TBLT methodology (pre-task, task, language focus, post-task) with the mobile devices in the classroom;
3. Developed and suggested new ways to give prompt and appropriate feedback using various applications on mobile devices; and
4. Recommended further development in implementing mobile devices for teaching and learning for other CLE courses.

Status

Completed

Project Documents
(Only accessible by HKUST users)

• Project Plan
• Final Report
• Project-end Review by Project Leader

Adaptation

Full Project

Project Title

Chinese Character Writing Practice

Project Leader

Xuan Han

School / Dept

LANG

Project Duration

Oct 2008 - Sept 2009

Project Description

The project aimed to :

• Provide a learning tool for the international students to learn how to write Chinese characters which they often need but there is not enough time to do in class.

• Develop basic skills in writing Chinese characters for the international students.

• Use animation to show the order in writing Chinese characters.

• Use the list of most frequently used Chinese characters used in Lang113 and 114 to serve the goal as the first step of writing Chinese characters.

• Further build up the knowledge of Chinese language for the international students.

Project Outcome

• Chinese writing animations for the most frequently used Chinese characters in LANG113 and LANG114 were developed and incorporated into the section of Chinese Character Study in the course websites for LANG113 and LANG114.
• The Chinese Character Study website was trial with MBA students from the MBA Summer Intensive Putonghua course in summer 2009. Informal verbal feedback was collected.
• The website was demonstrated and recommended to the students of LANG113 Putonghua for Non-Chinese Language Background Students I (93 students) and LANG114 Putonghua for Non-Chinese Language Background Students II (19 students) in the fall semester 2009 for self-learning. An evaluation questionnaire survey with students was conducted at the end of the semester. Individual interviews with 3 students were arranged to collect students’ feedback about the potential learning impact of the website in Dec 2009.

Status

Completed

Project Documents
(Only accessible by HKUST users)

• Project Plan
• Final Report

Adaptation

Full Project

Project Title

Interactive Learning Objects for Learning Languages

Project Leader

Sean McMinn

School / Dept

LANG

Project Duration

Nov 2005 - Dec 2007

Project Description

The objective of this project is to provide English language students with a searchable database of interactive learning objects in order to support autonomous, life-long learning and interactive learning.

Project Outcome

1. A simplified Spider and Search System for Learning Objects (SASSLO) Search Engine and repository of interactive learning objects for English language learning was developed. 163 interactive learning objects were collected and tagged to ten major categories [Preposition (6), Subject/verb agreement (9), Sentence structure (12), Punctuation (12), Word choice (6), Tenses (15), Active/passive voice (1), Asking questions (2)] and 2 language modules (LANG209 Check It and Campus Beat)

2. The learning objects repository and search engine were demonstrated in 4 tutorial groups of LANG209 (66UG) in the spring semester 2008. An evaluation questionnaire survey was conducted at the end of the semester. System server log was recorded for the usage of the learning object search engine. Pre- and Post- Study Process Questionnaires (SPQ) were also conducted in Feb and May 2008.

Status

Completed

Project Documents
(Only accessible by HKUST users)

• Project Plan
• Progress Report
• Final Report

Adaptation

Adaptation from Interactive Learning Objects for Computer Science

Project Title

Adapting Gong for LANG208

Project Leader

Dr John Milton

School / Dept

LANG

Project Duration

Feb 2007 - Dec 2007

Project Description

To produce a simplified audio recorder which can be incorporated into any web page. Students will use the recorder to imitate authentic vocabulary and phrases so as to improve their pronunciation, intonation and overall language learning. They will have the option of saving the audio file to a server or to the local hard disk so that they can play it back and measure their improvement. The software tool will give an indication that the audio is being recorded via simple spectrum analysis feedback.

Project Outcome

• NanoGong was developed as a web-based audio recording tool, which support record, speed-controllable playback and save a voice recording as a computer file. It has been thoroughly tested and is freely available at http://gong.ust.hk/features_nano.html.
• NanoGong was incorporated into the MyWords web site (http://mws.ust.hk/mw/stu/pronunciation.php) - “Speak My Words”—with text-to speak technology to convert English text into human sounding speech supporting students to practice common phrase pronunciation, phonetic sounds and students’ word lists in the MyWords system.
• MyWords system was used as a supporting tool for students’ self-practice. Demonstrations have been given to the students and teachers in the several lectures of LANG106 (760 students), LANG206 (700 students) in spring semester 2007 and LANG 208 (460 students) in the fall semester 2007. Students are encouraged to make use of the tool for self-learning.

Status

Completed

Project Documents
(Only accessible by HKUST users)

• Project Plan
• Progress Report: First | Second |
• Final Report

Adaptation

Adaptation from Enhancing Learning Through Online Audio Communication

Project Title

Adapting Gong for LANG208

Project Leader

Dr John Milton

School / Dept

LANG

Project Duration

Feb 2007 - Dec 2007

Project Description

To produce a simplified audio recorder which can be incorporated into any web page. Students will use the recorder to imitate authentic vocabulary and phrases so as to improve their pronunciation, intonation and overall language learning. They will have the option of saving the audio file to a server or to the local hard disk so that they can play it back and measure their improvement. The software tool will give an indication that the audio is being recorded via simple spectrum analysis feedback.

Project Outcome

• NanoGong was developed as a web-based audio recording tool, which support record, speed-controllable playback and save a voice recording as a computer file. It has been thoroughly tested and is freely available at http://gong.ust.hk/features_nano.html.
• NanoGong was incorporated into the MyWords web site (http://mws.ust.hk/mw/stu/pronunciation.php) - “Speak My Words”—with text-to speak technology to convert English text into human sounding speech supporting students to practice common phrase pronunciation, phonetic sounds and students’ word lists in the MyWords system.
• MyWords system was used as a supporting tool for students’ self-practice. Demonstrations have been given to the students and teachers in the several lectures of LANG106 (760 students), LANG206 (700 students) in spring semester 2007 and LANG 208 (460 students) in the fall semester 2007. Students are encouraged to make use of the tool for self-learning.

Status

Completed

Project Documents
(Only accessible by HKUST users)

• Project Plan
• Progress Report: First | Second |
• Final Report

Adaptation

Adaptation from Enhancing Learning Through Online Audio Communication