does culture matter in tel?
DESCRIPTION
Adaptive learning technologies respond to the diversity of learners by tailoring learning experiences to individuals’ goals, knowledge, learning approach, etc. Learning systems that adapt to a learner’s culture are rather rare, although cultural background constitutes an important variable associated with differences in learning behaviour and strategies. Cultural information of a learner could therefore be used to realise adaptation to a range of learning variables. We have conducted an investigation with medical students to find out about cultural variations with respect to learners’ general learning approach and their behaviour in and experience of a concrete TEL environment. The results obtained from 95 students provide initial data informing the development of culturally aware adaptation approaches for learning technologies Contains images from http://www.freedigitalphotos.netTRANSCRIPT
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
Does Culture Matter in TEL?A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning
Christina M. Steiner1, Gudrun Wesiak1, Adam Moore2,Declan Dagger3, Owen Conlan2 & Dietrich Albert1
1 Knowledge Technologies Institute, Graz University of Tecnology, Austria2 School of Computer Science and Statistics, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
3 EmpowerTheUser, Dublin, Ireland
8th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (EC-TEL)17-21 September 2013, Paphos, Cyprus
CulTEL – Worlkshop on Culturally aware Technology Enhanced Learning
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
Overview
1) Intro
• ImREAL
• CulTEL/CATS
2) Cultural Variations in Learning
3) Empirical Investigation
4) Discussion and Outlook
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
1) Intro
- ImREAL project
- Immersive Reflective Experience-based Adaptive Learning
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
1) Intro
- ImREAL project
- Immersive Reflective Experience-based Adaptive Learning
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
1) Intro
- ImREAL services
- Real-world activity modelling
- Enriched User Modelling
- Affective Metacognitive Scaffolding
- Developed and trialled in the domain of interpersonal communication
Intercultural competence trainingAdaptation to learner‘s
intercultural competence
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
1) Intro
- Culturally Aware Tutoring/Technology-Enhanced Learning
- Approaches of incorporating cultural dimension:
1. Convey intercultural competence
2. Build cultural profile of learners and adapt to it Adaptation to cultural competence Adaptation to characteristics with
cultural variations
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
2) Cultural Variationsin Learning
- Cultural regularities in learning strategies and behaviour as a potential basis for adaptation
- Relevance of skills on self-regulated learning (SRL) and metacognition
- Reducing cold-start problem
- Measuring culture
Explicit measurement:
- Country of birth, country of residence
- Scales on cultural dimensions
Implicit measurement:
- Exploiting digital traces
- Monitoring by learning technology
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
2) Cultural Variationsin Learning
- Relationship between culture and learning
- Influence of culture on
- Use of metacognitive strategies
- Perception of effective strategies
- Cultural variations in learning interlinked with socio-cultural factors
- Educational resources are imbued by cultural nuances
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
2) Cultural Variationsin Learning
- Research questions
Is learners’ cultural background relevant for variations in metacognitive competence and learning strategies?
Are there differences in the use of social media and in trust and privacy concerns depending on learners’ cultural background?
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
3) Empirical Investigation
- Part of a larger study on a training simulator for medical interviews
- ETU RolePlay Simulation Platform
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
3) Empirical Investigation
- Participants:
- 95 medical students (M=22.8 years)
- Country of residence: Ireland
- Country of birth: 16 countries, 4 continents- 65 Europe- 14 North-Americans- 13 Asians- 3 Africans
Asien or African
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
3) Empirical Investigation
- Instruments and Procedure
Cohort characterisation• Demography• Metacognitive
Awareness Inventory
Simulation• Interaction data• Usage (time,
dialogues)• Score predictions• Reflections
Post-simulation • Motivation• Perception of
thinking prompts
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
3) Empirical Investigation
- Results: Metacognition and Learning
Metacognitive strategies: Strongest use by N-Am Information Management
Strategies: N-Am > As-Afr
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
3) Empirical Investigation
- Results: Metacognition and Learning
Thinking prompts:
Mental effort: As-Afr > Eur & N-Am
Helpfulness: As-Afr < Eur & N-Am
Metacognitive strategies: Strongest use by N-Am Information Management
Strategies: N-Am > As-Afr
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
3) Empirical Investigation
- Results: Metacognition and Learning
Thinking prompts:
Mental effort: As-Afr > Eur & N-Am
Helpfulness: As-Afr < Eur & N-Am
Metacognitive strategies: Strongest use by N-Am Information Management
Strategies: N-Am > As-Afr
Score predictions:
Lowest by Europeans Eur < N-Am
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
3) Empirical Investigation
- Results: Metacognition and Learning
No differences in- Performance in simulation- Duration/dialogues- Motivation
Thinking prompts:
Mental effort: As-Afr > Eur & N-Am
Helpfulness: As-Afr < Eur & N-Am
Metacognitive strategies: Strongest use by N-Am Information Management
Strategies: N-Am > As-Afr
Score predictions:
Lowest by Europeans Eur < N-Am
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
3) Empirical Investigation
Discomfort:
Lowest for As-Afr
- Results: Social Networks
- Facebook, Twitter
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
4) Discussion & Outlook
- Some cultural variations on metacognition and SRL were identified
- Differences in attitudes towards sharing social web information
- Initial indications for potentially relevant aspects for personalising learning
- Adaptation of types of and triggers for metacognitive prompts
- Supporting acceptance and trust of user model enrichment
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
4) Discussion & Outlook
- Avoid overgeneralisation and oversimplified adaptation!
- Culture as usual but changeable way of doing things
- Two-step approach towards adapting pedagogicalstrategies and resources
- Initial cultural information to initiate adaptation
- Continuous monitoring process
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
4) Discussion & Outlook
- Study results inspire future studies
- More balanced sample
- Finer-grained analyses:- Countries- Socio-cultural aspects
A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013
Contact:
Christina Steiner
Cognitive Science SectionKnowledge Technologies InstituteGraz University of Technology, Austria