does culture matter in tel?

21
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. Steiner 1 , Gudrun Wesiak 1 , Adam Moore 2 , Declan Dagger 3 , Owen Conlan 2 & Dietrich Albert 1 1 Knowledge Technologies Institute, Graz University of Tecnology, Austria 2 School of Computer Science and Statistics, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland 3 EmpowerTheUser, Dublin, Ireland 8 th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (EC-TEL) 17-21 September 2013, Paphos, Cyprus CulTEL – Worlkshop on Culturally aware Technology Enhanced Learning

Upload: adam-moore

Post on 24-Apr-2015

393 views

Category:

Education


3 download

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.net

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 2: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 3: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013

1) Intro

- ImREAL project

- Immersive Reflective Experience-based Adaptive Learning

Page 4: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

A Case Study on Cultural Variations in Learning Paphos, Cyprus– 17th September 2013

1) Intro

- ImREAL project

- Immersive Reflective Experience-based Adaptive Learning

Page 5: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 6: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 7: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 8: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 9: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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?

Page 10: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 11: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 12: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 13: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 14: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 15: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 16: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 17: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 18: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 19: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 20: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

Page 21: Does Culture Matter in TEL?

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

[email protected]