This paper focuses on the design and evaluation of a theory‐based computer‐assisted summary writing learning environment called Summary Writing‐PAL (SW‐PAL). The SW‐PAL was developed based on four ...aspects: summarizing strategies, learning theories, prior knowledge, and cognitive load. A quasi‐experiment that involved 58 undergraduates majoring in Computer Science was conducted to examine the effectiveness of SW‐PAL in writing summaries. Two intact classes were selected with 28 and 30 students in control and experimental groups, respectively. The conventional teaching approach was employed in the control group, whereas the SW‐PAL was introduced to the experimental group. Pretest and posttest were administrated to both groups. The findings indicated that SW‐PAL improved students' summary writing performance. A significant variance was noted between intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load among students with varying levels of English proficiency in the experimental group, signifying that the SW‐PAL is more suitable for students with lower language proficiency.
Lay Description
What is already known about this topic:
Currently, there has been a lot of interest in CAL English language and numerous summary writing tools have been developed for language learning and teaching.
Existing summary writing tools did not focus on learning theories incorporation.
Worked examples approach is effective in well‐defined domain (mathematics, physics, etc.), how about if apply in ill‐defined domain (summary writing)?
What this paper adds:
Design and develop a CAL environment for summary writing.
Incorporate learning theories in CAL environment.
Apply worked example instructional approach in learning summary writing.
Implications for practice and/or policy:
Conventional teaching versus CAL environment in summary writing: CAL environment achieved better performance.
Worked examples in ill‐defined domain (summary writing) are also effective in language learning.
Worked examples is more effective for lower English language proficiency students.
Cognitive load: Lower language proficiency students demonstrated lower cognitive load when using CAL environment.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
This study investigated the challenges encountered by educators conducting online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysian and Indonesian higher learning institutions. Quantitative and ...qualitative methods were used to obtain information in this study. The respondents comprised 250 educators from Malaysian and Indonesian higher learning institutions. A self-developed Likert-scale online questionnaire was given to the respondents. The study findings revealed that Malaysian educators faced greater challenges in mental health, time management, and assessments. In comparison, Indonesian educators experienced more challenges in demonstrating compassion to students during online teaching. Educators in both countries encountered poor internet connectivity, lack of interaction and engagement with students, stress, and anxiety. Opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic comprise exploring and learning online teaching tools, producing online teaching and learning materials, conducting research, and writing research papers for publication. Recommendations for addressing online teaching challenges and suggestions for future research are also discussed.
Motivation is a key factor in learning a foreign language. This study investigated the instrumental, integrative and attitudinal motivation level of students learning Japanese as a FL in a public ...university in Malaysia. A survey questionnaire based on Gardner’s (1985) AMTB (Attitude/Motivation Test Battery) and Dornyei’s (1994) Attitudinal Motivation was given to 171 undergraduates. Descriptive and Inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The results of the study indicated that the foreign language learners were generally highly motivated to learn Japanese as a foreign language. Moreover, their integrative and attitudinal motivational levels were similarly high and slightly higher than their instrumental motivation. There were also statistically significant differences among the three subscales of attitudinal motivation viz. teacher-specific, course-specific and group-specific. They were more oriented towards teacher-specific and course-specific attitudinal motivation than group-specific attitudinal motivation. The implications for EFL teachers and curriculum developers are that it would improve foreign language learning courses in future by designing suitable lessons and preparing appropriate materials and activities.
Keywords: Attitude, Foreign language learning, Instrumental orientation, Integrative orientations, Motivation
The purpose of this study was to design and develop a theory-based summary writing online tool, named Summary Writing-Pal (SW-PAL), to assist English as a second language students in improving their ...summary writing. It also evaluates the effectiveness of SW-PAL in enhancing the students' summary writing performance and examines their perceptions about it. This mixed-method empirical study involved 53 English as a second language students majoring in computer science at a local university. Two intact groups were randomly chosen as the control and experimental groups with 26 and 27 students, respectively. The control group was taught using the conventional method, while the experimental group was taught using SW-PAL. Both groups were given a pre- and post-summary writing test. A Split-Plot Analysis of Covariance test was used to examine the effectiveness of the SW-PAL tool. A focus group interview was conducted to gather qualitative data on perceptions about the SW-PAL tool. Quantitative findings revealed that students' summary writing performance improved significantly due to the SW-PAL with a large effect size of .42. Qualitativewise, the users perceived SW-PAL to be useful as a motivating, challenging, and self-learning tool. Recommendations for practice for language instructors who wish to incorporate such a tool into their language instruction and suggestions for future research are discussed.
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NUK, OILJ, SAZU, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Hurdle strict arcsine model Ngor, P. Y.; Fu, L. E.
2012 IEEE Symposium on Humanities, Science and Engineering Research,
2012-June
Conference Proceeding
The hurdle model is a finite mixture model where the zeros are generated by a particular distribution while the positive counts are generated by another (truncated) distribution. The discrete ...distributions commonly considered for hurdle models are the Poisson and negative binomial distributions. The hurdle models are also widely used for over- and under-dispersed count data. In this study, a new hurdle model, which is hurdle strict arcsine model is developed and fitted to two simulated data sets. Maximum likelihood estimation method is used in estimating the parameters.
Usage of conventional synthetic insecticide to control insect pests has increased to improve crops yield and production to meet the global food demands of a growing population. However, it should not ...be neglected that synthetic insecticide causes negative impacts on humans, livestock as well as the environment. This review aims to provide data on entomopathogenic fungi species that can be developed into bioinsecticide to control insect pests, in order to reduce the usage of synthetic insecticide. The fungi are discussed based on two criteria, its effectiveness in controlling the targeted pests, and its safety level to humans, non-targeted organisms, and the environment. Relevant data and information on entomopathogenic fungi from various research tools including Google Scholar, NCBI, Science Direct and Researchgate were compiled into tables for comparison and analysed. Six entomopathogenic fungi namely Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, Verticillium lecanii, Metarhizium (Nomuraea) rileyi, Paecilomyces fumosoroseus and Hirsutella thompsonii are proposed as having the required criteria having potential to control targeted insects by means of producing various toxins or metabolites with insecticidal properties. Five out of the six species, B. bassiana, M. anisopliae, V. lecanii and N. rileyi are safe to humans, non-targeted organisms, and the environment. Furthermore, all these fungi can be mass produced to ensure their availability to be used as a biocontrol agents. However, future studies are required for further justification for harmful metabolites produced and their impact on environment.
Background Data comparing outcomes in heart failure (HF) across Asia are limited. We examined regional variation in mortality among patients with HF enrolled in the ASIAN-HF (Asian Sudden Cardiac ...Death in Heart Failure) registry with separate analyses for those with reduced ejection fraction (EF; <40%) versus preserved EF (≥50%). Methods and Results The ASIAN-HF registry is a prospective longitudinal study. Participants with symptomatic HF were recruited from 46 secondary care centers in 3 Asian regions: South Asia (India), Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore), and Northeast Asia (South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China). Overall, 6480 patients aged >18 years with symptomatic HF were recruited (mean age: 61.6±13.3 years; 27% women; 81% with HF and reduced rEF). The primary outcome was 1-year all-cause mortality. Striking regional variations in baseline characteristics and outcomes were observed. Regardless of HF type, Southeast Asians had the highest burden of comorbidities, particularly diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, despite being younger than Northeast Asian participants. One-year, crude, all-cause mortality for the whole population was 9.6%, higher in patients with HF and reduced EF (10.6%) than in those with HF and preserved EF (5.4%). One-year, all-cause mortality was significantly higher in Southeast Asian patients (13.0%), compared with South Asian (7.5%) and Northeast Asian patients (7.4%;
<0.001). Well-known predictors of death accounted for only 44.2% of the variation in risk of mortality. Conclusions This first multinational prospective study shows that the outcomes in Asian patients with both HF and reduced or preserved EF are poor overall and worst in Southeast Asian patients. Region-specific risk factors and gaps in guideline-directed therapy should be addressed to potentially improve outcomes. Clinical Trial Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/. Unique identifier: NCT01633398.
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