This study examined the robustness and efficiency of four large language models (LLMs), GPT-4, GPT-3.5, iFLYTEK and Baidu Cloud, in assessing the writing accuracy of the Chinese language. Writing ...samples were collected from students in an online high school Chinese language learning program in the US. The official APIs of the LLMs were utilized to conduct analyses at both the T-unit and sentence levels. Performance metrics were employed to evaluate the LLMs’ performance. The LLM results were compared to human rating results. Content analysis was conducted to categorize error types and highlight the discrepancies between human and LLM ratings. Additionally, the efficiency of each model was evaluated. The results indicate that GPT models and iFLYTEK achieved similar accuracy scores, with GPT-4 excelling in precision. These findings provide insights into the potential of LLMs in supporting the assessment of writing accuracy for language learners.
Students' academic motivation is malleable in nature and can change over time. Variable-centered research can detect general changes in motivational variables. Recent studies have shown that learning ...behaviors are driven by a combination of motivations, resulting in distinct motivational profiles. Person-centered studies can detect nuanced changes in students' motivation profile memberships. Examining the nature of profile shifts could be the key to support long-term development of academic motivation. The purpose of this study was to investigate how high-school students' academic motivational profiles changed across 2 academic years and how school belongingness and achievement feedback influenced their motivation profile memberships. Latent transition analysis of responses from 1,670 high-school students revealed 6 motivational profiles: amotivated, externally regulated, balanced demotivated, moderately motivated, balanced motivated, and autonomously motivated. Pairwise logistic regression results showed that high-school students' sense of school belongingness and their prior achievement level significantly predicted their motivation profile membership in the 2nd year, controlling for their 1st-year membership.
Educational Impact and Implications Statement
The study identified 6 groups of high-school students who possess unique motivational characteristics, ranging from amotivated to externally regulated, balanced demotivated, moderately motivated, balanced motivated, and autonomously motivated. The results showed that the changes in high-school students' motivation were more complex than an increase or a decrease in the level of motivation. Students moved from having 1 set of motivational characteristics to another set of motivational characteristics across 2 academic years. School belongingness and prior achievement level were positively associated to motivation shifting toward more adaptive characteristics. Understanding the patterns and predictive factors of motivational change can better inform teachers and school administers to generate strategies that support students' motivation development as a whole, shifting to increasingly adaptive motivational profiles over time. As there are few longitudinal person-centered studies of motivation situated in high school settings, the current study adds to practical knowledge about the mechanism of students' motivation development at this crucial juncture in their academic career.
One way to help teachers use technology effectively is through professional development (PD). However, understanding of how exposure to PD relates to teachers' personal characteristics is limited. ...The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationships among PD exposure, teachers' abilities and values, and teachers' quality of technology integration according to Bloom's taxonomy. By surveying 724 middle and high school teachers, and using structural equation modeling, this study showed that values mediate the influence of PD exposure on technology integration. Results suggest that PD may be most effective when targeting improving teachers' values in addition to enhancing technology-related skills.
This study examined changes in teachers' perceptions of external barriers, internal barriers, and their integration of digital educational resources across two years through variable-centered and ...person-centered approaches. Participants included 301 in-service middle and high school teachers from 18 schools in the United States. The results of variable-centered approaches showed some significant changes in external barriers and teacher behavior but not in internal barriers. However, person-centered approaches revealed that perceived changes in external barriers significantly predicted nuanced changes in the patterns of teachers' educational digital resource integration and their beliefs about technology. As teachers perceived a stronger technology vision and commitment to professional development in their school environments, their personal practices and beliefs shifted together.
The design of online task-based language learning (TBLT) tasks encompasses the design of activity, settings, procedures, and participants. Previous empirical studies have conducted an extensive ...investigation on each design factor; however, an effective design of the online environment is built upon the interplay between the consideration of task types, online learning modalities, task implementation, and the participant background. A systematic review is needed to examine the potential synergistic effects of task design factors on students' online language learning experiences. The study investigated the current trends in the design of group TBLT task types in online settings and how task types and design features (modalities, participants, and task implementation) jointly influenced the language learning experience. The analysis revealed eight popular task types and synthesized how the design features affect language learning engagement and performance. The authors further discussed implications for future online TBLT task design and research.
We identified the nine most dominant massive open online course (MOOC) students’ needs by topic modeling and qualitative analysis of forum discussion posts (n = 3645) among students, staff, and ...instructors from 21 courses. We examined the implications of these needs using three main Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles (representation, action and expression, and engagement). We then offered suggestions for what course providers can do to promote an equitable learning experience for MOOC students. The three suggestions are as follows: (1) providing tools such as a direct messaging application to encourage students’ socializing behaviors, (2) modifying course activities to promote more hands-on projects and sharing them, and (3) implementing a bidirectional channel, such as a natural language processing-based chatbot so that students can access useful information whenever they feel the need. We argue that it is critical to include minority students’ voices when examining needs in courses, and our methodology reflects this purpose. We also discuss how the UDL approach helped us recognize students’ needs, create more accessible MOOC learning experiences, and explore future research directions.
The aim of this study was to explore the possible association between diabetes mellitus and dental implant complications.
A systematic literature review was conducted to answer the following PICO ...(Participants, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome) question: Is there association between diabetes mellitus and dental implant complications? Two independent searchers performed a literature search of the PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and EMBASE databases for studies published until February 2020, focussing on studies including continuous outcomes, marginal bone loss (primary outcome), probing depth, and bleeding upon probing (secondary outcomes).
A final total of 10 published studies were included in this systematic review. There were statistically significant differences between the groups with regard to marginal bone loss (p < .00001), probing depth (p < .00001) and bleeding around dental implants (p < .00001), and subjects without diabetes had lower complication rates. Additionally, in the subgroup analysis performed with loading time and HbA1c levels, a more evident association was found in immediate loading for probing depth. Moreover, the analysis results of bleeding around dental implants suggested that as HbA1c level increases, the bleeding of the tissues surrounding the implant will also increase. With regard to dental implant complications, there were statistically significant differences favouring patients without diabetes mellitus.
•CsA is the most effective and strongest evidence-based immunosuppressant for CSU.•Chinese herbal extract-TG, can be an effective treatment for CSU.•MTX did not provide any additional benefit ...compared to H1 antihistamines alone.
Immunosuppression is an integral part of treating chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), but there is no literature to evaluate the efficacy of multiple immunosuppressive agents.
The comparison of the efficacy, safety, and incidence of adverse effects of four immunosuppressive medicines (tripterygium glycosides, methotrexate, cyclosporine A, and azathioprine) in combination with antihistamines in treating CSU provides a clinical reference and evidence-based medicine for treating CSU.
PUBMED, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, WANFANG, CNKI, CBM, and clinical trial registration platform were searched to collect relevant randomized controlled trials (RCT) and cohort studies of four immunosuppressive medicines combined with antihistamines for treating CSU. The primary outcomes were the efficacy of weekly urticaria activity score 7 (UAS7) and adverse effects.
This study pooled data from seven randomized clinical trials with 410 participants. The standardized mean differences for change in UAS7 were 0.10 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.01 to 0.68) for cyclosporine A plus antihistamine; 0.03 (95% CI, 0.00 to 0.23) for azathioprine plus antihistamine; 0.52 (95% CI, 0.32 to 0.85) for tripterygium glycosides plus antihistamine; and 1.54 (95% CI, 0.64 to 3.67) for methotrexate plus antihistamine. There were no significant differences in side effects between these medicines in the limited number of trials and clinical samples.
Our results indicate that cyclosporine A combined with antihistamine resulted in greater improvements regarding the UAS7 in CSU patients and that tripterygium glycosides are also effective in treating CSU.
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