Developing an Alternative Math Assessment Tool Using Speech Recognition

The world today is now in the era of Information Technology. The development of ICT-based processes specifically in the area of assessment in school is now visible. Project LISTEN (Literacy Innovation that Speech Technology ENables) is an inter-disciplinary research project at Carnegie Mellon University to develop a novel tool to improve literacy – an automated Reading Tutor that displays stories on a computer screen, and listens to children read aloud. This study does not provide right or wrong answers for they let the user evaluate the answer. The main objective of this study is to develop an Alternative Math Assessment Tool for Preschoolers using Speech Recognition. These software aims to assist teachers in the review of Math lessons for preschooler using speech recognition. The development of the system utilizes the System Development Cycle approach that includes data gathering to identify system’s expected functionalities, designing the system using Use-Case Diagram, integration of JSAPI for Voice Recognition, using Synthesizer software for reading the questions out loud, a graphical display of teacher representation and a graphical display for every questions in the review. Along in the development of this assessment tool is the implementation of the system. The system was developed using Java Programming language. It also uses MySql database to store data for preschooler, review questions and text answers. In the conduct of the review digital microphone and a speaker is needed. The developed system is capable of creating questions for a particular review, activating a review for the preschooler to take, and record the preschooler’s scores at every end of the review. The system also includes graphical display of questions. In the conduct of the review, the system was able to read out loud the questions, and a 5-second time span for the pupil to answer the review questions. The system will listen and the feedback from the study will display the correctly uttered answer. User testing results indicates an 83% correct response of system against the correct uttered answer of the preschooler.

SaAn Analysis of Spelling Learning Styles of English Language Learners: The NUML Survey Study

SaAn Analysis of Spelling Learning Styles of English Language Learners: The NUML Survey Study The present study deals with the most neglected area of Applied Linguistics and Psycholinguistics research that is adult English language learners’ spelling learning styles especially in Pakistan. It aims at finding out and analysing the preferred spelling learning styles of certificate and diploma level English language learners both male and female, studying at National University of Modern Languages (NUML). The importance of spelling ability for English language learners cannot be overlooked. It is widely recognized that spelling ability is an essential skill for English learners to expand their knowledge of language, and spelling errors have impact on their whole academic performance in the sense that they don’t develop reading and writing proficiency in language. Thus the study facilitates learners especially in developing spelling ability by finding out the most preferred and successful ways of learning spelling. It also provides guidelines to teachers regarding spelling content to teach and methodology based on learners’ preferred learning styles and their spelling problems. The study hypothesized that adult learners learn spelling by using visual learning styles and by making written practices without learning spelling rules. Census Survey study is used in this quantitative research. The survey questionnaire based on the Productivity Environmental preference survey (PEPS) Learning Style Inventory developed by Dunn, Dunn and Price (1996) was used along with a spelling test for data collection. Data was statistically analysed by using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS 17.0). One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test was used to compare the mean values of students’ spelling learning styles. The study concludes that most of the learners are poor spellers, while good spellers learn by using visual learning styles, do written practices and learn spelling rules. The research recommends the contest of ‘Spelling Bee of NUML’ periodically and a spelling skills period at different levels of English courses in NUML. It also presents various recommendations about spelling content to teach and spelling learning styles. The further researches should focus on the problems faced by adult learners regarding their spelling ability especially in Pakistan.