Investigation of Facilitating Authentic Contextual Learning with Smart Mechanisms and Questionnaire Design(1/3)

Learning in authentic contexts becomes promising since ubiquitous technologies like mobile/wearable devices, cloud services and machining learning for image and voice recognition are more and more mature and popular. Therefore, to address using smart mechanisms supported by the above-mentioned technology for facilitate effective learning in authentic contexts becomes emergent. In this study, learning in authentic contexts named as authentic contextual learning with smart mechanisms will be investigated. To help authentic contextual learning are to apply and evaluate knowledge in authentic contexts, engage in interactions with environments and peers, and then develop learners’ high cognition development such as applying, analyzing, collaborating and evaluating. To facilitate authentic contextual learning with high cognition development, some smart mechanisms will be considered like to help exploration in authentic context, support their learning like feedback mistakes or report learning progress. In addition, we will develop questionnaires to study whether authentic contextual learning with smart mechanisms can improve learners’ motivation and interests. Furthermore, questionnaires will also investigate sustainability and scalability as the impact of authentic contextual learning with support of smart mechanisms.The proposed study will be conducted during three years. In the first two years, we will design two mobile apps for learning with smart mechanism in authentic context. Smart Ubiquitous Geometry (SmartUG) for Geometry and Smart Ubiquitous English speaking (Smart UEnglish) for English Speaking. In the first year, we will consider the first 2 smart hints using Google maps support and learning progress report. The maps will lead them to find related authentic objects in recommended places. Students using SmartUG need to find and measure the real object in an authentic learning environment surrounding school and students using Smart UEnglish need to make real-life English speaking practicing with accuracy feedback and suggestions. In the second year, more smart hints like recognition technologies are proposed to evaluate their learning results with feedback. Moreover, peer assessment and competition with maps will be employed to help students find and explore more authentic objects related to learning topics in more places, we hope the quantity and quality of learning records will also be improved as well. Furthermore, we also investigate the smart mechanisms like learning strategy recommendation to enhance problem solving skills. The third year, our questionnaire design is not only for investigating user perception toward the usefulness of our proposed smart mechanism to authentic contextual learning but also for sustainability and scalability, which indicate whether learners can sustain learning motivation and do more authentic exploring and learning. The questionnaire design is promising for authentic contextual learning with smart mechanisms since authentic contextual learning can extend traditional education objectives of only considering cognition development or learning achievement to think more other aspects like healthy and happy learning as well. Therefore, the aim of our questionnaire design is to measure user perception toward usefulness, motivation, happiness and health to use our proposed approach continuously. Hopefully they can have healthy and happy learning with satisfaction, thereby increasing their motivation to continue learning anytime anywhere.