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Protutor : a pronunciation tutor that uses historic open learner models

Second language learners face many challenges when learning a new language. To determine which challenges learners needed additional support in overcoming, we conducted a needs assessment of the Russian language program at the University of Saskatchewan and found that their students needed the most help with speaking in Russian. As a result, we designed an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) to help students learn how to pronounce Russian properly. We hoped to alleviate some of the challenges that learners face when learning to pronounce words in a second language by building an ITS that uses a Historic Open Learner Model (HOLM) to encourage learner reflection and to help maintain learner motivation. We designed, built, and performed a formative evaluation of a system, called ProTutor, using beginner learners of Russian as a second language at the University of Saskatchewan. This evaluation showed that learners have a positive perception of HOLMs and of the system as a whole. However, ProTutor needs further evaluation in order to determine its effectiveness as a learning aide.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:SSU.etd-07082010-120018
Date09 July 2010
CreatorsDemmans Epp, Carrie A.
ContributorsVassileva, Julita, Proctor, Len, McCalla, Gordon, Greer, Jim
PublisherUniversity of Saskatchewan
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext
Formatapplication/pdf
Sourcehttp://library.usask.ca/theses/available/etd-07082010-120018/
Rightsunrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Saskatchewan or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report.

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