AOLLs-A Model For Adaptive Learning On-Line

This thesis concerns with a model of adaptive learning which is derived from the theories of adaptive testing and second language acquisition.Traditional college English education in China emphasizes particularly on the cultivation of students'abilities of reading and writing while paying less attention on listening and speaking. To avoid this, College English Curriculum Requirements, published by Higher Education Department in 2004 indicates that current college English education should attach more weight on the students'competence of listening and speaking. Meanwhile, the proportion of listening is increased from 20% to 35% and two new item types have been added in the reformed College English Test (Band 4).The document mentions above also stresses the importance of practical training besides lecturing in the classroom, proposing that a"new teaching mode"characterized by modern technologies of computer and network should be adopted to improve the current classroom-based College English teaching and learning.Various theories of Second Language Acquisition agree that listening plays a crucial role during the process of language acquisition. But in the traditional listening class, the students'learning needs are not fully satisfied, which may lead to the impairment of students'learning efficiency and their interests in English.In light of this situation, the author develops a Web-based listening learning and instruction system AOLLs (Adaptive On-Line Listening System) under the guidance of Web-based Computer-assisted Language Learning (WCALL) principles, theories of Second Language Acquisition and the rationales of listening instructional design, expecting to lessen the inconvenience of classroom-based listening teaching and learning and to improve the students'listening abilities more effectively.To focus on the students and meet their individualized learning needs as far as possible, the author utilizes the theory of computer adaptive test and intends to display a mode of"adaptive learning", under which the learning materials and curriculum students receive are appropriate to their present language competence and learning state. The language input hence becomes comprehensible and should improve students'language competence efficiently. During the learning in AOLLs, students are firstly required to take a placement test for the purpose of measuring current levels of listening abilities, and take these results as initial ability levels proceeding to the dynamic adaptive learning process which involves upgrading and degrading. After each learning period, AOLLs automatically analyzes the learning state of students and proposes personalized learning suggestion and specific practices.In its operation, AOLLs constantly collects data concerning items in the Item Bank and students'learning states. After analysis, these data can be used to determine the parameter values of item difficulties in other language tests.