Affect detection from open-ended virtual improvisational contexts is a challenging task. To achieve this research goal, the authors developed an intelligent agent which was able to engage in virtual improvisation and perform sentence-level affect detection from user inputs. This affect detection development was efficient for the improvisational…

Organizing and implementing telecollaboration projects in foreign language curricula is not an easy endeavour (Belz & Thorne, 2006; Guth & Helm, 2010), as pedagogical, organizational and technical issues have to be addressed before cross-cultural interaction sessions can be carried out (O'Dowd & Ritter, 2006; O'Dowd, 2011). These issues make many…

During speech comprehension, bilinguals co-activate both of their languages, resulting in cross-linguistic interaction at various levels of processing. This interaction has important consequences for both the structure of the language system and the mechanisms by which the system processes spoken language. Using computational modeling, we can…

The present study examined the impact of peer-like and expert-like agent stereotypes, as operationalized by agent's image and voice, on learners' agent perceptions, task-related attitudes, and learning achievement. 56 university freshmen (23 males and 33 females) interacted with either the peer-like agent (female college student) or the…

This paper introduces a realistic 3D model supported virtual environment for environmental education, that highlights the importance of water resource sharing by focusing on the tragedy of the commons dilemma. The proposed virtual environment entails simulations that are controlled by a multi-agent simulation model of a real ecosystem consisting…

Experimental teaching in general, and simulation in particular, have primarily been used in lecture rooms but in the future must also be adapted to e-learning. The integration of web simulators into virtual learning environments, coupled with specific supporting video documentation and the use of videoconference tools, results in robust…

This study examined whether inspecting and constructing different part-task-specific visualizations differentially affects learning. To this end, a complex business-economics problem was structured into three phase-related part-tasks: (1) determining core concepts, (2) proposing multiple solutions, and (3) coming to a single solution. Each phase…

Radiography is an essential part of the healthcare continuum and ensuring the competency of each technologist is essential. A clinically competent technologist is vital in achieving quality diagnostic images to accurate diagnosis disease and pathology to develop treatment plans leading to improved patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was…

Non-pediatric nurses in rural areas often care for children in adult units, emergency departments, and procedural areas. A half-day program about pediatric nursing using constructivist teaching strategies including an advance organizer, case studies, and simulation was offered at a community hospital in Western North Carolina. Nurses reported a…

Place-based education has been forwarded as a pedagogical approach that has the potential to contextualize learning, increase student engagement, and strengthen the relationship between schools and the broader community. Despite this promise, however, many teachers struggle to develop learning experiences that incorporate the key components of…

The use of simulation as a clinical learning activity is growing in nursing programs across the country. Using simulation, educators can provide students with a realistic patient situation using mannequins or actors as patients in a simulated environment. Students can practice multiple aspects of patient care without the risk of making mistakes…

High-fidelity simulation (HFS) use in nursing education has been a frequent research topic in recent years. Previous research included studies on the use of HFS with nursing students, focusing on their feelings of self-confidence and anxiety. However, research focused specifically on the debriefing portion of HFS was limited. This quantitative,…

This dissertation studies how people describe emotions with language and how computers can simulate this descriptive behavior. Although many non-human animals can express their current emotions as social signals, only humans can communicate about emotions symbolically. This symbolic communication of emotion allows us to talk about emotions that we…

Virtual manipulatives as cognitive tools, dynamic/interactive, Web-based representations and/or technology-based renditions, allow users to engage in mathematical meaning making. This research investigated teacher candidates' perceptions of the mathematical, cognitive, and pedagogical fidelity of Fill and Pour virtual manipulative. Findings…

Increasing patient acuity and complex health care demands the need for preparing competent graduate nurses. However, reduced availability of clinical sites exists translating to difficulties obtaining patient care experiences for nursing students. This ongoing issue demands educators to seek alternative teaching strategies. High-fidelity…