Research Article
Oraboot Wuttikamonchai, Paitoon Pimdee, Jaruwan Ployduangrat, Aukkapong Sukkamart
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 16, Issue 1, Article No: ep494
ABSTRACT
In this study, we present a comprehensive needs assessment (NA) aimed at identifying key factors that contribute to enhancing instructor skills in mobile website design (MWDS). In the realm of professional development, the significance of NAs for user experience (UX) designers has gained attention, with scholars emphasizing the importance of competency modeling to elucidate the intricate knowledge, skills, and abilities inherent in UX design. This perspective aligns with the essential nature of learning NAs for continuous professional development. Therefore, the objective of our investigation was to evaluate the current state of instructor MWDS and their real-world user experience through a sample of 41 individuals, including information technology (IT) instructors and IT entrepreneurs. Employing a simple random sampling method in August 2023, our study utilized descriptive statistics to analyze the data, revealing a moderate proficiency level (mean [M]=3.40). Interestingly, the highest rankings in our findings were attributed to planning mobile website design from a user experience perspective (M=3.81) and developing or creating a website for mobile devices user experience (M=3.81). These skills demonstrated consistent high perceived importance (M=4.78). Moreover, specific aspects of MWDS stood out in terms of significance, with developing or creating mobile websites’ user experience holding the top priority (M=4.87), followed closely by designing mobile websites’ user experience (M=4.79) and developing or prototyping mobile websites’ user experience (M=4.77). Our findings underscore the urgent need to prioritize the promotion of MWDS, particularly those focused on user experience. Using priority needs index modified (PNImodified) method, we identified that user research holds the highest priority (PNImodified=0.56), followed closely by mobile website design user experience (PNImodified=0.41), and defining website content for mobile devices user experience (PNImodified=0.40). This information provides valuable insights for educational institutions and industry stakeholders, guiding efforts to enhance instructor skills and align curricula with the evolving demands of mobile web design. In summary, our study sheds light on the current state of instructor MWDS, emphasizing the importance of user experience-related competencies. The identified priority needs offer valuable guidance for educational institutions and industry stakeholders, facilitating efforts to enhance instructor skills and align curricula with the dynamic requirements of mobile web design. Notably, our results align with the hypothesis testing, where paired sample t-test statistics found that both overall and individual aspects indicated a statistically significant preference for desired over actual outcomes at the .01 level.
Keywords: mobile web design, needs assessment, priority needs index, Thailand, UX designer
Research Article
Kornwipa Poonpon, Paiboon Manorom, Wirapong Chansanam
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 4, Article No: ep475
ABSTRACT
Automated essay scoring (AES) has become a valuable tool in educational settings, providing efficient and objective evaluations of student essays. However, the majority of AES systems have primarily focused on native English speakers, leaving a critical gap in the evaluation of non-native speakers’ writing skills. This research addresses this gap by exploring the effectiveness of automated essay-scoring methods specifically designed for non-native speakers. The study acknowledges the unique challenges posed by variations in language proficiency, cultural differences, and linguistic complexities when assessing non-native speakers’ writing abilities. This work focuses on the automated student assessment prize and Khon Kaen University academic English language test dataset and presents an approach that leverages variants of the long short-term memory network model to learn features and compare results with the Kappa coefficient. The findings demonstrate that the proposed framework and approach, which involve joint learning of different essay representations, yield significant benefits and achieve results comparable to state-of-the-art deep learning models. These results suggest that the novel text representation proposed in this paper holds promise as a new and effective choice for assessing the writing tasks of non-native speakers. The result of this study can apply to advance educational assessment practices and promote equitable opportunities for language learners worldwide by enhancing the evaluation process for non-native speakers
Keywords: automated essay scoring, non-native speakers, machine learning, long short-term memory network, Thailand
Research Article
Kulthida Tuamsuk, Lan Thi Nguyen, Issara Kanjug, Grichawat Lowatcharin, Teeradej Manakul, Kornwipa Poonpon, Weerachai Sarakorn, Anucha Somabut, Niwat Srisawasdi, Saksuriya Traiyarach
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 2, Article No: ep408
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to investigate the success factors for transforming classrooms into learning communities in digital learning ecosystem (DLE) of Thailand’s secondary schools. Quantitative research was conducted by using a questionnaire as the research instrument to measure teachers’ evaluation of factors. Purposive sampling was applied to obtain a sample group of secondary schools. The questionnaires were sent to teachers at secondary schools in 20 provinces in Northeast Thailand that were employing the smart learning project for their teaching and learning. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. The results revealed that learning support technologies, teachers, and learners were the three most important factors influencing the development of DLE (x =4.64, x =4.61, and x =4.49, respectively). The findings of this study have implications for educators, administrators, and teachers to review and discover appropriate ways to invest the necessary conditions that can enhance the quality of DLEs and improve teaching and learning activities in the digital environment at secondary schools.
Keywords: success factors, learning community, digital learning ecosystem, secondary schools, Thailand