Research Article
Yang Yang, Ze Zheng
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 16, Issue 3, Article No: ep513
ABSTRACT
In the existing literature, scholars have proposed various indices to measure the lexical richness (LR) of English as a foreign language (EFL) writing. However, there are currently issues of redundant indices and inconsistent usage. Attempting to address the research question of which indices are the most sensitive and effective ones to distinguish between different grade levels of Chinese university students’ EFL writing, this study aims to put forward a refined and concise model of indices that can truthfully reflect LR in EFL writing. A total of 180 compositions were selected from a Chinese EFL learner corpus: Spoken and written English corpus of Chinese learners. Scores of 28 LR indices of these compositions were computed using the software Lexical Complexity Analyzer, MATTR, and Coh-Metrix. One-way ANOVA or Welch’s ANOVA, depending on the variable’s homogeneity of variances, was conducted for each index. Two criteria were applied to determine which index of a measure should be included in the refined model: whether the difference of an index is significant among different grade levels and the effect size of ANOVA. Based on the quantitative results of ANOVAs and qualitative human judgment based on literature, six indices of the six LR measures were included in the refined model: lexical density, lexical sophistication-I, verb sophistication-II, number of different words-expected sequence 50, corrected TTR, and squared verb variation-I. This refined model addresses the issues of redundancy and inconsistency in previous studies, providing a more accurate and efficient tool for assessing LR in EFL writing.
Keywords: refined model, lexical richness, index, EFL writing, training and testing
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