This study concerns virtual environments for training in operational conditions. The principal developed idea is that these environments are heterogeneous and open multi-agent systems. The MASCARET model is proposed to organize the interactions between agents and to provide them reactive, cognitive and social abilities to simulate the physical and social environment. The physical environment re...

Developing reading comprehension ability is an important aspect in acquisition of a language. The  present  study  focused  on  improving  reading  comprehension  ability  through  Task-based Instruction  (TBI).  TBI  is  a  methodology  that  develops  from  a  focus  on  classroom  tasks.  The participants of the study were 135 Iranian female students at different levels selected from high sc...

Framed in a cognitive approach to task-supported L2 vocabulary learning, the present study used a pedagogical approach to investigate the relative effectiveness of tasks with different involvement loads on the vocabulary knowledge of Iranian EFL learners. The goal was to investigate the way that the construct of involvement load is related to the Input Hypothesis (Krashen, 1985) and the Output ...

Correlational studies supporting the link between learners’ multiple intelligences and their learning are superseded by interventionist attempts to explore direct applications of Multiple Intelligence (MI) Theory in language teaching and learning. This quasi-experimental study examined the extent to which engaging ELT major university students in writing tasks, compatible to their dominant inte...

Applying intelligent agent technologies to support human learning activities has been the subject of recent work that reaches across computer science and education disciplines. This article discusses agent-based approaches that have been designed to address a range of pedagogical and/or curricular tasks. Three types of agents are identified in the literature: pedagogical agents, peerlearning ag...

In this paper, we describe a method for pedagogical agents to choose when to interact with learners in interactive learning environments. This method is based on observations of human tutors coaching students in on-line learning tasks. It takes into account the focus of attention of the learner, the learner’s current task, and expected time required to perform the task. A Bayesian network model...

This paper describes a pedagogical agent that helps children to learn to author structured presentations about explanations of concepts. Using a Rhetorical Structure Theory analysis of a source Web page, the agent performs pedagogical tasks to support the user's understanding of rhetorical relations, stimulates reflection about the relations between the structure of the original text and the st...

The paper is a reflective account of the design and implementation of mathematical tasks that evoke uncertainty for the learner. Three types of uncertainty associated with mathematical tasks are discussed and illustrated: competing claims, unknown path or questionable conclusion, and non-readily verifiable outcomes. One task is presented in depth, pointing to the dynamic nature of task design, ...

Flexible pedagogical frameworks are needed to underpin e-Learning environments in order to ensure that they address effectively the individual learning approaches of an increasingly diverse student population. A quantitative study of the flexibility of one pedagogical framework for instructional design, called I CARE, identified its limitation in supporting two types of learners: those who rely...

The paper presents the results of diagnosing subject and methodological difficulties teachers in four subjects: Russian language, mathematics, social science, physics. structure diagnostic materials content elements for assessing competencies are described. general work terms activities given. Correlations between diagnosis achieved by students Unifi ed State Exam have been established.