An Autonomous Learning Support System for Production of Japanese Kanji and Special Morae Using Smart Devices: Global Field Testing and Evaluation

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K12891
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Japanese language education
• Research Institution: Iwate University
• Principal Investigator: MIWA JOUJI 岩手大学, 工学部, 准教授 (60125664)
• Research Collaborator: INABA SEIICHIRO サンノゼ州立大学, 教授 ; SHINAGAWA SATORU ハワイ大学, カピオラニ・コミュニティ・カレッジ, 教授 ; KUDARA MASAKAZU カーディフ大学, 准教授
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 日本語教育 / 教育工学 / 情報通信技術 / e-Learning / 自律学習支援 / 発音評価 / 特殊拍音声算出 / 漢字手書き算出

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have developed an autonomous learning support system for production of Japanese kanji and special morae in the Open-MANABIX. And we have carried out global field testing and evaluation for the system.
Ability of production and discrimination for similar kanji such as ”禾-未-末” and “木-不” is one of important skills for kanji learning. We have developed a web-based system of kanji hand-writing recognition for skill up. In the system, error strokes by learners are automatically marked by a color for noticing. About one quarter of accesses for the system is from the smart devices.
In assessments for production of special morae, spoken words are recorded using smartphone apps for SNR improvement, and then are calculated as between 0 and 100 points by Bayes’ theorem. The total average of mean-opinion-score by non-native speakers in the test mode has the value of 4.0. Then, the system is effective for autonomous learning of Japanese special morae.

Free Research Field

教育工学