A Cross Platform Map System (CPMS) to Facilitate Adaptation and Language Learning for International Students in a Chinese-Speaking Environment

建置跨平台地圖系統輔助外籍學生適應中文環境及語言學習

帕尼簡(Yen Joh Paniagua)

指導教授 ： 楊叔卿

國立清華大學/電機資訊學院/資訊系統與應用研究所/碩士(2009年)

摘要

Students frequently move to another city to study, resulting in adaptation problems, especially when they are not able to understand the language of the new environment. With the recent technological advantages, the construction of more specialized tools are becoming easier to design and implement every day, including one that can help International students to help them adapt to new environments.
This study focuses on the design, implementation and evaluation of a Cross-Platform Map System (CPMS) intended to help foreign students solve adaptation problems after they arrive and live in a Chinese-speaking environment.
A needs analysis was done conducting interviews and a survey, which allowed defining the drivers and basic requirements of the system. With this information, a customized map, search and translation functionalities were designed and two versions (Mobile and PC) of CPMS were implemented. A usability test with 17 participants was also made to evaluate how the CPMS could improve the adaptation process. Research data analysis indicates that the participants of the study evaluate positively the content and functionality of the system, recognizing its role as a guide and translation tool as well as the capacity to share information through it.
Moreover, a pre-test and post-test were used to assess the use of the system to learn Chinese. Results indicate more improvement in the recognition of characters on those students who used the CPMS in the usability test compared to those who didn’t.
Finally, the observation of the usability test shows the participants were notably more motivated to use the CPMS to locate points and obtain information about different points inside and outside the campus.

關鍵字

E-Learning ； Chinese Language Learning ； Campus Map ； International Students ； Culture Shock ； Mobile Learning

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