Initial effects of word processing on writing quality and writing anxiety of freshman writers

Eight English instructors at Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York, conducted a one-semester controlled experiment with freshman in eight randomly selected classes of College Writing to learn about the initial effects of word processing on essay-writing performance and on writing apprehension. Four classes wrote essays using terminals linked to a mainframe computer (Experimental Group), and four classes wrote essays in the traditional mode using pens, pencils or typewriters (Control Group). The eight instructors agreed upon a common syllabus and common teaching approaches for the freshman writing course. To measure writing performance, they devised an analytic scale. To measure writing apprehension, they used a writing apprehension test developed by Daly and Miller. The Experimental Group showed greater progress than the Control Group from the pre to post Essay Test but could not demonstrate superior performance on the six required essays of the course. For writing apprehension, there was no significant difference between the two groups.Marilyn Poris (Ph.D., Research Methodology, Hofstra University) is currently serving as Director of Institutional Research a Marist College, where she also teaches courses in statistics.Milton Teichman (Ph.D., English, University of Chicago) is professor of English at Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York. He has directed writing programs in freshman writing and has supervised research in the field of technology and writing. He has written on innovative approaches to the teaching of writing, as well as on a range of literary subjects from the poetry of Wordsworth to the literature of the Holocaust.     

Dealing with conflicting information from multiple nonlinear texts: Effects of prior attitudes

This study investigated the effects of prior attitudes on how students deal with conflicting information in multiple nonlinear texts. Sixty-one Dutch 11th grade students read multiple texts on a controversial topic and wrote a short essay on it. These essays were scored on perspective taken and the origin of information included in them. Ordinal regression analysis showed that students with strong prior attitudes were significantly more likely to write essays that were biased towards their prior attitudes. Furthermore, multiple regression analyses revealed that students with strong attitudes took explicit stances and added large proportions of information not presented in the reading materials in their essays, whereas students with neutral attitudes wrote syntheses and borrowed more information from the materials. Overall, results show that prior attitudes can bias how students deal with conflicting information in an open-ended reading and writing task.     

Writing as process and product: The impact of tool, genre, audience knowledge, and writer expertise

Two experiments investigated the impact of writing tool (word processing or handwriting), genre (narrative or exposition), and audience (familiar or unfamiliar) on measures of writing quality, syntactic complexity, and number and type of initial text production revisions. In the first, 84 undergraduates with little word processing experience wrote letters by hand or computer. The 64 subjects in Experiment 2 were experienced college writers who always wrote by computer. Subjects composed more syntactically complex letters of higher rated quality to an unfamiliar audience than to a familiar one. Handwritten letters were of higher rated quality than word processed. Although there were more total revisions when using a word processor, there were more text-preserving than meaningful revisions. The number and distribution of revisions also depended upon the writers' level of experience. The Hay es and Flower (1980) model of the writing process remains a useful heuristic, but our data indicate that it warrants extension.     

Improving ESL writing using an online formulaic sequence word‐combination checker

Writing correct English sentences can be challenging. Furthermore, writing correct formulaic sequences can be especially difficult because accepted combinations do not follow clear rules governing which words appear together in a sequence. One solution is to provide examples of correct usage accompanied by statistical feedback from web‐based applications for learners to emulate. The goal of the study was to investigate whether such a dedicated web‐based program that provides instant examples of correct word combinations and detailed results of who used these examples, where and when, can improve students' writing. Data were collected from 74 ESL (English as a Second Language) undergraduate students divided into control and experimental groups, who performed formulaic sequence tests, wrote passages in English, followed by interviews with members of the experimental group. The results show that students who used the software outperformed those who did not, on the tests and the overall grades for their writing. Implementing formulaic sequence check programs in writing classes to help students decide which words can appear together, under which circumstances, and in which context is recommended.     

Developing complex group products: Idea combination in computer-mediated and face-to-face groups

This study examines how group experience, communication medium, and strategies for combining individual ideas influence the integrative complexity of group products. Each week for six weeks, members of 31 work groups wrote individual essays about their group tasks and experiences, and then collaborated on a group essay on the same topic. Results indicate that in the later weeks of the study, computer-mediated groups produce essays with higher integrative complexity than those of face-to-face groups. The integrative complexity of essays in later weeks is a joint function of the complexity of member ideas and the number of members who participate directly in writing the essay (scribes). The greater complexity of computer-mediated groups' essays in the later weeks of the study is partly accounted for by their use of more scribes and their inclusion of more unique member ideas.     

蒙古文整词编码研究

作者基于蒙古文黏着记录其词汇方式和按书面音节拼读书写整词规则,提出了蒙古文整词编码方法。本文依据可计算性理论,提出了拼音文字非键盘映射编码方法,将整词编码分为输写码与计算码。整词输写码设计模仿传统蒙古文整词固有拼读书写规则,达到了最佳人机键盘交互目的。整词计算码既可载荷整词复杂特征知识信息、又可保证信息的可计算性,从而为蒙古文整词复杂特征合一计算和并行处理奠定了可行性科学基础。     

利用词的分布式表示改进作文跑题检测

作文跑题检测任务的核心问题是文本相似度计算。传统的文本相似度计算方法一般基于向量空间模型,即把文本表示成高维向量,再计算文本之间的相似度。这种方法只考虑文本中出现的词项(词袋模型),而没有利用词项的语义信息。该文提出一种新的文本相似度计算方法:基于词扩展的文本相似度计算方法,将词袋模型(Bag-of-Words)方法与词的分布式表示相结合,在词的分布式表示向量空间中寻找与文本出现的词项语义上相似的词加入到文本表示中,实现文本中单词的扩展。然后对扩展后的文本计算相似度。该文将这种方法运用到英文作文的跑题检测中,构建一套跑题检测系统,并在一个真实数据中进行测试。实验结果表明该文的跑题检测系统能有效识别跑题作文,性能明显高于基准系统。
     

Responsiveness to a game-based intervention to enhance reading efficiency in first graders

In the present study, a 5-week tablet-based word reading efficiency game intervention (Reading Turbo) was integrated in a comprehensive phonics-based reading curriculum. The aims of the study were to examine whether the game would advance children's word reading efficiency, and to determine the extent to which pre-reading capacities and in-game mechanisms could explain individual variation in responsiveness to the game. To do so, word reading efficiency scores of first graders in an intervention group (n = 132) and a control group that continued with the usual reading curriculum (n = 118) were compared prior to, directly after, and 2 months after the 5-week intervention period. Individual variation in responsiveness was examined by relating reading precursors (i.e., phonological awareness, letter efficiency, rapid automatized naming (RAN), and verbal working memory) measured at the onset of the intervention, and in-game accuracy and efficiency to word reading efficiency outcomes in untrained words. Results indicated that playing the word reading game significantly enhanced first graders' word reading efficiency directly after the intervention, but the effect was no longer significant 2 months after the intervention. With respect to individual variation in game responsiveness, it was found that phonological awareness, letter efficiency, and verbal working memory predicted responsiveness to the game via in-game accuracy. In addition, phonological awareness and RAN predicted responsiveness to the game via in-game efficiency, and letter efficiency and verbal working memory were directly related to responsiveness. The effectiveness of the word reading game thus differentiated between children with higher and lower pre-reading capacities, and operated via in-game child affordances.     

面向中文歌词的音乐情感分类方法

情感是音乐最重要的语义信息,音乐情感分类广泛应用于音乐检索,音乐推荐和音乐治疗等领域.传统的音乐情感分类大都是基于音频的,但基于现在的技术水平,很难从音频中提取出语义相关的音频特征.歌词文本中蕴含着一些情感信息,结合歌词进行音乐情感分类可以进一步提高分类性能.本文将面向中文歌词进行研究,构建一部合理的音乐情感词典是歌词情感分析的前提和基础,因此基于Word2Vec构建音乐领域的中文情感词典,并基于情感词加权和词性进行中文音乐情感分析.本文首先以VA情感模型为基础构建情感词表,采用Word2Vec中词语相似度计算的思想扩展情感词表,构建中文音乐情感词典,词典中包含每个词的情感类别和情感权值.然后,依照该词典获取情感词权值,构建基于TF-IDF （Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency）和词性的歌词文本的特征向量,最终实现音乐情感分类.实验结果表明所构建的音乐情感词典更适用于音乐领域,同时在构造特征向量时考虑词性的影响也可以提高准确率.     

基于局部密度的无监督作文跑题检测方法

针对现有的无监督作文跑题检测方法中,使用作文内容向量表示作文存在非主题词噪声所导致的相似度不准确问题,该文提出一种基于作文主题词抽取和局部密度阈值选择的无监督作文跑题检测方法。首先使用LDA主题生成模型挖掘待测作文的主题词,并使用分布式表示向量寻找与题目词项语义相似的词,作为对作文题目的主题词扩展,在此基础上使用提出的切题度计算方法计算待测作文的切题度,并使用所提出的基于作文集切题度局部密度的阈值抽取方法动态选取切题阈值,进而实现一种无需训练集和主题无关的无监督作文跑题检测方法。在以英语为母语的学习者和以汉语为母语的学习者所写的8个作文集共9 381篇作文上的实验结果表明,该文提出的作文跑题检测方法能有效识别跑题作文,加入拼写检查预处理后,平均F1值为79.64%,单个作文题目下F1值最好为96.1%。     

文字书写过程描述字自动生成

文字书写过程描述字是文字书写自动教学系统教学知识点的核心字段。针对多语源导致知识点数据类型多、计算结构复杂及知识量大等特点,提出文字书写过程描述字自动生成方法。描述字由主导笔顺和约束笔顺组成;给出各类要素元编码空间关系;设计与实现描述字自动生成算法。汉字、英文、汉语拼音等文种文字融合实验及其分析表明,描述字结构能满足不同文种文字书写过程表达,生成方法能准确识别各种知识要素,与手工法相比不但提高了工作效率、知识的准确率,而且有效降低了信息冗余度。     

基于加权贝叶斯的脱机手写阿文单词识别

针对手写阿拉伯单词书写连笔,且相似词较多的特点,该文提出一种新的脱机手写文字识别算法。该算法以固定组件为成分拆分阿拉伯单词,构建自组件特征至单词类别的加权贝叶斯推理模型。算法结合单词组件分割、多级混合式组件识别、组件加权系数估计等,计算单词类别的后验概率并得到单词识别结果。在IFN/ENIT库上的实验,获得了90.03%的单词识别率,证实组件分解对笔画连写具有鲁棒性,组件识别能提高相似词的辨别能力,而且该算法所需训练类别少,易向大词汇量识别扩展。     

语音词汇网单词联想记忆

语音联想记忆是一种高效的记忆方法。为了给学习者提供语音联想的素材,引导学习者进行语音联想,熟悉读音规则,加深对单词拼写和发音的记忆,帮助学习者建立字母组合与相关发音间的双向认知,提出一种基于语音的词汇网。语音词汇网是基于常见字母组合和单词读音之间的差异构建的,因此其中既包含了语音近似度信息,也包含了一定的单词结构信息。利用该网络,学习系统不但可以实现语音联想功能,还能提供语音方面的相关统计信息。语音词汇网的引入能进一步完善单词学习系统的联想记忆功能。     

藏文字频统计系统中字构件分解算法

藏文字频统计是藏文信息处理的基础性工作,通过对藏文字的部件、音节、结构和字的频度与通用度等定量统计与定性分析,为藏文信息处理提供基础数据。藏文字是一种由藏文字构件横向和纵向组合而成的拼音文字,在藏文字频统计中不仅要从整字角度统计分析藏文字频度属性,还要统计分析构成其构件的频度及位置属性。因此,在藏文字频统计系统中要分解构成藏文字的各部件。本文通过开发藏文字频统计系统,利用组合构件库结合藏文文法提出了一种藏文字构件分解算法。经测试,该算法不仅简单易行,而且可以有效地确定出各基本构件的位置特征,已应用于项目藏文字频统计系统。     

A computer-based outpatient medical record for a teaching hospital.

We developed a computer-based outpatient medical record system to facilitate direct physician interaction with the clinical computing system at the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. During the 2 years since the medical record system was installed, 20 staff physicians, 5 fellows, 64 residents, and 11 nurse practitioners have entered 15,121 active problems and 1996 inactive problems for 3524 patients, as well as 12,651 active medications and 1894 discontinued medications for 3430 patients. Another 20,321 items were entered on health-promotion and disease-prevention screening sheets, and with the help of automatic updating by the computer, an additional 21,897 entries on screening sheets were made for 8686 patients. Clinicians wrote 10.9 +/- 12.8 (mean +/- SD) words per problem when they were working at the computer, as compared with 4.3 +/- 2.5 words per problem when they were writing in the paper medical record. We conclude that physicians will readily enter data directly into a computing system when they are given appropriate tools, and that they consider the computer-based problem list to be a valuable improvement over its paper counterpart. Use of a computer-based medical record system has obvious benefits for data management and patient care.     

现代藏文音节字自动校对研究

在现代藏文自动校对中,对音节字（）的校对是其基础。现代藏文二维的书写格式和独特的文法,还有格助词的黏着现象、音节字搭配规则和音节字中真词和非词错误等众多问题,使得对藏文自动校对的研究有别于英语和汉语的自动校对。针对现代藏文中音节字的特点,通过音节字预处理、字表匹配、混淆集匹配、二元接续关系、最小编辑距离法等方法对现代藏文音节字的自动校对进行详细论述。     

一个单词提取系统的设计和实现

根据英语教材编著、英语教学和考试出题中需抽取特定词库中单词的需要,设计和完成一个英文单词提取系统,解决对特定词库英语单词的自动抽取问题,具有较强的实用意义。