Optimizing Vocabulary Learning with IRT and Online Technology Brent Culligan Aoyama Gakuin Women’s Junior College Dr. Charles Browne Professor of Linguistics, Meiji Gakuin University

Why we are here - a quote… “Tom and I planned this colloquium around the idea that vocabulary research has provided clear findings that can inform language teaching and learning in concrete and substantive ways, and the goal of the colloquium is to highlight successful implementations. As I see it, the take home message is: vocabulary research has direct implications for the practice of teaching and learning language…” from Marlise Horst, 4/11/07

Guiding Pedagogic Principles 1.Teaching HFV is an essential component of SLA 2.Flashcards are an extremely efficient way of quickly building up knowledge of new words 3.Time-intervalled learning can help move short term- memory to long term memory 4.Extensive graded reading is useful for both vocabulary development as well as developing overall English proficiency

Role of Technology 1.CAT allows us to precisely target a student’s level and needs in ways that were until now, not possible 2.For today’s generation of students, cell phones and MP3 players are the devices of choice 3.Online graded reading and listening can help provide students with much needed input 4.Teachers are extremely busy - software needs to be intuitive, easy to use, and time efficient

A Set of Free Vocabulary Testing & Teaching Tools Based on Current Research ( THE TOOLS: 1.Vocabulary Test 2.Flashcards 3.Games 4.Graded Readings 5.Graded Listenings 6.Administration Program

Flashcards based on Time-Intervalled Learning

The Forgetting Curve If material is only reviewed once, it tends to stay in short term memory and is soon forgotten…

The Forgetting Curve If material is reviewed several times at increasingly longer intervals, the material is remembered longer and longer until it eventually becomes part of long term memory…

Time-Intervalled Vocabulary Flashcards Ebbinhaus (1885), Leitner (1972), Pimsleur (1967), Mondria, (1994)… Learner gets flashcards 24 hours later1 week later1 month later If incorrect, the new word returns to the first bin… If correct, word moves to the next interval… The vocabulary test allows us to generate individualized word lists of the specific HFV unknown to each learner Computers allow us to automate the time-intervalled process

Vocabulary Activities Integrated into the Time-Intervalled Learning System

Vocabulary Test, Flashcards, Games & Graded Readings on Cell Phones Cell phones are the device of choice among students in Japan - 100% penetration at most universities vs. 62% for PCs (Browne, 2007, in press)

Large Database of Short Graded Reading Materials

Learner’s target vocabulary is highlighted and linked to online dictionary

Graded Readings Also Recorded as Graded Listenings (podcasts)

Web-based Administration Account for Tracking Student Progress

V-Check - the vocabulary test that makes all this possible… The starting point for us was trying to find an efficient way to identify which specific HFW a student knows, and which still need to be taught…

The role of testing Assessing the ability of the students Assessing the difficulties of the items Item difficulty = word familiarity

Item Response Theory where  is the ability level eis the constant bis the difficulty parameter

Item Response Theory

Benefits Person abilities can be estimated regardless of which items are administered. Item difficulties can be estimated regardless of which persons take the test. Assumptions Local independence Unidimensionality

Why and How Can It Be Free? WHY? V-Check’s accuracy is related to it’s large scale implementation in different populations Because we want to help create a paradigm shift among educators - for this to occur, teachers, administrators and students need to have easy ways to study and teach HFV HOW? Other services will be fee-based (TOEFL, TOEIC, Business English, online conversation, etc.)

Thank You! (and please contact us with any questions or feedback) Brent Culligan Aoyama Gakuin Women’s Junior College Dr. Charles Browne Professor of Linguistics, Meiji Gakuin University