scholarly journals THE USE OF TRAVEL BLOG WRITING IN A TERTIARY LEVEL ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES COURSE

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elif Kemaloğlu-Er
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Real Life ◽  
L2 Writing ◽  
English For Specific Purposes ◽  
Tertiary Level ◽  
Tourist Attractions ◽  
Writing Improvement ◽  
Travel Experience ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Travel Blog

Blogs can be used as constructive means in EFL teaching allowing learners to exert control over their own writing and enabling them to communicate with the global community of internet users. Among different types of blogs, travel blogs can be employed as pedagogical means for real life based learning and L2 writing improvement. Through travel blogs, learners can both explore different places and write about their travel experience in L2. However, the use of travel blog writing in teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has not yet been investigated. In this study, travel blog writing was integrated into a tertiary level ESP course aiming to improve learners’ linguistic skills in the fields of tourism and travel. The research investigates the learners’ views about blog writing as a part of their ESP course through a questionnaire and interviews. According to the findings, travelling and writing about the tourist attractions of one’s city via a personalized blog was found to increase writing motivation but the experience was also defined to be demanding as it requires heavy workload. Overall, this experience was reported to enhance autonomous, reflective and collaborative learning, increase cultural awareness and contribute to learners’ self-expression and L2 writing improvement.

Collaborative Online Roleplay for Adult Learners.

2010 ◽  
pp. 393-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Pivec ◽  
Maja Pivec
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Corporate Training ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Game Based Learning ◽  
Voice Chat ◽  
Collaborative Platform

Game-based learning has gained popularity in schools and has been proposed for adult education, both at Universities and in the corporate training sector. Games are becoming a new form of interactive content and game playing provides an interactive and collaborative platform for learning purposes. Collaborative learning allows participants to produce new ideas as well as to exchange information, simplify problems, and resolve the tasks. Context based collaborative learning method is based on constructivist learning theory and guides the design of the effective learning environments. In this environment the teacher or trainer becomes the active partner, moderator and advisor of the educational process, not just a repository of the information importing his or her own knowledge to a passive learner as in traditional education. Learners bring their prior skills and knowledge to the classroom community. The trainer structures learning situations in which each learner can interact with other learners to develop new knowledge and fashion their own needs and capacities. Knowledge is generated from experience with complex tasks rather than from isolated activities like learning and practicing separately. Skills and knowledge are best acquired within the context. This helps the learners easily to transfer learning from classroom to “real life” and back, or information from one subject to another. Therefore this method requires that the trainer and learners play nontraditional roles such as interaction and collaboration with each other within the educational process. The classroom drops the physical boundaries and becomes a goal-oriented platform dedicated to learning. Online role-play scenario platforms offers an environment where trainers can define their own role-playing scenarios and provide the opportunity for learners to apply factual knowledge and to gain experience through the digital world. Trainers can define new games or adopt and modify sample games without any programming skills. Some platforms provide a variety of communication means within the scenarios; players can communicate with the use of multimedia discussion forums, text and voice chat modules, as well as through multi-user video conferencing. These platforms foster participation in problem-solving, effective communication, teamwork, project management, as well as other soft skills such as responsibility, creativity, micro-entrepreneurship, corporate culture, and cultural awareness. They are designed for use as a supplement to normal in-class teaching and corporate training, but it is also possible to be used independently from a class course. The constructivist design required for successful Game-Based Learning will be discussed and a model is provided to display how Game-Based Learning occurs in a collaborative online environment. This chapter will present example scenarios and highlight resources available to interested teachers and trainers.

scholarly journals Extracting Representative Images of Tourist Attractions from Flickr by Combining an Improved Cluster Method and Multiple Deep Learning Models

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanshan Han ◽  
Fu Ren ◽  
Qingyun Du ◽  
Dawei Gui
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
Image Data ◽  
Network Models ◽  
Cluster Method ◽  
Single Shot ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Neural Network Models ◽  
Tourist Attractions ◽  
Geotagged Photos ◽  
Filter Noise

Extracting representative images of tourist attractions from geotagged photos is beneficial to many fields in tourist management, such as applications in touristic information systems. This task usually begins with clustering to extract tourist attractions from raw coordinates in geotagged photos. However, most existing cluster methods are limited in the accuracy and granularity of the places of interest, as well as in detecting distinct tags, due to its primary consideration of spatial relationships. After clustering, the challenge still exists for the task of extracting representative images within the geotagged base image data, because of the existence of noisy photos occupied by a large area proportion of humans and unrelated objects. In this paper, we propose a framework containing an improved cluster method and multiple neural network models to extract representative images of tourist attractions. We first propose a novel time- and user-constrained density-joinable cluster method (TU-DJ-Cluster), specific to photos with similar geotags to detect place-relevant tags. Then we merge and extend the clusters according to the similarity between pairs of tag embeddings, as trained from Word2Vec. Based on the clustering result, we filter noise images with Multilayer Perceptron and a single-shot multibox detector model, and further select representative images with the deep ranking model. We select Beijing as the study area. The quantitative and qualitative analysis, as well as the questionnaire results obtained from real-life tourists, demonstrate the effectiveness of this framework.

CAN IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY TRAVEL EXPERIENCE REPLACE REAL TRAVEL?

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 9-28
Author(s):  
Jacek Polechoński ◽  
Rajmund Tomik
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Real World ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Computer Applications ◽  
Original Form ◽  
Immersive Virtual Reality ◽  
Travel Experience ◽  
Virtual Tourism

Purpose. The study attempts to define virtual reality in tourism as well as to characterise and present chosen applications created for the purposes of virtual sightseeing. Based on the survey conducted among tourism and recreation students of the Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, the study attempts to answer the provocative question: “can virtual tourism replace real-world travel?”, and to analyse participants’ opinions on the topic of virtual trips. Methods. Analysis of scientific studies as well as information and data on the possibility of using immersive virtual reality in human life with particular consideration given to tourism. An overview of applications enabling taking trips through immersive exploration of virtual environments. The survey was conducted among AWF students. Participants expressed their opinions about virtual sightseeing. Findings. Virtual reality is increasingly used in various fields of human life. It is entering the world of tourism, in which it is used to create presentations of hotels and resorts, and to promote towns and tourist facilities. Appropriate software and IT equipment allow to take deliberate, planned and very realistic virtual trips. The authors of the work defined such tourism as all activities carried out by persons who immerse themselves in virtual reality for learning and entertainment purposes in order to experience the illusion of change of their everyday, real surroundings in time and space. Tourism understood in such a way allows us not only to go to almost any place without the necessity of leaving home. It also allows for visiting areas and objects which cannot be explored in real life. It enables a visitor, among others, to travel in space and visit historical sites which no longer exist in their original form, but have been recreated in computer applications. Virtual tourism also allows for exploring fictional locations created by designers of photorealistic graphics as well as valuable and sensitive monuments, and taking trips to places which are dangerous or prohibited. In the conducted survey, it has been concluded that even though tourism and recreation students found experience with virtual reality to be positive, the majority is not convinced that this form of tourism can replace real-world travel. Research and conclusions limitations. There are only a few publications concerning immersive virtual reality travel experience. Access to the software was quite early. Practical implications. Understanding and reorganisation of issues related to immersive virtual reality travel experience. The study may constitute an original introduction and encouragement to carry out qualitative and quantitative research on newly created virtual tourism. Originality. An original concept of understanding virtual tourism was presented. Type of paper. Empirical research and review.

Adolescents and web porn: a new era of sexuality

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damiano Pizzol ◽  
Alessandro Bertoldo ◽  
Carlo Foresta
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Sexual Attitudes ◽  
Sexual Interest ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
New Era ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Education Campaigns ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
Pornographic Material

Abstract Background: Pornography can affect the lifestyles of adolescents, especially in terms of their sexual habits and porn consumption, and may have a significant influence on their sexual attitudes and behaviors. Objective: The aim of this study was to understand and analyze the frequency, duration, and perception of web porn utilization by young Italians attending high school. Materials and methods: A total of 1565 students attending the final year of high school were involved in the study, and 1492 have agreed to fill out an anonymous survey. The questions representing the content of this study were: 1) How often do you access the web? 2) How much time do you remain connected? 3) Do you connect to pornographic sites? 4) How often do you access pornographic sites? 5) How much time you spend on them? 6) How often do you masturbate? and 7) How do you rate the attendance of these sites? Statistical analysis was performed by Fischer’s test. Results: All young people, on an almost daily basis, have access to Internet. Among those surveyed, 1163 (77.9%) of Internet users admit to the consumption of pornographic material, and of these, 93 (8%) access pornographic websites daily, 686 (59%) boys accessing these sites perceive the consumption of pornography as always stimulating, 255 (21.9%) define it as habitual, 116 (10%) report that it reduces sexual interest towards potential real-life partners, and the remaining 106 (9.1%) report a kind of addiction. In addition, 19% of overall pornography consumers report an abnormal sexual response, while the percentage rose to 25.1% among regular consumers. Conclusion: It is necessary to educate web users, especially young users, to a safe and responsible use of the Internet and of its contents. Moreover, public education campaigns should be increased in number and frequency to help improve knowledge of Internet-related sexual issues both by adolescents and by parents.

scholarly journals Public Internet discussions on faith: The problem of persuasion effectiveness

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-162
Author(s):  
Angelina I. Matyashevskaya ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Moral Education ◽  
Public Speaking ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Religious Faith ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Contemporary Society ◽  
Internet Communication ◽  
Modern Life ◽  
Internet Users

Considering effective communication, linguists traditionally focus on the type of the addressee and the conditions of their interaction with the addresser. The paper analyzes some transformations of oral genres on the Internet, including public discussions on the role of Orthodox faith in modern life, the functions of the religion in the spiritual and moral education of the contemporary society and its relation to the scientific breakthroughs of the 21st century. The analysis of video materials shows that their main addressee is the youth audience. Thus, it determines the methods of argumentation chosen in public Internet communication. The YouTube program “I Don’t Believe in God: Talking to an Atheist” has guests of all ages and professions: clergy, scientists and popularizers of science, politicians, journalists, interpreters, doctors, artists, movie critics and bloggers. The speakers are obviously oriented toward the predicted audience, complicates philosophical issues are discussed using real-life examples and involving both logical and emotional arguments. The article also focuses on the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the conversation. Notably, a lively exchange of opinion boosts the Internet users’ attention and encourages the multidimensional interpretation of the views. A variety of perspectives sparks the youth interest in the discussed issues, facilitates critical thinking, inspires viewers to search for the truth themselves and to form sound judgments on religious faith and atheism. The results of the research may be used to improve students’ public speaking skills.

scholarly journals Civic Engagement in a digital time - Is there a divide in terms of social civic behavior?

2018 ◽  
Vol 325 ◽  
pp. 215-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Zait ◽  
Andreia Gabriela Andrei ◽  
Ioana Alexandra Horodnic
Keyword(s):  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Civic Life ◽  
Digital Evolution ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Purposive Sample ◽  
Digital Time

ICT’s and social media dramatically reshape the way citizens communicate and get involved into the civic life of a city and country. As a consequence of these developments, we would expect people to be more engaged citizens, active participants in both their online and offline communities. However, two questions arise: do people actually become more civic minded due to the digital evolution? Does social involvement in online virtual communities translate into real life actions? Answering these questions is the aim of the present study, which intends to analyze if there is a divide in terms of social civic behavior on two axes – attitude towards civic engagement and stated civic participation, online and offline behavior. We used survey as main research method in order to answer our research questions, and the study is a descriptive one. The investigated population consisted of a purposive sample of internet users from cities with possible different degrees of civic attitude (measured through a classical Civic Engagement Scale).

scholarly journals A Study on Two New Chinese Mandarin Phrases “Jiang Zhen” (讲真) and “Lao Siji” (老司机) from the Three Dimensions of Language

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 86
Author(s):  
Aihua Wen
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
The Other ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
The Internet ◽  
The Public ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Southern Chinese ◽  
New Meanings ◽  
Chinese Dialects

Internet users have given two existing phrases in Chinese, “Jiang Zhen” and “Lao Siji” new second definitions. “Jiang Zhen” which exists in some southern Chinese dialects is gradually becoming a new Mandarin phrase. The phrase’s meaning is being transformed and this new meaning is being used by Chinese netizens. This new and transformed meaning has spread quickly throughout the internet. On the other hand, “Lao Siji” now has several new meanings and has become more popular in online and real life conversations. From the three dimensions of language namely semantics, syntax and pragmatics, the two new phrases have their intrinsic connotations. Currently, different sections of the public hold different attitudes to these two new phrases, so their vitality is still waiting for the test of time.

scholarly journals Creating Machinima (3D) and Real Life Videos in an ESP Classroom

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Anne Ochoa Alpala ◽  
William Ricardo Ortíz García
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Oral Presentation ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
English For Specific Purposes ◽  
Electronic Engineering ◽  
Oral Presentations

This research paper reports on the development of oral presentation skills in a 3D virtual world called Moviestorm machinima, in contrast with real-life videos. In this way, the implementation of both types of videos sought to promote the improvement of oral communication skills, specifically oral presentations in a foreign language, as well as promoting collaborative work. The study involved 60 students from different semesters of a private Colombian university from the schools of electronic engineering, computer science, and law, focusing on English for specific purposes. The results showed how students from different faculties worked collaboratively to achieve one goal: improve their oral presentation skills.

scholarly journals STUDENT TEACHERS’ OPINIONS ABOUT USING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS AND TASKS FOR ACQUIRING ESTONIAN CULTURAL HISTORY

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristel Ruutmets ◽  
◽  
Evi Saluveer ◽  
Mari Niitra
Keyword(s):  
Student Teachers ◽  
Cultural History ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
First Year ◽  
Authentic Materials ◽  
First Year Students

According to the Estonian National Curriculum for Basic Schools (2011), students should value their cultural heritage. Therefore, schools should do everything to develop students’ cultural awareness and knowledge. Despite the importance of the topic the curriculum does not specify how and where it should be taught and does not say which material to use. One possibility to address the problem is to use authentic materials and tasks. The latter offer numerous ways to learn about one’s cultural history, and help to create a bridge between the classroom and real life. Authentic materials are not specifically created for pedagogic purposes while authentic tasks require students to learn, practise and evaluate material the same way as they would do in real life. The focus of the use authentic materials has so far been mostly on foreign language teaching and learning. However, they have a huge potential in acquiring cultural knowledge as they offer both current and historical information. The aim of the study was to find out future primary school teachers’ opinions about the authentic materials and tasks used during the course “The Child in Estonian Cultural History”. 25 first-year students who attended the course participated in the study. The data was collected from the students’ written reflection and analysed qualitatively. The results revealed that the students understood the relevance of authentic materials and tasks in acquiring and appreciating one’s cultural history. They believed that authentic materials and tasks enrich the teaching and learning process, and help to make connections to their everyday life. It also became evident that the students needed better instructions of how to find appropriate authentic materials and exploit them effectively in their future teaching career.

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