Motivated by the benefits of repeated deliberate practice, we created an interactive exercise system for use in an undergraduate engineering mechanics class that focuses on practicing learned fundamental concepts. These exercises take the form of traditional word problems commonly found in mechanics courses, involving things like selecting and…

SQL compiler error messages are the primary way users receive feedback when they encounter syntax errors or other issues in their SQL queries. Effective error messages can enhance the user experience by providing clear, informative, and actionable feedback. Despite the age of SQL compilers, it still remains largely unclear what contributes to an…

An online peer-assessment system typically allows students to give textual feedback to their peers, with the goal of helping the peers improve their work. The amount of help that students receive is highly dependent on the quality of the reviews. Previous studies have investigated using machine learning to detect characteristics of reviews (e.g.,…

Collaborative writing is acknowledged as one of the most beneficial writing exercises for improving writing skills. This study aimed to look at the errors of online collaborative writing using Google Docs and face-to-face collaborative writing, as well as to find out how satisfied students were with both modes. Purposive sampling was used to pick…

This study investigated the effects of Facebook and Twitter on foreign language (Chinese) learners' written production in both short- (10 days) and long-term (50 days) pseudo-experimental settings. Adopting two concepts (i.e. symmetric vs. asymmetric) from matrix theory in social network analysis, we categorized Facebook as a symmetric social…

An asynchronous online discussion forum was created and used to post Arabization homework-assignments consisting of application questions and discussion threads covering the topics taught in class. The instructor gave communicative feedback on the location and types of errors. Errors were color-coded. No correct answers were provided. The…

Communicative competence is the ultimate goal of most learners of a second language and intelligible pronunciation a fundamental part of it. Unfortunately, learners often lack the opportunity to explore how intelligible their speech is for different audiences. Our research investigates whether synchronous-voice computer-mediated communication…