Effects and Causes of VR-Supported Interpreting Learning Environment on the Interpretation Classroom Anxiety of Student Interpreter

Interpreting activity is considered a high-anxiety activity due to its immediacy, multitasking, complexity of cognitive processing, and uncertainty of cognitive processing. Research has shown that interpreting anxiety, as the biggest emotional obstacle in the interpreting process, is the main emotional factor that leads to individual differences in interpreting. Students often claim to have fear or anxiety behaviors in interpreting exams, interpreting competitions, and interpreting classes. However, the research on interpreting teaching attaches importance to the cultivation of language knowledge, cultural knowledge, and interpreting skills, and does not pay enough attention to emotional factors such as motivation and anxiety in interpreting learning, which makes it difficult for the cultivated interpreters to meet the requirements of professional practice. In recent years, virtual reality technology (VR) has been gradually applied in the field of foreign language and interpreting teaching for creating a real, interactive and experiential language learning environment. Situated Learning Theory stresses that the fundamental mechanism for learning to take place is for individuals to participate in the real context in which knowledge is generated, and to realize the construction of knowledge through the interaction with the community of practice and the environment. Virtual reality technology can satisfy the needs of language learners for real contexts by providing learners with immersive, imaginative and interactive scenario simulations, and has a certain positive effect on alleviating learning anxiety. Therefore, relying on the virtual simulation course “United Nations Kubuqi International Desert Ecological Science and Technology Innovation International Volunteer Language Service Practical Training System”, this paper adopts a combination of quantitative and qualitative analyses to investigate the interpretation anxiety level of the interpreter trainees and the factors affecting them in the VR situation to help them discover effective responses to interpreter anxiety.

Analysis and Strategy Research on the Mathematics Learning Situation of the Postgraduate Candidates

This study takes the students who intend to study for graduate students as the research object,and makes a questionnaire survey on the mathematics learning situation and learning platform of the postgraduate candidates.Questionnaires were distributed online and offline,and a total of 326 valid questionnaires were collected.Based on 326 questionnaires,this paper analyzes the current learning situation of mathematics in the postgraduate entrance examination and studies the strategies based on the present situation,which points out the direction for the construction of mathematics learning and communication platform based on the needs of postgraduate entrance examination.

On the Context Vein of“Competence”and Its Generating Mecha­nism-based on the Perspective of Situational Learning Theory

“Key competence”has become a hot vocabulary in educational reform in recent years.However,the essential connotation and specific generation mechanism of“competence”as its basic concept are still far from clear,and often controversial due to vague expressions.The rise of the concept of“key competence”undoubtedly originated in the West,but in the context of Chinese,its meaning has changed significantly.By analyzing the origin and evolution of the concept of“competence”in the Western social context and the concept from“quality”to“competence”in the Chinese social context,we can deeply understand the essence of the concept of“competence”and further clarify the specific generation mechanism of“competence”and its relationship with education.Analyzing the formation of competence based on situational learning theory emphasizes the occurrence of competence through participation in situational activities,the development of learning courses and identity consultation,which can provide some inspiration for the formation of competence.

Situated Learning as Legitimate Peripheral Participation

The theory of situated learning as legitimate peripheral participation(LPP)is widely applied in the educational field.But understandings of it are diversified so that quite a lot of these understandings in literature are not in conform to the spirit of the theory.Thus,drawing on literature review,this paper attempts to explicate the theory from three aspects:practical and philosophical base,the central ideas of the theory,and its difference from the cognitive learning theory,aiming to contribute to an easier understanding of it by readers and researchers.

A Situated Learning Practice for Language Teaching Classes： Teaching Spoken English With Authentic Sketches

SL （situated learning） is a term first proposed by Lave and Wenger （1991） as a model of learning in a community of practice. According to Lave and Wenger （1991）, learning should not be viewed as simply the transmission of abstract and decontextualised knowledge from one individual to another, but a social process whereby knowledge is co-constructed. The exposure to spoken language and cultural elements of foreign language is the best way of teaching the language itself rather than grammatical patterns and rules of the language. In this study, we aim to review ＂situational learning approach＂ in context with its role and efficiency of teaching spoken language. An experimental study was conducted on the university students in the preparatory classes at the School of Tourism of Erzincan University. Twelve male and 11 female students in the control group and 14 male and 10 female students in the experimental group took part in the research. The language levels of the students were determined by a language proficiency test which is used as pre-test of the study. Language proficiency test composed of mainly dialogues including spoken language patterns. After eight weeks of lectures with authentic sketches which were used as reading materials in experimental group and classical reading materials in control group, the students were given the same language proficiency test as post-test. When pre- and post-test results were evaluated, significant difference was found between the pre- and post-test results of the subjects on behalf of the students in the experimental group. It is concluded that spoken language can be achieved by authentic sketches which are designed to serve as a situated learning setting.

Conducting the Task-based Approach With Context Aware Mobile Situated Learning on Learning English for College Students＇ Learning Performance

Learning English with specific purpose （ESP） initiatives domain knowledge and language ability with English learning to meet future job demands （Leroux ＆ Lafleur, 1995; Khan ＆ Khan, 2015）. In the information age, the innovative technologies of mobile devices make the dramatical changes in ways of teaching and learning （Atkinson, 2011; Bierstaker, Janvrin ＆ Lowe, 2014, Pittaway, 2012; Yang ＆ Che, 2015）. The focus of this study aims to examine ESP college students＇ English learning performance by using Context Aware Mobile Situated Learning （CAMSL） in Tourism and Hospitality Management field and other majors. The mixed research method is conducted for data collection and analysis. The quantitative data are collected by examining students＇ learning performance; the qualitative data are allowed to understand the students＇ perspective toward their role in using the CAMSL with Tourism related content. Eight-three students are randomly selected and divided into two groups： 42 students are assigned in the experimental group A （CAMSL）, and 41 students are assigned in control group. Two groups of students receive pretest and posttest to examine their English performance. Besides, twenty students from group A and B are selected for online survey. The survey is mailed directly to students＇ email account. Results represented by using CAMSL show the significant improvement on students＇ learning performance. In addition, the survey data indicate the benefits of using the CAMSL help students enhance their academic discourse, develop their learned knowledge to represent their profession, use English properly to speak themselves up, and provide the effectiveness of obtain domain knowledge in future workplace.

How Project-Based Organizations Cultivate Learning in Projects: A Social-Constructivist Perspective

A growing number of studies are now emphasizing the critical importance of learning and knowledge accumulation for firm-level competitiveness. Despite the growing awareness, relatively fewer project-based firms have institutionalized mechanisms to systematically capture new project knowledge and re-use it to improve the execution of subsequent projects. The peculiarity of projects presents unique challenges that make the cognitive approach to learning difficult to implement. As such, researchers are recommending the social constructivist perspective of learning as the most viable strategy for cultivating learning within and across projects. However, scant work has been undertaken from this sociological perspective to analyze how temporary organizations manage knowledge arising from and relating to projects. From this standpoint, the aim of this paper is to discuss the learning mechanisms of construction firms. The study adopted a quantitative strategy by employing a questionnaire survey into the learning practices of construction projects in Ghana. Drawing on preliminary findings from the literature, the study proposes a model for cultivating learning within projects from the social constructivist viewpoint. In the model, project management practitioners can purposefully nurture or structure a project learning activity through four mechanisms viz.: institutionalization, externalization, socialization and internalization. The proposed model is subsequently validated in an empirical study into the learning practices during the implementation of construction projects in Ghana. Based on the empirical results, it seems that knowledge sharing and transfers through the four aforementioned learning mechanisms proposed by the model are highly regarded within project management practice in Ghana.

Dialogue with Worldwide Literacy Classroom:From the Perspectives of Situated Learning Method in China

Situated learning method in western educational culture holds that effective education requires learning that is embedded in authentic contexts of practice,wherein students engage in increasingly more complex tasks within social communities.One of the Chinese situated learing methods,hich had been proposed and practiced by Li has high similarities with counterpartners on knowledge acquisition.In this essay,the researcher compared the situated learning method in west and its development in China based on Li’s exploration,contrasting participatory and acquisitive learning models as they apply in classroom settings.The dialogue indicates that no matter in west and in Chinese classroom,situated learning is one of effective methods.This study emphysizes the fact that teacher acts as a provider,facilitator,and mediator of knowledge;students are able to learn from that knowledge and practice it in group activities.In turn,students arrive at a new level of knowledge and understanding based on their experience as a real practitioner in the group or community.The different norms and values attached to participation and acquisition complement one another,and either one alone would be insufficient.The researcher then assess Chinese literacy education in Li’s situated learning methods.It suggests that a blend of participatory and acquisitive learning models may be the most effective approach to classroom instruction.

Implications of exergaming for the physical education curriculum in the 21st century

Exergaming provides an initial situationally interesting environment in physical education （PE） that serves to motivate novice players to engage in PE or physical activity. Current research suggests, however, that as students persist in this activity their situational interest decreases as their ability to exercise consistently at moderate intensity levels increases. In this article I will briefly review the literature citing benefits of exergaming and the role of exergaming in contemporary PE curricula before turning to the question of the place of exergaming in a learning- oriented approach to PE. I will suggest that exergaming, when taught within a situated learning framework, can contribute to student under- standing of the effects of exercise on their bodies and may produce meaningful lessons to assist students to create, monitor, and adapt a fitness plan to participate in life long exercise using a variety of physical activities. Copyright O 2013, Shanghai University of Sport. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Situated Learning of a Behavior-Based Mobile Robot Path Planner

In this paper, we propose a behaviorbased path planner that can self learn in anunknown environment. A situated learning algorithm is designed which allows therobot to learn to coordinate several concurrent behaviors and improve its performanceby interacting with the environmellt. Behaviors are implemented using CMAC neuralnetworks. A simulation environment is set up and some simulation experiments arecarried out to rest our learning algorithm.