=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-3046/paper3-well4sd
|storemode=property
|title=Improving the quality of students’ vocabulary knowledge through the calm application on the samsung galaxy watch
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3046/well4sd_paper_7.pdf
|volume=Vol-3046
|authors=Natalia Marakhovska
}}
==Improving the quality of students’ vocabulary knowledge through the calm application on the samsung galaxy watch==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3046/well4sd_paper_7.pdf
Improving the Quality of Students’ Vocabulary Knowledge
through the Calm Application on the Samsung Galaxy Watch
Natalia Marakhovskaa
a
Mariupol State University, 129 a Budivelnykiv Ave., Mariupol, 87500, Ukraine
Abstract
The study describes the implementation of the pedagogical model for promoting students’
vocabulary knowledge acquisition in English as a foreign language through the Calm sleep
and meditation content on the Samsung Galaxy watch. The pedagogical experiment was
based on Relaxation Action Learning according to which the research participants, University
majors in the Humanities (History, Journalism and Philology), learned new vocabulary on a
certain topic by listening to the Calm Sleep Stories (Relaxation Phases) and practising
vocabulary use in various language and communication activities (Action Phases). Providing
the acquisition of the learning material in a state of relaxation, and rotating the relaxation and
action phases ensured maximizing students’ thinking potential and involving all channels of
information perception. The results obtained demonstrate the effectiveness of the designed
model for teaching foreign language vocabulary.
Keywords 1
Quality of Vocabulary Knowledge, Relaxation Action Learning, Sleep and Meditation
Content
1. Introduction
Emergence and development of new technologies contributes to expanding intellectual potential of
society, promoting the progress in scientific, industrial and educational activities of its members, and
providing them with access to credible information sources. However, technology moves faster than
societal and institutional capacities required for its effective implementation. Moreover, there are
some concerns about adopting technology in education as it “lags behind in tech replenishment,
holding on to hardware the longest of any sector surveyed” [9]. It is stated that while “ubiquitous
computing is common in work environment”, it is “often not even recognized upon entering the
educational realm” [2, p. 235]. At the same time it is stressed that higher education institutions
prepare students “for a labour market that is undeniably moving towards the use of emerging
technologies” and therefore the graduates are required to develop “the literacies, skillsets and
mindsets” in order to succeed in a technology-driven world [4, p. 2].
Wearable technologies and the appropriateness of their implementation in education present
special research interest, though still remain insufficiently explored, in particular the problem of
accessing and using their content for educational purposes, inter alia, to increase the quality of
linguistic knowledge by interacting with smart-watch applications.
The research is aimed to describe the implementation of the pedagogical model for promoting
student’s vocabulary acquisition through the Calm sleep and meditation content available on
Galaxy wearables, in particular the Samsung Galaxy watch.
Joint Proccedings of Workshops IMNE 2020 and WELL4SD, September 14–18, 2020, Heidelberg, GER
EMAIL: n_marakhovska@ukr.net
ORCID: 0000-0002-5149-4579
© 2020 Copyright for this paper by its authors.
Use permitted under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
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2. Purpose of the study, research hypothesis and questions
It is hypothesized that the quality of students’ vocabulary knowledge will improve by providing
Relaxation Action Learning with the help of the Calm Sleep Stories.
The study therefore addresses the following research questions:
1. How does the role of smart-watches expand beyond supporting health and wellness?
2. How can the quality of vocabulary knowledge be improved as a result of rotating the
relaxation and action phases of the learning process?
3. How can the meditation and sleep content available on smart-watches facilitate perceiving,
memorising and further use of new vocabulary?
3. Research methodology
3.1. Sample
The research was carried out in Mariupol State University (MSU), Ukraine. 25 students from
different degree programmes in the Humanities, i.e. 9 History and Archeology majors, 8 Journalism
majors, and 8 Greek Language and Literature majors formed three groups of research participants.
The pedagogical experiment was conducted in the process of learning English as a foreign language.
In our study we used the comparative pedagogical experiment when there is no control group but
several experimental ones. The model was implemented in all three groups which served as points of
comparison for one another. The experimental programme as part of the MSU quarantine curriculum
lasted for four weeks in the process of distance learning.
3.2. Instruments and procedure
Firstly, based on Ensmann’s research [2] the preliminary questionnaire was designed in order to
determine the students’ most common intents for wearing the Samsung Galaxy watch and using the
Calm application. The respondents were asked to identify the purposes of using the smart-watch in
general and the above-mentioned application in particular.
Secondly, modelling was used as a “method of cognitive activity that enables to adequately and
holistically reflect in model representations the essence, the most important qualities and components
of the process, to obtain information about its past, current and future state, possibilities and
conditions for its construction, operation and development” [8, p. 11]. The pedagogical model has
been designed for promoting students’ vocabulary acquisition through the Calm Application on the
Samsung Galaxy watch.
Thirdly, assessment testing and creative writing were used to measure the quality of students’
vocabulary knowledge. Rybalko determined completeness and flexibility as the indicators of the
quality of knowledge, and developed the relevant measurement method. Based on her research [7]
knowledge completeness and flexibility were measured in accordance with the following formulas:
N1
CKC = £ 1, (1)
N0
where CKC is the coefficient of knowledge completeness in a students’ group,
N1 is the number of students who completed all testing tasks correctly,
N0 is the number of students who took the test.
N1
CKF = £ 1, (2)
N0
where CKF is the coefficient of knowledge flexibility in a students’ group,
N1 is the number of students who managed to independently transfer the acquired knowledge to a
new context,
N0 is the number of students who tried to transfer the acquired knowledge to a new context both
independently and under the teachers’ guidance.
4. Organizing and conducting the pedagogical experiment
The students’ questionnaire responses enabled to identify the uses of the smart-watch. Hence, the
majority of respondents (14 students, 82,35 %) prioritised physical intents (encouraging activity and
tracking weight by monitoring exercise intensity, measuring food and water intake, calculating
calories burned; collecting health data and controlling chronic diseases). 12 students (70,59%)
mentioned social and spatial intents (interacting with others by making and answering calls, sending
and receiving text messages and emails without using a smartphone). The Calm application was used
by 15 students (88,24 %) for emotional intents (managing and reducing stress, achieving relaxation,
improving mood by employing the meditation content), by 5 students (29,41%) for physical intents
(improving sleep and preventing insomnia by employing both the meditation content and sleep
stories), and by 2 students (11,76%) for mental intents (improving concentration by listening to
meditation music and sounds).
The experimental pedagogical model for promoting students’ vocabulary acquisition was built
upon the foundations of the Relaxation Action Learning (REAL) introduced by Maslova [6] and
further developed in East European education science. In the REAL the relaxation phase
(accumulation of information) is rotated with the action phase (information analysis and structuring).
The material for vocabulary acquisition on the topic “Describing Places” was comprised of the
following eight Calm Sleep Stories: Ancient Paths of Anatolia, Colombia’s Lost City, The Crown of
the Places, A Cruise on the Nile, Exploring Easter Island, Once upon a Time in Bavaria, The Myth of
Atlantis and The Temples of Shodoshina. In defining criteria for selecting active vocabulary we relied
on the work of Gersten and Baker who recommend that the words “convey key concepts, are of high
utility, are relevant to the bulk of the content being learned, and have meaning in the lives of students”
[3, p. 62].
It is worth noting that besides vocabulary acquisition the scholars enumerate other benefits of
using audio narrations through story applications: pre-empting pronunciation problems, fostering
reading motivation and contributing to reading strategies development [1].
The process of vocabulary knowledge acquisition was divided into four phases according to the
REAL design:
1. The sensorimotor phase was aimed at presenting the information by introducing the new
learning material on the basis of the Calm Sleep Stories. The knowledge acquisition took place in a
state of relaxation by constructing mental images.
2. The symbolic phase involved perception of information by activating various centres of the
brain and through the transition from the mental images to their verbal description and graphic
visualization; creating visual and motor connections between the acquired information and individual
images.
3. The logical phase implied information processing and developing awareness through logical
comprehension and creation of logical connections between the acquired information and individual
images.
4. The linguistic phase was devoted to accommodating the information, creative use of mental
images in communication practice.
The following Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden. gives a summary of the
phased model implementation in the process of distance learning.
Table 1
Rotation of relaxation and action phases in vocabulary acquisition
Components of Phase 1 – Phase 2 – Phase 3 – Phase 4 –
the learning relaxation action relaxation action
process
Goal presentation of perception of information accommodation
information information by processing of information
activating various through logical
centres of the comprehension
brain
Learning listening and mental image focused using vocabulary
techniques visualization drawing and listening in various
discussion language and
communication
activities
Type of distance asynchronous synchronous asynchronous synchronous
learning and
Students ’ actions listening to a sleep sharing their listening to the asynchronous
story through the impressions via sleep story for completing oral
Calm app on the online the second time, and written
smart-watch, communication identifying key tasks
individual points and ideas
constructing of
mental images
related to the text
vocabulary
Teacher’s actions giving encouraging setting focus setting post-
recommendations students to speak points for listening tasks,
to students how up and share their listening engaging
to achieve psycho- personal students into
physical balance, experiences: language and
encourage them What picture did communication
to listen to a you see? practice
particular sleep Is this a real
story and create picture from your
mental images experience /
fantasy world?
Describe it. What
colours were
there?
movements?
smells? What did
you like?
At the end of the pedagogical experiment with the help of the online assessment testing the
completeness of students’ vocabulary knowledge was measured in all experimental groups.
In addition, the students were engaged in creative writing to describe a real and fictional place in
order to measure flexibility of their vocabulary knowledge. The results obtained were compared with
those before the experiment and are illustrated in the Tables 2-3.
Table 2
Results of the vocabulary knowledge acquisition in experimental group 1 (History and Archeology
Majors)
Indicators of the quality of Before the experiment After the experiment
vocabulary knowledge
acquisition
completeness 0,56 0,89
flexibility 0,44 0,67
Table 3
Results of the vocabulary knowledge acquisition in experimental group 2 (Journalism Majors)
Indicators of the quality of Before the experiment After the experiment
vocabulary knowledge
acquisition
completeness 0,38 0,75
flexibility 0,25 0,63
Table 4
Results of the vocabulary knowledge acquisition in experimental group 3 (Greek Language and
Literature Majors)
Indicators of the quality of Before the experiment After the experiment
vocabulary knowledge
acquisition
completeness 0,5 0,87
flexibility 0,38 0,87
It should be said that the positive changes occurred in all three experimental groups, however, they
were more obvious in the group of Philology majors. It means that taking courses in Linguistics and
Literature enabled students to be more prepared for the modes of narration used in the Calm Sleep
Stories; prone to create mental images of the learning material and transfer the acquired knowledge to
their own creative writing.
5. Discussion and conclusion
The study expanded students’ awareness of the role of wearable technologies, in particular as
means for facilitating the learning process and enhancing the education quality. In Ensmann’s
research students were “directed to use wearables to intentionally set goals, monitor health and
wellness” and, as a result, they improved their classroom performance [2, p. 244]. By analogy, it was
confirmed that the use of relaxation exercise and positive affirmation enhanced students’
performance, especially that of the low ability students [10]. Similarly, it was stressed that “relaxation
training increases working memory capacity and its components, storage and processing, and
academic achievement” [5, p. 608].
In an attempt to ensure the quality of vocabulary knowledge acquisition, the introduction of new
learning material took place in the process of relaxation. The latter as a psychophysical process is
aimed at stress reduction, and therefore provides optimal physical, mental and emotional well-being at
the most important moment of learning. The rotation of the relaxation and action learning phases
stimulated students’ thinking and involvement of all the channels of information perception in the
learning process. The results of the pedagogical experiment enable to enhance the existing rationale
for using wearable technologies in education, in particular for vocabulary knowledge acquisition and
provision of knowledge completeness and flexibility as the indicators of the knowledge quality.
However, there were some research limitations. Thus, a relatively small number of participants
were engaged into the research project. It is due to the fact that the Samsung Galaxy watch is still not
affordable for many students, especially for low and middle-income ones. Besides, the designed
model needs to be implemented for students of other majors, for example non-humanities ones, in
order to prove its overall effectiveness for vocabulary knowledge acquisition in learning English as a
foreign language.
6. References
[1] S. Brunsmeier, A. Kolb, Story apps: The challenge of interactivity, in: J. Bland (Ed.), Using
literature in English language education: Challenging reading for 8-18 year olds, Bloomsbury
Academic, London, 2018, pp. 105-120.
[2] S. Ensmann, The effects of wearables on performance in education: serving the whole student
with directed attention on health and wellness, in: B. Hokanson, G. Clinton, A. Tawfik,
A. Grincewicz, M. Schmidt, (Eds.), Educational technology beyond content: a new focus for
learning, Springer, Cham, 2020, pp. 233-248.
[3] R. Gersten, S. Baker, The professional knowledge base on instructional practices that support
cognitive growth for English-language learners, in:
R. M. Gersten, E. P. Schiller, S. Vaughn, Contemporary special education research: Syntheses of
the knowledge base on critical instructional issues, Routledge, New York, NY, 2000.
[4] A. Kamp, Science and Technology Education for 21st Century Europe, CESAER, LEUVEN,
2019.
[5] R. Kargar, F. Kargar, K. Choreishi, B. Ajilchi Monir, S. Noohi, Effect of relaxation training on
Working Memory Capacity and Academic Achievement in Adolescents, Procedia - Social and
Behavioral Sciences, volume 82, 2014, pp. 608-613. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.06.318.
[6] N. Maslova, N. Antonenko, M. Ul'janova, Bioadekvatnaja metodika prepodavanija [Bio-
adequate teaching methodology], Centr RAEN “Planeta Sem'-Ja”, Moscow, 2008. [in Russian].
[7] L. Rybalko, Metodoloho-teoretychni zasady profesiino-pedahohichnoi
samorealizatsii maibutnoho vchytelia (akmeolohichnyi aspekt) [Methodological and theoretical
foundations of teacher trainee’s professional pedagogical self-realization (acmeological aspect)],
ZdMu, Zaporizhzhia, 2007. [in Ukrainian]
[8] O. Stoliarenko, O. Stoliarenko, Modeliuvannia pedahohichnoi diialnosti u pidhotovtsi fakhivtsia
[Modelling of education practice in teacher training], Nilan-LTD, Vinnytsia, 2015. [in
Ukrainian]
[9] Teaching tech; education lagging behind in replenishment, Education Executive, 2018. URL:
https://edexec.co.uk/teaching-tech-education-lagging-behind-in-replenishment/
[10] M. Yusoff, B. Du Boulay, Can relaxation exercises improve learning? Artificial intelligence in
education: building learning systems that care: from knowledge representation to affective
modeling, in: Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on artificial intelligence in
education, AIED, Brighton, 2009. doi: 10.3233/978-1-60750-028-5-623.