STVALL: Hybrid TV for Interactive Language and Content Learning

Abstract

Hybrid television refers to the merging of the Internet and traditional television via a multi-user platform. In this scope, we have developed the STVALL project for the past two-three years on a regional scale (Extremadura TV in Spain). This technology aims to provide an educational platform for interactive and adaptive (individual or group) learning of content and language via the smart television. Our research group has focused on the development of specific activities and challenges (so-called customized training pills) to feed content and information into the authoring tool, which stores and distributes it from its knowledge base. As education experts (language and content teachers / educators), we have labelled this content according to five subject areas (Science and Nature, Literature and Art, Geography and History, Entertainment and Sports, and Language) and four language user levels: Adult (over 12 years of age) / Children (0-12): A1/A2/B1/B2. In addition, the content has been assigned other types of tags for user-related feedback in the authoring tool (e.g., monologic vs. dialogic, narrative vs. instructions, etc). Thus, upon interaction with the program, users build a content and language level profile that the system will store and remember for the next interaction (single- or group-based). Because the users’ profiles may differ significantly, this system has been tested with groups of adults and children so that their specific aims and inclinations as regards content and language learning can be registered and compared. By relying on users’ performance and personal surveys, our team will be able to specify more customized types of activities, some of which require experts’ responses and mediation.