An adaptive learning platform for practising the writing of Chinese characters on ultra-mobile PCs

Vincent W L Tam and K W Yeung
University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong SAR, China

With the continuous economic growth in China in the past decade, the learning of Chinese has become very important for both Chinese people and foreigners all over the world. Typically, of the four basic skills involved in mastering a language -- reading, writing listening and speaking -- in Chinese, learning to write characters with the correct stroke sequences is often the most difficult part for foreigners, and sometimes even Chinese students, due to the complicated structures and diversity of the characters. In many cases, students are not given sufficient practice due to limited time in class. However, there are several pieces of relevant web-based e-learning software, mainly on desktop computers with Internet access; and with the decreasing price and increasing popularity of portable computing devices, ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs) may provide an e-learning platform with great convenience for students to practise the writing of Chinese characters at their own pace anytime and anywhere.

In this project, we aim to develop an adaptive e-learning platform, namely the iWrite system, for the writing of Chinese characters on UMPCs. To demonstrate the feasibility, we implemented a prototype of the iWrite system using C# and the Microsoft digital ink library for pen-based mobile computing devices. Our prototype of the iWrite system can systematically categorize all the stored Chinese characters in its database according to four basic structures, and it includes Chinese characters with all these structures in all the training exercises. At each step in a training exercise, a template of the selected Chinese character is displayed for the students to follow in the correct stroke sequence using a stylus pen or mouse. After they have finished writing a character, the iWrite system employs some efficient and intelligent heuristics to check whether or not the stroke sequence is correct. In cases where the direction of any stroke or the sequence of strokes is incorrect, an error message is displayed, and students can instantly check on the animation button to display the correct stroke sequence in specific characters through animated GIF files. At the end, each student receives an evaluation report showing the specific structure(s) on which he/she is relatively weak, and the iWrite system can adaptively provide more such structures in the subsequent exercises for the students concerned to work on. A preliminary evaluation gave some encouraging feedback. Further evaluation is planned for December 2009 in which the iWrite system will be available for foreign students for trials in some selected Chinese courses in the University of Hong Kong. Further developments will include the integration into our system of relevant course materials such as e-books or pointers to online databases, and an in-depth study of the pedagogical changes brought about by our integrated system for mobile learning.