PSC: A PROBABILISTIC APPROACH TO WRONG ANSWER EVALUATION IN CAI

Authors

  • Herbert F. W. Stahlke

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.v1i5.17-20

Keywords:

programming, microcomputer, wrong answer processing, wrong answer evaluation, sub-routine, probabilistic spelling check

Abstract

The evaluation of wrong answers in CAI programs for language teaching is the basis for all remedial or review branching, but before an intelligent decision can be made on how to treat the answer, the program must first make sure that the wrong answer is not in fact a typographical error or a reasonable misspelling of the right answer. Techniques that have been proposed for detecting misspellings fall under any of three major criticisms: they permit answers they should not permit, they do not permit answers that they should permit, or they are not practicable on a microcomputer. An alternative is proposed that combines very sensitive letter frequency tables with variables for teacher judgment, an alternative that permits much closer and more accurate assessment of the degree to which the student's answer approximates a correct answer.

References

Bennick, F. D., and C. H. Frye. 1970. PLANIT Language Reference Manual. Santa Monica: System Development Corporation.

Brown, Roger, and David McNeill. 1966. "The Tip of the Tongue Phenomenon." Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior 5: 325-337.

Hockett, Charles. 1955. A Manual of Phonology. Baltimore: Waverly Press, Inc.

Phillips, Robert. 1983. A BASIC Match Routine for CAI. MICRO 57:81-85.

Pusack, James. 1983. "Answer-Processing and Error Correction in Foreign Language CAI." System 11: 53-65.

Shannon, Claude, and Warren Weaver. 1949. The Mathematical Theory of Communication. Urbana: The University of Illinois Press.

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Published

2013-01-14

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Stahlke, H. F. W. (2013). PSC: A PROBABILISTIC APPROACH TO WRONG ANSWER EVALUATION IN CAI. CALICO Journal, 1(5), 17-20. https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.v1i5.17-20

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