Self-Improvement through Self-Understanding: Model-Based Reflection for Agent Adaptation

Meta-Case-Based Reasoning: Self-Improvement through Self-Understanding. J. William This article examines the use of reflection (an agent's knowledge adaptation of agents that contain TMKL models of themselves.
Table of contents

Reflection, self-awareness and self-healing in OpenORB

One use of confidence scores is setting a threshold for when to act. For example, imagine a specialized authoring tool that monitors what the author is writing and interrupts the author with relevant information if and only if it is extremely confident that it has some information that is relevant. Such an application needs to be very precise and should thus have a very high confidence threshold. In contrast, imagine a more typical search application where a user types in a query in a search box and waits for search results to come back.

In that type of application, users definitely want to see some results, so such a system may be better with a much lower threshold or no threshold at all. A current list of IBM trademarks is. We propose a novel paraphrasing approach based on an entity-relation ER analysis of text. We evaluate the ER approach in a QA setting by adding it to the suite of passage scoring algorithms in IBM Watson, a state-of-the-art question answering system.

We show a statistically significant improvement in the ability of IBM Watson to identify justifying passages. William Murdock Web presentation: Glass, Aditya Kalyanpur, Erik T. This methodology relies heavily on disciplined integration of new and improved components, extensive experimentation at the component and end-to-end system level, and informative error analysis.

To support this methodology, we adopted a formal protocol for integrating components into the overall system and running end-to-end integration tests, assembled a powerful computing environment for running a large volume of high-throughput experiments, and built several tools for deploying experiments and evaluating results. We describe our software development and integration protocol, the DeepQA computing environment for development, and the tools we built and used to create Watson for Jeopardy!.

We also briefly allude to some of the more recent enhancements to these tools and methods as we extend Watson to operate in commercial applications. These features are inspired by the fact that justification of the correct answer out of many candidate answers may be present in multiple passages.

Reflection, self-awareness and self-healing in OpenORB

Our features attempt to combine evidence from multiple passages retrieved for a candidate answer. We present results on two data-sets: In both data-sets, our features are ranked highest in correlation with gold class in the training data and significantly improve the performance of our existing QA system, Watson. Textual evidence gathering and analysis J. In the DeepQA pipeline, we retrieve passages using a novel technique that we call Supporting Evidence Retrieval, in which we perform separate search queries for each candidate answer, in parallel, and include the candidate answer as part of the query.

We then score these passages using an assortment of algorithms that use different aspects and relationships of the terms in the question and passage. We provide evidence that our mechanisms for obtaining and scoring passages have a substantial impact on the ability of our question-answering system to answer questions and judge the confidence of the answers.

Identifying implicit relationships J. A framework for merging and ranking of answers in DeepQA D. One popular approach to answering those questions is to develop recognizers to identify instances of common answer types e. Such a strategy is poorly suited to answering questions from the Jeopardy!

We present an alternative approach to dealing with answer types. We generate candidate answers without regard to type, and for each candidate, we employ a variety of sources and strategies to judge whether the candidate has the desired type. These sources and strategies provide a set of type coercion scores for each candidate answer.

We use these scores to give preference to answers with more evidence of having the right type. William Murdock , and Branimir K. Structure Mapping for Jeopardy! This subcategory deals with the role of reflection on teachers' pedagogical and research practices as key aspects toward which to draw attention in the seminar.

Jabbar affirmed that "within the literature of professionalism, there are certain strategies and tools that an English teacher should adopt to develop his competence and performance. Reflective practice, which is an exploratory process, is one of these strategies" p. In Harmer's view "it is important for [the] teacher to keep a record of what works and what doesn't for the class and for individual students. The transcriptions below illustrate the importance of teachers' reflections in their research process.

This category embraces two subcategories: Enriching cognitive and affective interaction and Humanising teaching practices , two basic components in teaching and learning endeavours. In this respect, we follow Lei's view about the "humanistic approach. Lei also stated that teachers may foster students' interaction, which facilitates students' awareness of their learning process, attention and motivation and, thus, builds "positive affective state" in the classroom.

Enriching cognitive and affective interaction. The seminar provided constant interaction opportunities aimed at reflection and class discussions.


  • .
  • A Faith and Culture Devotional: Daily Reading on Art, Science, and Life;
  • Study #15.

Taniguchi highlighted that affect is "something produced not by using expressions of emotions. Rather, it refers to one's state of emotion produced with the language use in interaction" p. Giving teachers the chance to share experiences and knowledge, have their voices heard, and build knowledge together within a comfortably engaging environment allows for cognitive and affective interaction. This is a more conducive setting for individuals to be more involved in learning and more confident to apply what they theorise if they are exposed to reflection, discussion, and informed action.

Furthermore, affect, motivation, and confidence augment knowledge apprehension.

Reflection, self-awareness and self-healing in OpenORB

Correspondingly, Krashen as cited in Lei, developed the theory of "the Affective Filter Hypothesis," which refers to the role of the filter as regards the amount of input students can deal with and the amount they can actually apprehend. The affective quality relies on motivation, self-assurance, and levels of anxiety, which in Lei's view:. From our view, the "positive affective state", generated in the MD seminar sparked teachers' motivation to become better individuals and professionals. The next instances corroborate the preceding variable.

Lei asserts that humanising our practices may lead to better learning undertakings. The humanising approach pursued by the MD professor is crucial to perform the role of "a facilitator" rather than that of "an instructor" and advocates for equal treat of learners. Tomlinson's insights about potentiating students to learn consciously using the multidimensional approach have shed light on the methodology of the seminar. Based on the assumptions of these two approaches, we have become fully aware that the humanising endeavour of the seminar enhances teachers' learning; augments chances for meaningful experiences in their teaching contexts; and creates affection, which may eventually be replicated in their particular settings through the materials developed for the pedagogical intervention of their research projects.

The excerpts beneath illustrate the aspects discussed above. Reflecting on teachers' personal and professional growth through a materials development seminar raises teachers' awareness of personal and professional growth by enhancing their discipline knowledge, pedagogical practices, and research projects as well as fostering self-confidence, creativity, and self-esteem. Indeed, Richards and Farrell argued the role of reflection in characterising teaching practices and individuals.

Reflection also serves the purpose of creating a reflective learning environment that engages teachers in appropriate and relevant activities, and motivates them to ponder their pedagogical and research practices. The seminar activities helped teachers realise the importance of reflecting to better their classes and materials and facilitate students' learning of the English language. Teachers' reflection strengthened their pedagogical interventions and assisted them in attaining the purposes of their research studies.

Reflection contributes to awaken teachers' positive affect by providing cognitive and affective interaction opportunities, and by humanising teaching practices as essential pillars behind teaching and learning purposes. This boosted teachers' awareness to address their students' wants when developing materials and to start doing research aimed at transforming their educational setting.

In this respect, Lei and Tomlinson highlight the need to humanise pedagogical practices and materials, respectively, which implies teachers fostering classroom interaction through the development and implementation of meaningful materials to favour students' cognitive and emotional engagement as they relate their content and activities to their own lives and immediate context. Reflective practice given in the seminar, the multidimensional approach implemented, the professor's knowledge and expertise in sharpening teachers' insights on a MD rationale, and the rapport and inspiring learning atmosphere promoted teachers' awareness of personal and professional development.

Consequently, several teachers were enabled to perform as novice text developers in a recognised publishing house in Colombia. Teacher development through reflective teaching. Materials for language awareness. Using surveys in language programs. Doing action research in English language teaching: A guide for practitioners. Some conceptual considerations for Colombia]. Folios, 31 , The discipline and practice of qualitative research. Teacher training, development, and decision making: A model of teaching and related strategies for language teacher education.

Relationship between reflective disposition toward teaching and effective teaching. The Journal of Educational Research, 96 5 , Professional development of EFL teachers in Colombia: Between colonial and local practices. From behaviorism to humanism: Incorporating self-direction in learning concepts into the instructional design process. Professional development in EFL classroom: Tasks for in-service language teacher education and development.

The action research reader. EFL teachers' factors and students' affect. US-China Education Review, 4 3 , Qualitative research in education. In search of meaning in learning about teaching.


  • The Original Short Stories of Guy de Maupassant Volume 12.
  • Donna Jo Napoli: Writing with Passion (Studies in Young Adult Literature).
  • Reflection, self-awareness and self-healing in OpenORB.

Journal of teacher education, 53 1 , Creative approaches to writing materials. The language teacher's development. Language Teaching, 38 3 , Small group learning and teaching. Materials and methods in ELT: A teacher's guide 2nd ed. Materials evaluation and design for language teaching. Teachers as researchers in the classroom 2nd ed. Making the most of your textbook.

Services on Demand

Managing the learning process. Enletawa Journal, 1 , The key to fostering effective teaching and learning settings. Key aspects for developing your instructional materials. Towards decision making in the classroom]. Proposal for the research line materials development and didactics Ascribed to the Research Group: Critical Pedagogy and Didactics for Social Transformation. A practical materials development guide for EFL pre-service, novice, and in-service teachers. Departamento de Publicaciones Universidad Externado de Colombia.

What every teacher should know. Reflective teaching in the primary classroom.

Open Concept Modern Tiny House with Elevator Bed

Materials for cultural awareness. Materials development in the Colombian context: Some considerations about its benefits and challenges. HOW, 21 2 Professional development for language teachers. The role of modeling in teacher education programs. Reading Horizons, 31 2 Foreign language teachers and intercultural competence: The foundations of qualitative research. A guide for social science students and researchers pp. Applied multivariate statistics for the social sciences 3rd ed. Affect and the EFL classroom: Language contact in addressing.

Mixed methods sampling a typology with examples. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1 1 , Native speaker norms and international English: ELT Journal, 56 3 , Pilgrims Home, 3 5 , 1.

Using model-based reflection to guide reinforcement learning (2008)

Developing materials to develop yourself. Humanising Language Teaching, 5 4. English language learning materials: The design of reflective tasks for the preparation of student teachers. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, 7 , Training foreign language teachers: An exploration of process and procedure. Qualitative Health Research, 16 4 , Current trends in syllabus design and materials development.


  1. National Contractors Exam Study Guide (McGraw-Hills National Contractors Exam Study Guide).
  2. Baby Lion- 3 sizes!
  3. Regulation Of Behavior: The Self-System And The Social System.
  4. J. William Murdock - Publications.
  5. A Walking Tour of Connellsville, Pennsylvania (Look Up, America!).
  6. Development During Middle Childhood: The Years From Six to Twelve..
  7. !

    8. We would like to thank the editor and the reviewers for their valuable suggestions to improve this article. Please, read the questions of the following survey carefully and select the most appropriate choice to answer with honesty. Thank you for your time. All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

    Services on Demand Article. English pdf Article in xml format Article references How to cite this article Automatic translation Send this article by e-mail. Introduction This qualitative action research study examined how teachers' reflection on the methodology of the materials development MD seminar has shaped their personal and professional growth in the Master's Programme in Education with Emphasis on English Didactics MEED at a private university.

    Theoretical Framework Reflection Reflection guides teachers to self-dialogue and inquiry that lead the decision-making process within teaching-learning contexts. Reflecting is a vital activity for professional and personal development since it leads the teacher to a process of self-recognition of his performance and to a self-evaluation that simultaneously allows him to make changes and implement innovations not only to the methodological approach, but also to the selection and development of meaningfully contextualized materials.

    The Multidimensional Approach The multidimensional approach Tomlinson, framing the MD seminar consists of giving teachers opportunities, in which a number of learning and communication principles interplay, to have them reflect upon their teaching, the materials and their effect on students' learning results. Materials Development Language pedagogy and applied linguistics have recently recognised that MD is a field of study focused on the effect of materials on the teaching-learning process of a foreign language. Research Design We adopted a qualitative, interpretative, and descriptive approach, which on the one hand, according to Sandin , is "a systematic activity guided to the comprehension of educational phenomenon and the transformation of the socio-educational sceneries" p.

    contact information

    Type of Study This action research study is an organized reflective process with the purpose of transforming and alleviating a detected concern in a given context Mills as cited in Mertler, ; Stringer as cited in Mertler, ; Wallace as cited in Donato, that also generates changes that improve teaching performance and reflective practices Burns, Data Gathering Instruments Survey. Instructional Design Our intervention consisted of several reflective activities on the methodology of the MD seminar to see its impact on teachers' personal and professional growth. Data Analysis We used the grounded approach to analyse the data in which "the codes emerge from the data via a process of reading and thinking about the text material" Lichtman, , p.

    Materials development has been an excellent experience for me to grow in my professional field because the class gives the theoretical foundations of MD, tools to improve, feel confident and innovate in my teaching practice by creating materials that take into account students' interests, and complements the pedagogical intervention of my research project.

    It is the starting point to develop materials because the seminar gave us self-confidence and motivation at the moment of being creative during the pedagogical intervention of my research project. Addressing students' needs in contextualised materials raised teachers' awareness of their personal and professional growth, as can be seen in the following excerpt: