Rianne van den Berghe

Bio: Rianne van den Berghe is an academic researcher from Utrecht University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Social robot & Computer science. The author has an hindex of 5, co-authored 15 publications receiving 248 citations. Previous affiliations of Rianne van den Berghe include Windesheim University of Applied Sciences.

Social Robots for Language Learning: A Review:

Abstract: In recent years, robots have increasingly been implemented as tutors in both first- and second-language education. The field of robot-assisted language learning (RALL) is developing rapidly. Studie...

Guidelines for Designing Social Robots as Second Language Tutors

Abstract: In recent years, it has been suggested that social robots have potential as tutors and educators for both children and adults. While robots have been shown to be effective in teaching knowledge and skill-based topics, we wish to explore how social robots can be used to tutor a second language to young children. As language learning relies on situated, grounded and social learning, in which interaction and repeated practice are central, social robots hold promise as educational tools for supporting second language learning. This paper surveys the developmental psychology of second language learning and suggests an agenda to study how core concepts of second language learning can be taught by a social robot. It suggests guidelines for designing robot tutors based on observations of second language learning in human-human scenarios, various technical aspects and early studies regarding the effectiveness of social robots as second language tutors.

Second language tutoring using social robots: a large-scale study

Abstract: We present a large-scale study of a series of seven lessons designed to help young children learn English vocabulary as a foreign language using a social robot. The experiment was designed to investigate 1) the effectiveness of a social robot teaching children new words over the course of multiple interactions (supported by a tablet), 2) the added benefit of a robot's iconic gestures on word learning and retention, and 3) the effect of learning from a robot tutor accompanied by a tablet versus learning from a tablet application alone. For reasons of transparency, the research questions, hypotheses and methods were preregistered. With a sample size of 194 children, our study was statistically well-powered. Our findings demonstrate that children are able to acquire and retain English vocabulary words taught by a robot tutor to a similar extent as when they are taught by a tablet application. In addition, we found no beneficial effect of a robot's iconic gestures on learning gains.

Effects of exposure to literary narrative fiction: From book smart to street smart?

Abstract: Literary narrative fiction may be particularly effective in enhancing Theory of Mind (ToM), as it requires readers to contemplate author and character intentions in filling the literary ‘gaps’ that have been suggested to characterise this fiction type. The current study investigates direct and cumulative effects of reading literature on ToM using confirmatory Bayesian analyses. Direct effects were assessed by comparing the ToM skills of participants who read texts that were manipulated to differ in the amount of gap filling they required. Cumulative effects were assessed by considering the relationship between lifetime literary fiction exposure and ToM. Results showed no evidence for direct effects of reading literature on ToM. However, lifetime literary fiction exposure was associated with higher ToM, particularly cognitive ToM. Although reading a specific piece of literary fiction may thus not have immediately measurable effects on ToM, lifetime exposure to this fiction type is associated with more advanced ToM.

Use of Robots in Education

Abstract: Social robots are increasingly used in an educational context. Research thus far shows promising results with regard to the effects of social robots in education in various tasks and various pupils. Social robots in the classroom are perceived as motivating, enjoyable, and engaging by the pupils, mostly in primary school. Variations in robots' communicative behaviors have been examined with inconclusive results, such as comparing a robot's prosocial style to a neutral one. Individual differences, for example, in pupils' educational ability levels have thus far hardly been explored. The educational subject of tutoring might make a difference in combination with individual learning needs. Social robots are increasingly employed in assisting children with attention deficits such as in the autism spectrum. Furthermore, this entry addresses related ethical issues that come with introducing robots in the classroom from the perspective of various stakeholders. This new generation of communication tools opens up new horizons for highly relevant media psychological research.

打磨Using Language,倡导新理念

Abstract: 人教版高中英语新课程教材中,语言运用（Using Language）是每个单元必不可少的部分,提供了围绕单元中心话题的听、说、读、写的综合性练习,是单元中心话题的延续和升华.如何设计Using Language部分的教学,使自己的教学模式既不落俗套,又能真正体现新课程标准所倡导的教学理念,正是广大一线英语教师一直努力探索的问题.

Hand and Mind: What Gestures Reveal about Thought

Abstract: Hand and Mind: What Gestures Reveal about Thought. David McNeill. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1992. 416 pp.

Social robots for education: A review

Abstract: Social robots can be used in education as tutors or peer learners. They have been shown to be effective at increasing cognitive and affective outcomes and have achieved outcomes similar to those of human tutoring on restricted tasks. This is largely because of their physical presence, which traditional learning technologies lack. We review the potential of social robots in education, discuss the technical challenges, and consider how the robot's appearance and behavior affect learning outcomes.

Best practices for the human evaluation of automatically generated text

Abstract: Currently, there is little agreement as to how Natural Language Generation (NLG) systems should be evaluated. While there is some agreement regarding automatic metrics, there is a high degree of variation in the way that human evaluation is carried out. This paper provides an overview of how human evaluation is currently conducted, and presents a set of best practices, grounded in the literature. With this paper, we hope to contribute to the quality and consistency of human evaluations in NLG.

Robots That Use Language

Abstract: This article surveys the use of natural language in robotics from a robotics point of view. To use human language, robots must map words to aspects of the physical world, mediated by the robot's se...