Identifying Questions Written in Thai from Social Media Group Communication
To encourage greater student participation and more efficient instruction, we propose a method for classifying text questions communicated through a social media channel used as an informal complement to academic coursework. Specifically, we implement a s
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Identifying Questions Written in Thai from Social Media Group Communication Chadchadaporn Pukkaew and Kanchana Kanchanasut
Abstract To encourage greater student participation and more efficient instruction, we propose a method for classifying text questions communicated through a social media channel used as an informal complement to academic coursework. Specifically, we implement a system that uses basic regular expressions (BRE) to extract and organize Thai questions posted in class-related Facebook groups. Test data is used to identify the most effective identifiers and to evaluate the system as a whole, in a practical academic context.
Keywords Thai question classification Pattern matching Regular expression Text classification Information retrieval and filtering Facebook group
442.1 Background As described by Nguyen [1] and Pagram and Pagram [2], teachers in Thailand are traditionally respected and considered authoritative. As a result, Thai students may not feel as comfortable asking questions and/or voicing their opinions as western students. Recently, we have found that social networks, used as informal complements to the classroom, present a less forbidding channel of communication between students and teachers. Given the popularity of Facebook among college students, we see a significant opportunity to overcome traditional barriers to course-related communication, via Facebook-style groups and group-supportive C. Pukkaew (&) K. Kanchanasut Asian Institute of Technology, 58 Moo 9, Km. 42, Paholyothin Highway, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand e-mail: [email protected] S. Li et al. (eds.), Frontier and Future Development of Information Technology 3409 in Medicine and Education, Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering 269, DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7618-0_442, Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014
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communication functions. We also see an opportunity for instructors to monitor and address a larger number of student questions than would be possible under traditional communication channels. Formal and systematic use of Facebook in instructional settings remains rare and the potential to strike a more productive balance between fun and serious work in education is relatively unexplored [3, 4]. Students’ primary motive for using Facebook is social presence, including the real-time presence provided by Facebook’s messaging functions [5]. A typical student spends 10–60 min/day using Facebook to keep in touch with friends, even in the face of known risks to privacy and security [4]. In Thailand, Socialbakers [6], May) reported that there are approximately 18 million Facebook users. Of these, the largest age group is 18–24, comprising a total of 6 million, or 33 % of Thai Facebook users, followed by the next largest age group, 25–34. This concentration of young adult users presents a massive opportunity for Facebook as an educational channel, complementing either traditional or distance learning in both formal and informal context
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