Meeting Notes - 2014, March 04

Attendees: Amarvir, Andreas, Inge, Oindrila, Samikshan

Main Topic: Planning of Application Scopes and Integration in this page: Project Proposal
we only discuss applications for people of age >= 12
only discuss language learning applications

A: Language Learner has to learn:

Characters
- simple, if target language uses same alphabet
- more difficult, if new characters are used (e.g., English learner learns Swedish with å, ä, ö) or more accents (French or Spanish)
- much harder, if completely different script systems (Asian languages compared to European and the other way around) are needed
Words most fundamental knowledge of a language:
- learn to read the words
- learn to understand spoken words
Grammar
- how to put the words together to create meaning
- (currently no application present for this at KDE Edu)
Pronounciation
- how to pronounce single words
- how to pronounce complex phrases

B: Applications in KDE Edu for this:

Currently the following language learning applications are available in KDE Edu with a scope of learners of age at least 12.

~~KLettres (only for kids, in current state not in focus)~~, Kiten (mostly dictionary and writing howto)
Parley, KWordQuiz
(none)
Artikulate

C: More Details on Application Scopes/Critics:

KLettres

~~mostly for kids learning to read for the first time~~
~~not usable if one wants to study Thai, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese...~~
~~no good experience for adult learners~~

Kiten (Maintainer: ?)

Current Scope:
- only for Japanese
- has drawing howto for every symbol
- (do we have a maintainer?)

Parley (Maintainers: Inge & Amarvir)

Current Scope:
- only usable for training but terminology in many places geared towards testing
- provides a trainer
- main focus is vocabulary training, but also supports a varity of things that can be learned with flash cards
- uses KVTML
Future Scope:
- only vocabulary learning/training [depending on the definition of "vocabulary" and "grammar" /iw]
- provide different methods for learning (flash cards, written practice, multiple choice ...)
- integrated with language properties/grammar (cases, times,forms...)
  - need to be discussed what we count as "grammar"

KWordQuiz (community maintained)

Current Scope:
- very simple vocabulary trainer
- has a simple editor
- is also a general purpose learning application
- tight integration of learning mode and editor
- uses KVTML
Future Scope:
- change it to a general purpose flashcard application
- maybe based on Parley's engine
- future name maybe "KFlashcard"?

Artikulate (Maintainers: Andreas CoLa)

Current Scope:
- pronunciation trainer
- uses own file format
Future Scope:
- utilize common vocabulary file format (KVTML)
- better interaction of native speaker recordings with Parley

D: Goals/Future Directions

global scope
- for the foreseeable future focus on learning of languages
- in a more distant future maybe add a dedicated testing application/testing mode to applications (but workflows and features sets for that must be specified beforehand)
KVTML Editor (to be discussed after KVTML-next discussion)
- Parley provides a quite powerfull editor, Artikulate a simple one (only tailored for its handmade lesson format), KWordQuiz provides a simple editor, Pairs provides a simple editor
- there is an opportunity/interest for a more general purpose editor in the midterm/longterm future
- would require to provide specific editing views, tailored to the different use cases of the individual applications
- there exists a GSoC proposal to create a more advanced editor for large data sets
"Language Learning Lab" (discussed)
- idea of an integrated application á la Kontact where all language apps are combined
- goal: provide easier access to individual applications, support cross-application usage, focus more on the learning goal than on individual applications
- could use simple KParts approach
- to be discussed: is the idea only aggregation or should there be some deeper integration too?
- CoLa creates a draft, to be discussed at another meeting
Flashcard Library:
- learning mechanisms from Parley could be put into a separate library
- would be useful for: Artikulate, flash card learning apps that are not language specific
- this step could be done together with porting to Qt Quick and by this prepare for mobile/touch use
- to be further discussed (and started?) at the next Edu sprint
New File Format (discussed)
- currently we have KVTML
- all of us know shortcomings of that format
- Inge will organize requirement collection
- we will then have another meeting to discuss how to proceed
Character Learning (to be discussed at next sprint)
- Neither Kiten nor KLettres completely cover this learning problem
- we need a direction for this
- might be integrated with flash card learning system
- what about hand writing symbols?
Common terminology in language apps (discussed)
- apps use different words for same things: lessons, units, learning, trainer...
- we want to create a glossary
- goal is to have a common terminology in language learning apps
- CoLa creates wiki page after the meeting (everyone adds the words he/she currently uses)

E: Next Actions

Inge will organize/create list of requirements for a future version of KVTML and coordinate a meeting to discuss it
Inge will look into kwordquiz and research possible future cooperation with Parley
Andreas will draft a proposal for an language learning umbrella application and coordinate a meeting to discuss it
Andreas will create a wiki page with terminology used in Artikulate, the others will add Parley's terminology [DONE (both)]