芝麻街和IBM开发词汇应用程序

李明娟

摘自： breakingnewsenglish.com

Sesame Workshop （the company behind the hugely successful childrens TV show Sesame Street） and IBM have teamed up to create a revolutionary3 new app for kids to learn vocabulary. They have created the first vocabulary learning app powered by IBMs artificial intelligence software. The app discovers for itself a childs current reading level and vocabulary range， and then uses its algorithms4 to challenge the child with appropriate， new vocabulary to improve the childs skills. It personalizes5 the learning experience for children. As the child continues to use the app， it will make sure that he or she has learned and understood the new words before introducing more and tailored6 vocabulary items.

芝麻街工作室（极其成功的一部儿童电视连续剧《芝麻街》的制作公司）与IBM组队合作开发出一个具有革命性意义的新应用软件，让孩子们用来学习词汇。他们已经创造出了第一个由IBM的人工智能软件提供动力的词汇学习应用软件。这款应用软件能自动测出一个儿童当前的阅读水平和词汇量，然后用自己的算法让他/她学一些（难度）合适的新词，让他/她通过这类挑战来增强各项（语言）技能。这让儿童的学习体验变得很个性化。儿童持续地使用这个应用软件，就能保证在接触到更多的量身定做式的词汇前，他/她已经学会和理解了（之前的）新詞。

IBM says it has just completed a pilot program testing the app. It collected 18，000 multiplechoice assessments7 given to kindergarteners over a twoweek period. The researchers said the results were very promising8. They said some of the words the kids learned are supposed to be learned at a much later age. The children could also use these words in context. Sesame Workshop CEO Jeffrey Dunn said： “We expect to develop the next generation of tailored learning tools...Educational technology like the platform weve created...is a promising new way for learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom， and were excited to explore it further.”

IBM表示该公司已经刚刚完成了一项试点工程来测试这款应用软件。在两个多星期的时间里，收集了18000道选择测试题给幼儿园的小朋友做。研究者们说测试的结果显示这个应用很有前途。他们说孩子们所学的词有些是应该在年龄更大一些的时候才学的。孩子们同样能在语境中使用这些词。芝麻街工作室的执行总裁杰弗里·邓恩表示：“我们期望能开发出下一代的定制学习工具……类似我们创造出的这个平台的教育技术……是一个提供课堂内外学习机会的很有前景的新方式。我们非常兴奋，会继续研究和探索它。”endprint