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Final Project: Describing Communication Technologies

Made with Visme Infographic Maker

Below is a link where you can access my infographic poster on Chatbots and Language Learning.

https://my.visme.co/view/n04xqn9z-didy-etec-540-final-project

References

Huang, W., Hew, K. F., & Fryer, L. K. (2021). Chatbots for language learning–Are they really useful? A systematic review of chatbot‐supported language learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 38(1), 237–257. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12610

Kim, N.-Y., Cha, Y., & Kim, H.-S. (2019). Future English learning: Chatbots and artificial intelligence. Multimedia-Assisted Language Learning, 22(3), 32-53. https://doi.org/10.15702/mall.2019.22.3.32

Mohamed, S. S. A., & Alian, E. M. I. (2023). Students’ attitudes towards using chatbot in EFL learning. Arab World English Journal, 14(3), 15-27. https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol14no3.2

Xiao, Y., & Zhi, Y. (2023). An exploratory study of EFL learners’ use of ChaTGPT for language learning tasks: Experience and Perceptions. Languages, 8(3), 212. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8030212

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Linking Task 11: Detain/Release

My Task 11 and Task 11 by Garth von Buchholz

For Task 11, both Garth and I decided to do the Detain/Release simulation.

We were both able to complete the simulation without going over jail capacity or fully filling up our fear meter; however, both of my meters were less filled up by the end of the simulation compared to Garth’s.  Even though the two of us were influenced by the AI risk assessments and paid little to no attention to the defendants’ race, it is interesting to see how different our end results were for the simulation.

In order to keep track of the defendants, Garth decided to take screenshots throughout Detain/Release. This allowed him to reflect on his rulings and possibly make fairer decisions. Looking back, I believe I may have also benefited from keeping track of the defendants’ information throughout the simulation. There were times where defendants I had released would appear in the newspaper headlines because they did not show up to trial, or because they committed another crime, and I could not recall why I had released them in the first place. Did I release them because they had two or three low risk assessments? Or because I thought the crime they were being charged for was not serious enough for detainment? Did their personal statements have an effect on my ruling? A record of the defendants could have provided the answers to these questions.

Overall, Garth and I had similar experiences with the Detain/Release simulation, and I am interested to see the final results of our class!

References

Huang, D. (2023, November 19). Task 11: Detain/Release — Didy’s Webspace. https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec540ddhng/2023/11/19/task-11-detain-release/

von Buchholz, G. (2023, November 18). Task 11: (Option 1) Detain/Release | ConText | Garth von Buchholz. https://blogs.ubc.ca/garthvb/2023/11/18/task-11-option-1-detain-release/

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Linking Task 10: Attention Economy

My Task 10 and Task 10 by Clarisse Yeh

Clarisse and I had very different experiences with Task 10 when it came to completion time, how we analyzed User Inyerface and our feelings and thoughts towards the online game.

First, there was a big difference in how much time it took us to complete the game: around 20 minutes for Clarisse and around 4 minutes for me. I may have had an easier time with User Inyerface because of my past experiences with badly designed websites (read about my explanation of Japanese website design in my post). However, while I did have previous encounters with invasive and distracting websites, I still shared the same feelings of frustration that Clarisse felt during User Inyerface.

Our analysis of the online game also differed in that Clarisse grouped the frustrating points of User Inyerface using the dark patterns explained in the Brignull (2011) article. I instead decided to analyze the online game by first listing the distractions that caused frustration and then the UI features that caused frustration without any direct mention of dark patterns.

Finally, Clarisse mentioned the sketchiness of User Inyerface and how the design and contents–the buttons and questions–felt unsafe, giving her the impression that her laptop could be infected by a virus as a result of the webpage (Yeh, 2023). In contrast, while I did find User Inyerface to be frustrating at times, I quite enjoyed the experience, going through the game and chuckling at its absurdity and how far it tried to push the patience of the player!

References

Brignull, H. (2011, November 1). Dark Patterns: Deception vs. Honesty in UI Design. A List Apart. https://alistapart.com/article/dark-patterns-deception-vs-honesty-in-ui-design/

Huang, D. (2023, November 12). Task 10: Attention Economy — Didy’s Webspace. https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec540ddhng/2023/11/12/task-10-attention-economy/

Yeh, C. (2023, October 29). Task 10: Attention Economy | Clarisse’s etec 540 blog. https://blogs.ubc.ca/clarissesetec540blog/2023/10/29/task-10-attention-economy/

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Task 12: Speculative Futures

Describe or narrate a scenario about a document found a century into a future in which society as we know it has come apart. Your description should address issues related to disease and elicit feelings of anger.

Click the YouTube video for audio, and read the letter below.

References

[Deleted]. (2020, March 22). Mini deck review! Zombie Tarot by GAR Productions. The cards have Zombie/1950 artwork. card stock is thick. The pentacles are hazards. Only $17! A fun deck if you’re into zombies. The book is very informative and also has 1950/Zombie vibe. Backs aren’t good for reverse reading. 7/10 [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/tarot/comments/fmk7vt/mini_deck_review_zombie_tarot_by_gar_productions/

Lab, S. (n.d.). The Thing From The Future. Situation Lab. https://situationlab.org/project/the-thing-from-the-future/

Survival Channel. (2021, September 5). Post apocalypse music vol.1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUoHI2gDf7k

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Task 11: Detain/Release

I decided to do Option 1, the Detain/Release simulation, for Task 11.

At the beginning of the simulation, I spent a lot more time carefully reading the charges for each defendant and their statements, but later on relied a lot more on the low/medium/high risk assessment when deciding whether or not to detain or release the defendant. Towards the end of the simulation, I found myself almost mindlessly selecting “detain” when I saw yellow for medium and red for high when it came to the defendants’ risk assessment in terms of committing a crime and violence. When defendants I released appeared in the newspaper headlines, I became more cautious again with my rulings. I also felt some pressure to release more defendants and be more lax with my rulings when I noticed the jail capacity bar filling up.

While I avoided looking at the blurred faces, the ages, and the sex of the defendants to ensure that I would not be biased in any way when making my decisions, I ended up being more careful with my rulings for defendants that had statements concerning family compared to those that had statements about housing or work; however, for defendants that committing assault or more violent crimes, I detained them regardless of their personal statements.

The most terrifying thing I noticed from doing the Detain/Release simulation is the fact that it almost felt like a game to me, where I felt pressured to keep jail capacity and fear low and at times relied too much on the risk assessment. As Porcaro (2019) stated, “the mere presence of a risk assessment tool can reframe a judge’s decision-making process”, which is definitely what happened when I was doing this simulation. I am also terrified by the thought of real-world judges in pretrial hearings potentially being influenced by these AI risk assessments without realizing they are. Are we relying too much on technology, to an extent where our humanity is being compromised?

References

Detain/Release. (n.d.). https://detainrelease.com/

Porcaro, K. (2019, January 9). Detain/Release: simulating algorithmic risk assessments at pretrial. Medium. https://medium.com/berkman-klein-center/detain-release-simulating-algorithmic-risk-assessments-at-pretrial-375270657819

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