Integrating STEAM Projects and Intelligent Tutoring Systems into ESP Courses for Developing Professional Communicative Competence
Abstract
In this study, the parameters are estimated for the purpose of examining whether intelligent tutoring systems can act as a moderator and facilitator for the development of professional communicative competence. This paper aims to study the role in enhancing of STEAM-based learning activities and to assess the impact of intelligent tutoring systems on these outcomes. The main motivation behind the conduction of such a study is twofold: on the one hand, it should serve as a guide to educators through enabling them to opt for the most appropriate tools useful for improving the learning process and, on the other hand, to highlight the learners’ professional communication needs. Our analysis is carried out on a sample of undergraduate ESP students over the period 2018–2023 to find out how project-based learning, collaborative activities, digital platforms, adaptive feedback systems, assessment methods, or learning environments, and instructional strategies are related to the development of professional communicative competence by separately tracking their learning outcomes. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process and the Heckman Selection Model (HSM), the results show that the integration process in intelligent tutoring systems appears to have greater positive effects on the learning outcomes than the traditional approach and this finding is robust to alternative measures of performance. Our results reveal that instructional design is far more important than technological infrastructure for learning effectiveness, which is mainly attributed to managers' pedagogical and organizational skills.