Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Enhancing Learner Engagement and Personalisation in AI-Powered Quiz Application through Adaptive Learning, Gamification, and Mobile Optimisation(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alnageeb, Moaz Omar; papazoglou, varvaraThis dissertation investigates the integration of adaptive learning techniques, gamification elements, and mobile optimisation into SkillsDotAI, an AI-powered educational platform that dynamically adjusts question difficulty based on real-time user performance. The research addresses three core questions concerning adaptive learning implementation, gamification’s impact on engagement, and mobile accessibility in educational technology. Thesystem employs a sophisticated architecture built on Node.js/Express.js with PostgreSQL database integration, featuring a multi-stage difficulty adjustment algorithm that adapts question complexity across discrete learning phases. Central to the platform is an AI-powered feedback system utilising Claude 3 Haiku, which provides personalised learning guidance based on comprehensive session data analysis. Gamification elements, including achievement badges, global leaderboards, and progress tracking, are implemented to enhance user motivation and engagement. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted with 100 participants who interacted with both adaptive and competitive learning modes. Results demonstrate strong user recognition of adaptive features, with 77% of participants perceiving intelligent difficulty adjustments. Statistical analysis revealed significant positive correlations between perceived adaptability and overall satisfaction (r = 0.305, p = .002), and between feedback helpfulness and satisfaction (r = 0.577, p ≤ .001). The mobile design approach proved highly successful, with 79% of participants using mobile devices and strong positive correlations between mobile preference and satisfaction (r = 0.348, p ≤ .001). Keycontributions include empirical validation of transparent adaptive learning mechanisms, demonstration of relationships between adaptive features and AI-powered feedback, and practical frameworks for mobile-optimised educational technology development. The research provides evidence that users who recognise adaptive system behaviours report higher satisfaction levels, challenging assumptions about transparent versus hidden adaptation strategies. This work advances the field of AI in education by providing a robust technical framework for adaptive learning implementation, comprehensive evaluation methodologies for complex educational systems, and practical insights for developing engaging, accessible learning platforms16 0Item Restricted Development of a Virtual Reality Environment for Teaching and Learning in Air Accident Investigation(Saudi Digital Library, 2025) Alburaidi, Faisal Othman H; Teschner, TomThis thesis addresses the challenge of effectively training aviation accident investigators by developing a Virtual Reality (VR) environment based on the 2010 Alaska USAF C-17 Globemaster III transport plane crash. Traditional methods, such as reading accident reports and analysing static diagrams, are insufficient for understanding the complex, three-dimensional nature of aviation accidents. The aim of this research was to develop and empirically evaluate a VR model as a complementary educational tool, enhancing investigators' cognitive and procedural understanding through immersive learning. The VR model operates using manufactured data to simulate realistic air accident scenarios, enabling consistent and scalable visualisation for training and analysis purposes. A key feature of the system is its support for structured input via CSV files, allowing the dynamic visualisation of flight behaviours without manual keyframe animation. This design ensures scalability and adaptability, capable of accommodating hundreds of variables efficiently. The model’s capacity for visual inspection, interaction, and contextual immersion highlights its potential as a complementary tool within safety-critical domains, adding cognitive and experiential depth to air accident investigation training. The study adopted a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative and qualitative measures. Quantitatively, 101 participants (67 male, 35 female) across three age groups (18–24, 25–34, 35–44) were exposed to both traditional accident reports and the VR simulation. Gender differences were not statistically significant, though the youngest group (18–24) demonstrated higher adaptability to VR. Statistical analysis showed that VR simulations significantly enhanced comprehension, retention, and recall of 3 accident data by approximately 25–30% compared to traditional methods. The findings highlight that while both educational tools are effective, VR simulations provide additional perceived benefits that extend understanding beyond what is achievable through text-based reports alone. This underscores the potential of integrating VR technology into aviation safety training programmes to complement conventional approaches and provide a more comprehensive, interactive, and scalable learning experience. Keywords: Virtual reality framework; Air Accident investigation report; virtual reality; learning; Interactive learning; Aviation safety27 0Item Restricted The vocabulary growth of EFL learners in Saudi Arabia: The role of individual differences, digital flashcard learning and quiz frequency(the University of Birmingham, 2024-07) Albalawi, Abdullah; Gareth, Carrol; Petra, SchoofsDespite the substantial expansion in vocabulary research since the 1980s (Laufer, 2009; Meara, 2002), we still know very little about how vocabulary develops over time and what factors influence this development (Pellicer-Sánchez, 2019; Webb & Nation, 2017). The first study of the thesis aimed to address this by examining the vocabulary breadth growth of EFL learners over a school semester (12 weeks). It measured the vocabulary growth (meaning recognition and meaning recall) of 141 Saudi intermediate school (aged 15) and secondary school (aged 16) students using the Updated Vocabulary Levels Test (Webb et al., 2017). To explain the expected variation in vocabulary growth, the study examined the role of individual differences focusing on three key factors: out-of-class exposure (e.g., watching TV and playing video games), self-regulation and motivation. The main finding from this study is that vocabulary growth in an EFL context can be low and slow (Nurweni & Read, 1999; Siyanova-Chanturia & Webb, 2016; Webb & Chang, 2012), and after many years of school instruction, students might still not develop a good knowledge of even the highest frequency vocabulary (i.e., the most frequent 1000 word-families). Additionally, out-of-class exposure and motivation were significant predictors of vocabulary learning. The second study aimed to address the low knowledge of high frequency vocabulary found in the first study. Given the limited time of many EFL classes, it employed digital flashcard learning in out-of-class settings and included in-class quizzes to make sure that students genuinely engage with vocabulary learning and potentially benefit from the testing effect (Karpicke & Roediger, 2007). However, it was unclear based on the previous research how frequently quizzes should occur for optimal vocabulary learning. The second study aimed to address this gap by first examining the effect of quizzing (quiz vs. no-quiz) followed by an examination of the effect of quiz frequency (weekly, biweekly and monthly) on vocabulary learning over a school semester (eight weeks). Secondary school students (n = 76, age = 16-17) learned 120 target words using digital flashcards in naturalistic out-of- class settings using their personal devices. The second study had two main findings. First, the groups who received quizzes showed significant vocabulary improvement on the posttest while the group who did not receive quizzes did not make any significant vocabulary gains. This finding suggests that supplementing out-of-class vocabulary learning with in-class quizzes can be an effective vocabulary learning approach. It also suggests that students’ willingness to engage in out-of-class language learning (i.e., extra- curricular learning) should not be taken for granted when there is no source of external motivation (Seibert Hanson & Brown, 2019). Second, there were no significant differences in the learning gains between the three quiz frequency groups (weekly, biweekly and monthly), suggesting that more frequent quizzes do not necessarily lead to more vocabulary learning. The thesis overall makes valuable contributions to both vocabulary theory and practice. The first study enhances our understanding of the nature of vocabulary knowledge by examining vocabulary growth longitudinally while taking into account the role of individual differences. The second study offers practical recommendations to help language learners learn vocabulary more effectively. The two studies combined make important strides in advancing L2 vocabulary learning, instruction and research.35 0