Browsing by Author "Mendis, R"

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Open Access
Enhancing Pronunciation Proficiency via Listening Practice for Specific information with the help of ELSA Speak: Evidence from Foundation-Level Students at SLIIT City Uni, Sri Lanka
(SLIIT City UNI, 2025-07-08) Thennakoon, P; Marasinghe, A; Sadithma, M; Gunaratne, N; Mendis, R; Nilaweera, I
This study investigates the impact of English Listening skills for specific information (ELSSI) on English pronunciation (EP) among 40 Foundation semester 2 students at SLIIT City Uni. A mixed approach of questionnaires and experimental tests as research instruments, along with the AI tool, ELSA Speak, was applied to this group. Participants received structured, listening-based practice over the past few days by employing the ELSA Speak AI application. The Data were analyzed by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Thematic analysis. Therefore, the results show a statistically significant improvement, based on the means of the inclusive posttests (83.49) being higher than the pretests (77.20), highlighting the effectiveness of targeted listening activities in enhancing pronunciation. The increase in the mean score was discovered after the listening treatments by the researchers. An increase in student scores was observed following the treatment. Positive feedback of the sample demonstrated the above-mentioned points. These results lead to the suggestion that ELSSI can help with the development of oral proficiency, while mobile-assisted language learning tools (ELSA Speak) play a crucial role when focusing on the improvement of oral proficiency, further offering valuable insights for educators and language enthusiasts around the world.
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Invasive Plant Detection and Management Platform
(IEEE, 2020-06-09) Kasthurirathna, D; Lokuge, K; Mendis, R; Galagedara, L; Vijekumar, K
Invasive plants are a threat to natural ecosystems. Sri Lanka's rich biodiversity is severely affected by the uncontrollable spread of this foreign flora. The authorities involved in invasive plant management face various challenges when identifying, monitoring, and as well as forecasting the spread of invasive plants. Another challenge faced by the field members is the difficulty in communication during the eradication process. The proposed solution is a software platform that aims to solve the above problems using mobile and web-based technologies. The mobile application is capable of identifying invasive plants, mapping their geographical location, and off-the-grid communication. The web application provides services to monitor and forecast the potential spread of harmful non-native plant species.