TEACHING AND RESEARCHING COMPUTED-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING

BY KEN BEATTY

Section III “Researching CALL”

Chapter 10: Research

“Why use computers?”

The computer should be able to do something the teacher cannot and give the learner a richer learning experience.

Research methodology in CALL includes:

A question to be answered A clear idea of the subjects and

situation A method for collecting data A timeline for collecting data An intention to share

Examining the role of affordances and misaffordances

Affordances: what the program is or appears to be capable of doing in terms of both intended and unintended functions.

Misaffordances: differ from sotware program to program but are becoming generalized.

Ethics in experimental procedures

The researcher should not bring harm, mental or physical, to the subjects, regardless of the value of the research.

Fidelity

It refers to the degree of realism in computer simulation.

As computer-based presentations of information improve through the use of video and virtual reality, the fidelity (authenticity) of learner materials is increasing.

Conclusion

To profit from the use of computers in the teaching of language one should bare in mind what it is that teachers do best and what computers do best.

Hope you enjoyed it!

Author: Laura Mangold