emilychen
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Technology vs. Pedagogy
At the end of this section, Davies makes a final comment on multimedia CALL:
"Technology is racing ahead of pedagogy and, unfortunately, often driving the pedagogy. Above all, there is a need for further research into how language students learn. We still know relatively little about the learning process, but what little we know is often disregarded by multimedia developers."
Based on your own learning experience with CALL software, did you find some that involve a high level of technology but provide little help to language learning? Or did you find some that involve simple technology but are really helpful to language learning?
Note: Groups 7 and 8 are required to answer this question. Other students' responses are also welcome.
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10/18/2004, 12:47 pm
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CharlotteShih
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 Re: Technology vs. Pedagogy
Group 8:Charlotte, Rolf, Erica, Maureen, and Fanny
One of our group members ever used a CALL software that involves a high level of technology but provide little help to language learning. The aim of this software is to train learners’ speaking of English. Therefore, learners have to use microphones to speak. However, the software will ask you repeat what it says again and again if your intonation or pitch is different from the software’s or learners’ sound of vibration cannot convey to the microphone. In addition, this software is not easy of using. Therefore, our group member gave up using this high technology software and got little help.
However, another our group member got a different experience. She got a simple technology but is really helpful to language learning.
“ESL Pronunciation Work Page” (http://grove.ufl.edu/%7Eklilj/pron/)- This website’s content focuses on ESL pronunciation (word stress, intonation, emphasis…etc.) It does not contain much high technology, only involves sound recordings, but its good arrangement and easy-understanding content help users a lot.
Easy of use-
On its homepage, nine pronunciation-learning topics (word stress, intonation, emphasis, phrasal stress, reduction, consonant, thought groups, linking, and vowels) are clearly pointed. Users can easily choose one to click on according to their needs. Every button in the website is clear and direct. Also, there are no complicated design or too much colorful pictures, charts in the website to confuse or distract users. Every thing is simple and direct to what learners want.
Good contents-
1. After entering each of the nine topics, learners can read introduction and explanation of the topic first, knowing in what way or what situation the pronunciation should be used. And then there are four sections in each topic for users to choose (Patterns, Listen & Practice, Related Topics, And More Information).
Patterns- how many and what patterns the topic have, also giving examples and sound recordings.
Listen and Practice- users can get lots of examples (sound records) to understand more clearly and then do practices to ensure if they really learn well.
Related Topics- help readers linking to the other topics.
More Information- learners can click on the buttons in the section to navigate more websites or tests about the topic, finding more information.
2. The vocabulary it uses is easy to understand. And it does not have too many words on one page to make users confused and tired by just giving main point.
Though the program does not involve high level technology, good arrangement of its giving information helps uses never get lost in the program, and keep on navigate the website to learn more.
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10/24/2004, 9:57 pm
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pigdodoo
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 Re: Technology vs. Pedagogy (group 7)
[Simple technology but really helpful one]
http://www.manythings.org/pp/
This page’s advantage is that it provides students to take little quizzes online. Learners can easily understand the function of this page because the guide is clear. During the quizzes, users can know if their answer is wrong or correct immediately.
http://www.focusenglish.com/dialogues/fashion/babysmooth.html
This page is good for learners to hear native conversation online and the content are vivid and useful.
[High technology but little help to language learning]
http://som.twbbs.org/klee/notebook/index.html
Users can post their questions on this website. Anyone con reply anybody’s questions. But since the web master does not reply all of the questions. Some learners’ questions might be ignored. Also, those responses are not all correct because anyone can reply it.
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10/24/2004, 11:41 pm
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