Website Evaluation -the Answers
Posted by1. What does the application attempt to “teach”?
I went through the Google application and found one website that is suitable for my first task of TSL 641’s Computer Assisted Language Learning. It is not that hard to find a language-teaching-website nowadays as there are thousands of running websites on the web. Finally, I chose the Eva Easton’s Authentic American Pronunciation website to fulfill the task. This domain is located at 69.163.235.244 with evaeaston.com hostname. The site is described as: Lessons about authentic use and pronunciation of American English. There are plenty of terms associated with this site lessons pattern examples practice quizzes pronunciation consonants vowels.
I went through the application and managed to understand the aim and purpose of the website. The application attempts to teach the authentic American pronunciation. The target user of this application could be either the native speaker itself or second language learner. From this website users would have the chance to learn how to pronounce various kinds of words in both types; consonants and vowels. In this website, there are thirty four (34) different tutorials which are Answering Machine Message, Contractions, Education Vocabulary, Greetings and Response and etc. All of these tutorials are in alphabetical order. User will easily find this on the home page of the website.
The website is divided into three main categories which are Consonant Sounds, Vowel Sounds and Teaching Pronunciation. In the Consonant Sounds category, the user will learn how to pronounce consonant words properly according to the English American style. In this section, user will get to learn about all the categories of consonant sounds such as plosive, affricates, fricatives, nasals, liquids and semivowels. The webmaster also includes the phonetic symbols of each alphabets and sounds. In the Vowel Sound category, the webmaster provided the users with useful information about vowels. The website is also included with the vowel categories such as the height, forward or backward and rounded or unrounded. These categories refer to the position of the tongue. As for the Teaching Pronunciation category, the webmaster provides a lot of links to help users to find more information and to understand on pronunciation.
2. What sorts of things is the application user expected to do with regards to learning the content?
The user would not have to expect much in using the application from the website. In other words, I must say that this website is user friendly and it focuses only on one aspect which is listening. Through my experience in operating this website, I would only have to go through the tutorials which are clearly provided by the webmaster before I decided to go any further. I would recommend the users to scale down their expectations in dealing with this website. If we look at other websites, they provide too many categories to choose from and users would have to decide on which section should they experiment on. As for this website, users would not have to browse through so many sections, just to make sure the users spend more time roaming around the website, to find their target section. The webmaster had made it easy for the users to access the website. After all, the users just have to make sure that they know what they need to do effortlessly.
3. What sorts of computer skills is the application users expected to have in order to operate/access/use the application?
When it comes to operating or handling computer or any related source of it for example, websites, Microsoft applications and so on, users are expected to have the required amount of computer skills in order to work on with the programmes. Thus, it is believe that computer skills are essential to all these days. The best definition of computer skills when it comes to mind is being able to make a computer do what you want it to do.
From this website, I found that users would need to have the basic amount of computer skills to utilize the system. The most important thing is, users have to know how to browse the website. The users should know what they want and looking for from the website. The major focus of this website is listening skill. Thus, users are expected to know how to download the applicable player for the website in order to listen to the tutorial and instructions for the quizzes provided. Other than that, it is believe that some of the activities from the website require the users to have typing skill.
4. While you are “playing”/”accessing”/”assessing” the application, does it remind you of anything you do in a classroom, or with a teacher, or with a fellow classmate, or in self-study?
The website’s major intention is to focus on one of the language learning skill which is listening skill. This is actually fairly similar to what I have been gone through this programme. During the pre-degree session, I went for the listening skill course which was one of the core subjects of the programme. The course offers a lot of input to the students. I had the chance to learn about the basic sound in the English language. I experienced the lecture made us to listen to recorded material as part of the tutorials. This is basically what the website has to offer. Other than that, I learnt about the phonetic symbols of the words of English during the course period. As to this website, it also offers the tutorials for the sounds of each word so that users will know the correct way to pronounce each word or sound.
5. Can you pinpoint some theories of language learning and/or teaching underlying the application?
According to the CALL history, the use of computer in language learning dates back to the early 1960’s. Through time, the history of CALL has been divided into three phases: Behavioral CALL, Communicative CALL and Integrative CALL (Al-Shehri, 2004; Braul, 2006; Lee, 2000; Warschauer & Kern, 2000). Each of these phases portrays the development of CALL throughout time.
Through this website, it implies Behavioral CALL and Integrative CALL in the learning process. This website promotes drill and practice type application whereas; the users get to experiment with the tutorials before going through the quizzes. According to Behavioral CALL, the program provides a stimulus to which the users provide responses. Then, the computer would analyze errors and give feedback. However, the website only promotes listening activity in which further explanation is not required. Other than that, this website involves Integrative CALL. This is because the website integrates multimedia and internet in the learning process. The users will find that the website coincides with the development of multimedia technology, as the proof would be; the webmaster promotes text and audio as part of the learning process.
Besides that, this website also promotes theory linking to language learning skill which listening skill. I found that this website promotes non-reciprocal way of interaction which means a one way communication. In this theory, listeners are not required to participate. Participation accounts as involvement in the conversation. As the website only provide audio aids, it means the computer will do all the talking and the users will have to process the information attained from it.
6. How well is the constructivist theory of learning applied to the chosen website(s)?
The term constructivism refers to the idea that learners construct knowledge for themselves, each learner individually or socially, as he or she learns (http://www.exploratorium.edu/IFI/resources/constructivistlearning.html). Based from my experience after going through the website, I feel that constructivist theory in learning is not well applied in the lesson. From my opinion, the activity in the website does not promote active learning to the users. As we all know, learning is an active process in which the learner uses sensory input and constructs meaning out of it. According to Dewey’s term, the more traditional formulation of this idea involves the terminology of the active learner stressing that the learner needs to do something; that learning is not the passive acceptance of knowledge which exists "out there" but that learning involves the learners engaging with the world. The activity in this website requires the users to listen and pay attention to what is uttered from the website and fill in the blanks provided in a form of questions. I do not accept that as an active learning. To add it up, the constructivist theory in learning agrees that learning involves language, in which the empirical level, researchers have noted that people talk to themselves as they learn. However, as I mentioned earlier, the website promotes non-reciprocal way of communication in which there is only one way of interaction where the computer speaks, the user listens.
7. In 1980s and early 1990s, there was a major debate on ‘whether the computer was “master” of or “slave” to the learning process (Higgins and Johns, 1984). In relation to your evaluation - was the computer a replacement for teachers, or merely an obedient servant to students?
At the start of the twenty-first century ‘multimedia’ has become virtually synonymous with ‘computer’. With these changes, issues in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) have also evolved from an early emphasis on how to use the new technology to research on technology's effects on learning. Higgins and Johns (1984) framed the major debate of the 1980s and early 1990s over whether the computer was ‘master’ of or ‘slave’ to the learning process: Was the computer to be a replacement for teachers, or merely an obedient servant to students?
From my point of view, I would say that computer is neither slave nor master. This is because to some certain extent, computer could act as a master and to certain extent it could act as a slave as well. Through my experience, I would sometimes depend on the computer to the task which I was instructed to do. For example, in doing this assignment, most of the information I gained is from the journals and articles that I found on the web. Besides, I am evaluating a website which belongs to the web for crying out loud. However, computer is a medium which I “ordered” to attain all this information and to help to complete this assignment. Thus, I am certain that computer can be considered as both master and slave depending on the circumstances.
As to my personal evaluation, I still believe that computer could never replace a teacher. It is undeniable that it is more fun, easier, and for some, it can be considered as complete, but it cannot fully substitute teachers. The computer is programmed by humans at the first place. Thus, anything that is in the computer could never be as supple as teachers. The students are only able to access information which strictly provided in the computer. It is almost impossible for us to create a perfect computer, which can readily adapt to our every need and desire. We could never really turn to computers as a replacement yet. Computers could only act as a helping hand for the teachers.
8. Would you like to use the application yourself in your future work?
Yes? Give reasons:
No? Give reasons:
Truthfully, I would not use this website as an assistant in my future work. The reasons are because; the website is lack of interactive and exciting activities. Language learning should be done in a fun way with more games, animation and sounds. The website is quite uninteresting as the activity is focused on listening only. In my opinion, if this application was to be used in Malaysian schools, it will not be able to gain students’ interest in learning English.
Other than that, the application is also only suitable to adults who want to learn very seriously. The home page is not well organized as it is directed straightly to the tutorials. The preface seems to be dull and dreary. The only colour is blue and though the colour is soothing, it does not stimulate the brain. I do not think that this website is suitable for students.
Suggestions/Recommendations.
I would recommend that this website should add more interesting games and activities. If I were a student, I would definitely avoid this website as it is not that easy to operate. This is because; I have tried to install a few media-related software in order to work on this website. This would kill the interest of the user as it consumes time before user can actually get into the learning process. The focus on different age of users will also be preferable as most users have different interests and learning methods. Generally, the outlook of the application also could be improved by applying a better layout. The graphical users interface (GUI) for the website is quite out of date and should be replaced with a new and better one. The application could also add more interactive features such as Adobe Flash. The quizzes that are only limited to fill in the blanks questions could also be further developed. The application should also added more interesting sound, instead of listening to lackluster voice over and over again, it should be replaced with more energetic and engaging voice, so that the users can interact better with the application.
1 comments:
cheers, mate!
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