Abstract:

This paper deals with the assessment of the effects of instructional technology (IT) on the foreign language curriculum. It is intended to serve two purposes. First, it offers a general background to the evaluation of IT, which is essential knowledge for anyone involved in the integration of IT into their courses. Second, it seeks to provide a clearer understanding of the evaluation parameters that need to be taken into consideration when establishing the infrastructure for the on-going assessment of IT. While giving due consideration to evaluating the effectiveness of CALL on learning outcomes, it is proposed that we need to take a broader view of the assessment of IT, one which goes beyond its defensive justification and promotion. In particular, it is argued that we need to move away from a technocentric assessment of IT to one which focuses on how IT contributes to realizing our pedagogical goals and objectives.

Author: Jack Burston