Cyber Map Exercise III: As a Computer Assisted Teaching Material (CALT): Part I Development

Cyber Map Exercise III: As a Computer Assisted Teaching Material (CALT): Part I Development
サイバーマップ　III: 情報技術を利用した日本語教育パート 1：開発

Keiko K. Schneider (シュナイダー恵子)
（Saboten Web Design／Albuquerque TVI)

概要：このサイトはインターネット上の教科書ともいえる日本語学習サイトで、地図を使っているというのが視覚的で、コンピューターのモニターを利用するというのが合うということなどから、学生がクラスの一環として教師の指導の下で、インターネットの接続可能なコンピューターを使って、発音練習、文法の説明、構文練習から実際のコミュニケーションまでもっていくことを目的としている。この発表では、パート１として、開発�"の立場から述べ、パート２は教室での使用についての実践報告を行なう。このサイトはすでにインターネット上で公開されており、教育機関で自由に使ってもらい、今後の開発の研究へとつなげていきたいと考えている。
Keywords: online materials development, interactivity, multimedia, Flash

1. Cyber Map Exercise III

It is available online at http://www.sabotenweb.com/classes/mapex3/

1.1 Rationale of Cyber Map Exercise

Recent popularity of the Internet and multilingual capability on the latest operating systems is increasing the possibility of implementing on-line materials to a Japanese language classroom. In other words, the Internet has launched us into Computer Assisted Language Teaching (CALT). This is a part one of two-part presentation. It will be best if this can be presented with"Cyber Map Exercise III: As a Computer Assisted Language Teaching (CALT) Material: Part II Implementation" in the following presentation. In this presentation, the result of the study, and evaluations of the courseware by the instructor, and by her students along with future improvements and suggestions will be discussed from users' points of view.

2 Original Cyber Map Exercise

http://www.sabotenweb.com/classes/mapex/

2.1 Features and assumption

My hope was to create an interactive site practicing"arimasu" ("to exist","to be") using a map. Since it is a very basic grammar item and practically every textbook covers it, it can be used with anybody with any textbook, and it is appropriate to any age-level. It is function oriented. The materials are on the Internet and available free to anybody. It can be used as a whole or part making it flexible for most beginning classes. It can be used as self-study materials as well, but the primary assumption is in classroom setting with teacher presence. It also requires computers that have Japanese reading capability on browser (no exercises that require input). "Cyber Map Exercise" begins with a vocabulary section, progresses to a map section, and finishes with an information gap exercise.

2.2 Technology used

To incorporate audio, RealAudio is used. You need to have RealPlayer installed in order to hear the sound. You can download free player from the bottom of Real's homepage. (http://www.real.com or http://www.jp.real.com/) For rudimental interactivity, JavaScript is used for random image pick, giving translation in alert window, feedback in input box. For more sophisticated interactivity, Dynamic HTML using Dennie Hoopingarner's "The Game-O-Matic" (http://clear.msu.edu/dennie/matic/) templates are used. Some browsers (e.g. Mac IE version 5) may not function right.

2.3 First Implementation

The first implementation was done by Masato Yabe of then University of North Carolina, Greensboro in the fall semester of 1999 (November). He used it for his first semester class: JNS 101-01Elementary Japanese with 27 Students and the third semester JNS 203-0111 Intermediate Japanese students. For elementary Japanese, this site is incorporated into Chapter 4, "Asking the Whereabouts," and for intermediate Japanese, it is incorporated into Chapter 12, "Asking the Way," in the Situational Functional Japanese series.

2.4 Reason for implementation

One reason for implementation is that the nature of the functions is highly visual-oriented. It also progresses from telling location to giving and asking for directions. Questions of this study are: (1) How do students feel about using computers for learning direction and location? (2) Is it easier for an instructor to use the computer program than using the black board, and/or a photocopy of a map? (3) What are the advantages and disadvantages of using the computer program? The study is conducted through an interview, discussion with students, and observation during the lesson.

2.5 Technical difficulties

The lab was not too well maintained and the main monitor did not work for teacher presentation. Since the memory on the computer was low, RealAudio didn't work and it crashed the browser. There were only10 computers for 27 students in 101, and 11 in 203. Students had to share a computer. There were some graphical mistakes

2.6 Improvements suggested

There were four suggestions for improvement: (1) Apply real graphics for buildings (more color) (2) Expand to "Giving Directions" from "Existence" Exercise (3) Multiple maps including real map of the campus and (4) Add directions part (from Ritsu Shimizu sensei of PA)

3. Cyber Map Exercise II

http://www.sabotenweb.com/classes/mapex2/

3.1 Addition

This version II tries to cover two communication skills. One is to express and understand location of things. The second one is to give and understand the directions. The grammar covers"-te form" to connect sentence and polite request ("-te kudasai"). It also contains the abbreviated map of UNCG campus.

3.2 Improvements

Improvements are 1) It contains graphics rather than tiles of hiragana/katakana 2) The navigation is not linear and learners can choose to or not to have components before get to communication practice (i.e. audio, text, English translation, grammar explanation) 3) Although the needs are not real, there are open-ended practice that there are no set answers.

4. Cyber Map Exercise III

http://www.sabotenweb.com/classes/mapex3/

4.1 Inclusion of Flash animation for audio and animation

"Cyber Map Exercise III" utilizes Flash along with RealAudio for audio and animation. RealAudio has been a difficult plug-in to operate and rather cumbersome to develop. For example, in the case of most recent implementation by Professor Kang, it couldn't be used because of firewall restrictions. Flash made it easier to develop and use audio than RealAudio. Compared to GIF animation, Flash utilizes vector animation, which is smoother and creates rather small size file that is easy to deliver over the Internet. Flash is most commonly used for fancy animation and often used in navigation. It has a basic script capability similar to JavaScript called Action Script. Although it lacks powerful full-featured programming language capability of its big sister application, Director (LINGO) or Authorware from Macromedia, Action Script allows some programming available for interactivity. The biggest advantage of using Flash over DHTML, which was originally used in versions 1 and 2, is browser compatibility. Since DHTML uses JavaScript, Cascading Style Sheet along with DOM, the function is not guaranteed to work with all browsers. Instead, once you have Flash player, the results can be assumed universal.

4.2 Information on Flash and Flash player

Flash is the software application to develop flash animation. The information can be found in English from http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/ and in Japanese: http://www.macromedia.com/jp/software/flash/

In order to play Flash animation, each computer needs to have Flash player installed. Recent browsers come with Flash player as a plug-in, but you can also download Flash player in English: http://www.macromedia.com/software/flashplayer/ and in Japanese: http://www.macromedia.com/jp/software/flashplayer/

Flash is most commonly used for fancy animation and often used in navigation, but it has a basic script capability similar to JavaScript called Action Script. Although it lacks powerful full-featured programming language capability of its big sister application, Director or Authorware from Macromedia, it allows some programming available for interactivity. Some of you may not Ynot card from Japan has interactive Flash greeting cards. (http://www.ynot.co.jp/)

4.3 Improvements suggested and implemented

The version 3 has vocabulary section, progresses to a map section, and an information gap exercise. Although it assumes a classroom context with a teacher's supervision, self-test pages are provided for learners' self-assessments of their learning.
(1) Add explanation of "me" (cardinal number to ordinal number)
(2) Add chance to use "gas station," "park" or "bus stop".
(3) Add "intersection" "just before signal" or "beyond signal": "kousaten", "temae' and "saki."
(4) Add a couple of listening comprehension self-test, using the same map on the site (with a face you can drag on the map)

4.4 More Flash materials

Because of the compatibility, more exercises will be redone in Flash such as Vocabulary matching DHTML. Flash detection needs to be implemented at the homepage so that the user will be alerted and taken to a download page of Flash player if the Flash player is not installed.

4.5 Second Implementation - Part II presentation

In the sequential presentation of Part II will examine Cyber Map Exercise III as a CALT material in terms of the original four questions as well as other questions after implementation of the site by Professor Toyoko Kang of University of Guam. She used it with her JA102 (Elementary Japanese II) that is the second semester class for a beginner. Most of the students take this class to meet their General Education foreign language requirement

4.6 Future of Cyber Map Exercise

In the presentation at ACTFL 2002 in Salt Lake City will include how Yasuhiro Omoto of University of California at Berkeley used the site. The developer would like to solicit more use of the site.

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