Reinders, H. 2007 ‘Big brother is helping you. Supporting self-access language learning with a student monitoring system.’ System 35,1: 93-111. You can read the article here.
Or this one:
Reinders, H. 2006 ‘Supporting self-directed learning through an electronic learning environment’. In: Lamb, T. & Reinders, H. Supporting independent learning: issues and interventions (pp. 219-238). Frankfurt: Peter Lang. You can read the article here or listen to it here.
If you are specifically interested in the role of technology in self-access, you may find this useful:
Lázaro, N. & Reinders, H. 2006, ‘Technology in self-access: an evaluative framework’. PacCALL Journal 1(2), 21-30. This article can be read online here.
Materials development is covered here:
Reinders, H. & C. White 2009 ‘The theory and practice of technology in materials development and task design’. In: Harwood, N. Materials in ELT: Theory and Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (forthcoming).
Special Issue of Language Learning & Technology - Learner Autonomy and New Learning Environments
Cynthia White and I will be guest-editing a special issue of Language Learning & Technology which will focus on the relationship between technology and learner autonomy. The affordances and constraints offered by new learning environments, whether in mobile, immersive, distance, or other forms of learning, often place greater, and in many cases different, demands on learners’ ability to manage their own learning. At the same time, they can also offer greater potential to support learners in the learning process. We are inviting submission for papers that explore these affordances and constraints and the development of autonomy. Papers should be grounded in a theoretical framework that formulates research hypotheses and then seeks to confirm or disconfirm them by following an appropriate research methodology (http://llt.msu.edu/resguide.html).
Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:
• Metacognitive demands of new learning environments
• New ways of using technology to foster autonomy
• Technology and social aspects of autonomy, e.g., social networking
• Effects and outcomes of technology use in relation to learner autonomy
• Sociocultural inquiry into autonomy-related aspects of learning through technology
• Technology and the measurement of autonomy
Please send an email of intent with a 500-word abstract by March 20, 2010 to llt-editors@hawaii.edu.
Publication timeline:
• March 20, 2010: Submission deadline for abstracts
• April 15, 2010: Invitation to authors to submit a manuscript
• September 3, 2010: Submission deadline for manuscripts
• October 3, 2011: Publication of special issue
AILA Research Network ‘CALL and the Learner
Glenn Stockwell coordinate the AILA Research Network for Computer-Assisted Language Learning and the Learner, a special interest group dedicated investigating the theory and practice of learning with technology as it relates to the individual and the social context in which learning takes place. The purpose of this Network is to bring together researchers and interested practitioners to discuss ways in which the use of technology can be made more supportive of the learning process, both inside and outside the classroom. The Network organises events (conferences, roundtables, seminars), publishes research (special issues of journals, proceedings), and facilitates communication between people working in this field. We would love you to come and join us! You can visit the website here.
Computer games and L2 interaction and acquisition
One of my PhD students (Sorada Wattana) and I are looking into the effects of game play on students’ Willingness to Communicate (WTC) and their actual in-game interaction. We are also looking at the effects of different types of instructions (in the form of in-game quests) on the quantity and quality of target language use. Preliminary results will be presented at the 2010 Wireless Ready conference in Nagoya and will be posted here in due course.
New Journal - Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching
If you want to publish your work in CALL, consider Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, a peer-reviewed journal published by Taylor & Francis. The journal includes a strong focus on new applications of technology in language learning and teaching. For more information see the SLA pages.
New CALL journal:
Professor Bin Zou will be editing a new journal called the International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language (IJCALLT). I will post more information about the journal here in the near future but for now you can read about it here.
