Evaluation Of English Learning Multimedia Software

With the advancement of computer technology, the number of teachers using CALL has increasing markedly. It is obvious that we have entered a new age information age in which the link between technology and teaching English has been established. More and more multimedia CD-ROM software is developed for foreign language learning. However, teachers and learners often find it difficult to decide which software is more useful to English learning. Research on evaluation of the multimedia software and on the effective use of CALL for learning and instruction in general remains limited in China. Moreover the increase in physical accessibility of high technology has not matched by empirical study examining its usability among adults. As a result, there is a pressing need for substantial research and evaluation under controlled condition to better understand the special impact of multimedia software on adult learning. The main concern and interest of this study is to evaluate the Open English CD-ROM published by the Central TV University Publishing House as the supplementary media to their textbooks Open English. It's for English learning on a self-access basis and involves several learning skills. It is expected that this study will highlight strengths and limitations of the multimedia CD-ROM under evaluation and the reason why the CD-ROM is not widely used. In addition, some issues on multimedia CD-ROM learning are also discussed. The major findings of the study can be summarized as follows:This program can fit into the instructor's foreign language class in the following ways: (1) It can serve as a supplementary material. It offers a range of exercises that are supplementary to the materials being taught in class already; (2) It provides extra practice outside class hours. The students can listen to the reading, record their own recitation, and do exercises on the program. In this way it can free up class time for teachers to introduce new information. It has great potential of helping students review what they have learned in class, arousing students' learning interest and motives, and improving learners' reading, speaking and listening abilities. The majorities of the subjects think highly of the CD-ROM in terns of its design, contents and operation. To sum up, this CD-ROM is worth recommending to other prospective buyers.In the study, both quantitative and qualitative methods are employed. The quantitative data are collected from the evaluation of the target CD-ROM by two evaluators through a well-designed checklist and a survey of 60 second-year non -English major students who have used the target CD-ROM for two months in 2005 at Anqing TV University, China. Besides, interviews with students and teachers are employed as qualitative data in order to know the reason why CD-ROMs are not widely used and their experiences of using CD-ROMS and evaluation of the target CD-ROM.