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2014 CALL Conference
LINGUAPOLIS
www.antwerpcall.be
Today, these technologies are present everywhere, compelling learners and lecturers to
immerse in mobile and computer-mediated teaching and learning activities in a very
uncharacteristic way (Yang, 2009; Shana, 2009). Various
computer-assisted language
programmes are now being used in schools and universities to promote independent and
collaborative learning amongst students (Ghasemi, Hashemi & Bardine, 2011; Tal &
Yelenevskaya, 2012). At Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), computer-
assisted teaching and learning is gaining prominence and academics are being pressured
to complement traditional approaches with self-directed online programmes (Pineteh,
2012). Despite the pressure from the university management, computer-assisted
language learning (CALL) is still a road less travelled
especially in courses like
Communication and Academic Literacy, designed to provide language support to its
students. This is because students bring with them different levels of computer literacy
and English language proficiency. Consequently,
using computers to promote
independent language learning has been embraced with mixed feelings (Pineteh, 2012;
Naba’h, Hussein, Al
-
Omari & Shdeifat, 2009). Interestingly, CPUT’s Communication
courses are designed to provide not only language support
but also other generic
academic and professional literacies required by students. However, the number of
contact hours and human resources are usually inadequate for the very expansive
Communication curricula. This means that lecturers have to devise smarter and
innovative ways to impart knowledge to the students. Given that
this is a university of
technology, one of the ways to reduce the burden of the teaching and learning of
communication skills is to use self-directed computer-assisted language programmes
(Pata, 2009; Oxford, 2006; Longhurst & Sandage, 2004).
This paper is based on the pilot of a computer-assisted language programme-
Learning
100
- in the Department of Information Technology at Cape
Peninsula University of
Technology, South Africa. It analyses quantitative and qualitative data gleaned from an
online mini survey, open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The
interviews and mini survey sought to evaluate the usefulness of the programme in
enhancing the language and communication skills of Information Technology students. In
addition, they aimed to assess the challenges encountered
by students and technical
support staff during the pilot and the research process. The results of the survey and
interview responses show that students were able to hone language and other academic
skills. However, they hinted that to install and effectively run the programme on the
CPUT computer systems was a logistical nightmare. The paper therefore argues that
because of the quality of technology at CPUT as well as
the disparate language and
computer skills of its students, it is an arduous task to use computers as the main
platform for language teaching and learning. To justify this argument, the paper charts
the teaching of language
and communication at CPUT, it describes the piloted online
programme and research methodology. The paper also discusses some of the key
findings from the empirical data.
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