1 preface
1.1 Purpose of the Study
Recently, multimedia computers have become widespread in China. In a chained reaction, a variety of multimedia CD-ROM programs are fast growing. As there are more and more multimedia CD-ROM titles available for English teaching and learning, teachers and learners often find it difficult to decide which program is more useful. Teachers are also being asked to make numerous software choices from among a vast array of rapidly changing products. Language teachers and learners need to have a basic understanding of what a multimedia CD-ROM can offer and to know some clear evaluation guidelines or checklists to evaluate the title carefully.
On the other hand, since the opening up of the senior high school English textbook market, which had always been a monopoly prior to the policy, many new versions of textbooks have been published. To meet the requirements of the new curriculum, the new versions of textbooks provide various kinds of communicative activities aimed at increasing student opportunities to use English. Textbook publishers also provide many supplementary teaching materials, such as workbooks, tapes, CDs, wall charts, multimedia CD-ROMs, etc…Among them, multimedia CD-ROMs are the interest of this study. The printed versions of the textbooks are transformed into interactive multimedia CD-ROM titles. These multimedia CD-ROMs usually claim to provide interactive learning and enable learners to enhance their four language skills. Textbook companies often send teachers CD-ROM titles for review at no cost but students have to spend several hundred dollars buying one. However, from the researcher’s personal experience, more often than not, most of the free CD-ROMs sent to teachers are discarded. Few students are aware of them, to say nothing of purchasing them their English learning.
The main concern and interest of this study is to review and evaluate the CD-ROM, in addition, some issues on multimedia CD-ROM learning will also be discussed. In this study, due to both economic and time constraints, the investigation of multimedia CD-ROM software is narrowed down to the CD-ROM. It is expected that this study will highlight the strengths and limitations of the multimedia CD-ROM under evaluation. 帮写英语论文Finally, it is hoped that this study is able to offer some useful suggestions to language teachers, language learners, textbook publishers and courseware developers.
1.2 Research Questions
This study attempts to investigate and answer the following questions:
1. What are the findings of the evaluation of the CD-ROM and the evaluators’ final judgments on the CD-ROM?
2. What are the students’ favorite items and their general evaluation of the CD-ROM in terms of the contents, operation, and design?
3. What are the students’ opinions and feedbacks on learning with the CD-ROM and on learning English with multimedia CD-ROMs?
4. What is the students’ experience of using multimedia CD-ROMs of English learning and what are the reasons why multimedia CD-ROMs is not widely used?
1.3 Organization of the Study
This study is composed of six chapters. The first chapter deals with the purpose of the study, research questions, organization of the study. The second chapter introduces the CALL, rise of multimedia and its significance, include the role computers and language learning, the history of CALL, advantages of using CAI in language learning, and discuss the four types of computer-assisted instruction finally, the third chapter is the summary of the NBLT, such as the significance of NBLT, advantage of using NBLT, and disadvantage of using NBLT are descripted, the fourth chapter is devoted to research design and methodology, which includes the object of the evaluation, the methods, the instruments, and the procedures. The fifth chapter evaluates a CD-ROM by using the evaluation guidelines and checklists given in chapter four, the last chapter is dedicated to suggestions and con
