English in stimulating and useful ways, provided, of course, that the
availability of computers or terminals is sufficient to give them relatively
unrestricted access to the learning packages. It is just as important to be really
selective when choosing computer-based learning packages as it is when
choosing print-based ones. We hope that our suggestions will alert you to some
of the principal features that you will need to check out before committing
yourself to purchasing a computer-based learning package.
Computer-delivered assessment is a more specialized area of information and
communications technology, but it can pay huge dividends when adapted for
providing students with learning-by-doing activities at a computer terminal,
combined with immediate and useful feedback on-screen. It can, after an
investment of your own time, also save you from some of the more routine
burdens of marking learners’ work when used in carefully selected areas of your
teaching programme.
We end this chapter with some suggestions on how you can use e-mail to give
feedback to learners. This can be beneficial to them as it is received in comfort
and privacy, and it can help you by making it possible to harness the power of
technology so that you don’t have to write or speak identical feedback messages
time and time again for different learners needing the same comments and
advice.
33 Helping learners to get started with e-mail
The use of electronic mail has accelerated rapidly in the last few years. People
who would not have been thought to be computer literate often take their first
steps into the area because they are attracted by the benefits of e-mail. Many of
your learners are likely to be up to speed with computers and e-mail, but the
following suggestions may help you to whet the appetites of those who have not
yet become ‘mouse-trained’.
1 Reassure learners that they are highly unlikely to break the computer!
For those learners who are reluctant to get into computer usage, there is
often a concern that they may do something drastic and irreversible to
expensive equipment. Remind learners that the only thing they are likely to
risk when using computers is losing some of the work they have done with
the machine, and even this risk is quite small, with ‘undo’ commands in
most computer software, and with good habits of saving work to disk every
few minutes.
2 Explain the basic features of the e-mail system. Show learners at least the
subject line and the send, reply and forward functions. Make sure they all
know your address and their own addresses. You can also show them how to
make a group address for the class.62 500 TIPS FOR TESOL