Hughes, Jane and McAvinia, Claire and King, Terry (2004) What really makes students like a web site? What are the implications for designing web-based language learning sites? ReCALL, 16 (1). pp. 85-102.
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Abstract
Faced with reduced numbers choosing to study foreign languages (as in England and Wales), strategies to create and maintain student interest need to be explored. One such strategy is to create âtasterâ courses in languages, for potential university applicants. The findings presented arise from exploratory research, undertaken to inform the design of a selection of web-based taster courses for less widely taught languages. 687 school students, aged 14-18, were asked to identify a web site that they liked and to state their main reason for liking it. They were invited to include recreational sites and told that their answers could help with web design for the taster courses. To explore the reasons, two focus groups were conducted and student feedback on the developing taster course site was collected. Students nominated search engines and academic sites, sites dedicated to hobbies, enthusiasms, youth culture and shopping. They liked them for their visual attributes, usability, interactivity, support for schoolwork and for their cultural and heritage associations, as well as their content and functionality. They emerged as sensitive readers of web content, visually aware and with clear views on how text should be presented. These findings informed design of the taster course site. They are broadly in line with existing design guidelines but add to our knowledge about school studentsâ use of the web and about designing web-based learning materials. They may also be relevant to web design at other levels, for example for undergraduates.
Item Type: | Article |
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Keywords: | Web site, language learning sites |
Academic Unit: | Faculty of Science and Engineering > Computer Science Centre for Teaching and Learning |
Item ID: | 679 |
Depositing User: | Claire McAvinia |
Date Deposited: | 22 Aug 2007 |
Journal or Publication Title: | ReCALL |
Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
Refereed: | Yes |
URI: | |
Use Licence: | This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here |
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