Blog entry 3- Short and sweet answers :)

1. Why do you think evaluation of CALL courseware, websites, materials etc important?

In my own opinion when anything at all is or are being evaluated, it is for crucial reasons. Some of them being: making sure the contents are relevant, suitable and effective to the target group intented. Logically we need to know if the students profficiency match the task at hand. Too easy or too hard activities will not help make the lesson effective. Moreover we need to evaluate if the exercises would meet your objectives of what you want to teach to students. It would be pointless asking them to do any CALL activities which at the end of the day students do not aquire anything out of it or any justice to the syllabus they have to follow.


2. How do you think Hot Potatoes JCloze may help your students learn English?

Honestly i have mixed feelings when using Hot Potatoes JCloze or perhaps most of the CALL materials. Apart of me thinks it is a new fresh way of teaching as now we have moved into a technological era. Thus i have learned through experience during my practicum, students appreciate it when teachers teach using materials other than textbooks and white boards.

However when looking at the Hot Potatoes JCloze software, i cannot help but to think it may make students more lazier or less profficient in terms of writing. When we write in exercise books, we take account the grammar, spelling and structure of the sentence which when copying them down, will help improve or further strengthen students' english. They even have to copy down instructions. However when doing the cloze passage, everything is ready for you. You only need to fill in the blanks. Therefore writing is absolutely minimized. Reading is more utilized here.

Another thing to point out is, the answers for each questions is already programmed. Should students who just keep randomly type answers from A-D, it could lead to students becoming lazy. They do not have think hard for the most suitable aswer. They only have to guess the answer and if it is wrong, they just type the next alphabet until they get it right.

Nonetheless, the graphic and colours of the materials are very attractive if you decorate it approapriately. It would attract the students' attention and can enhance a better participation in class. Students would definitely like using the keyboard and typing the answers instead of copying the whole exercise down in their exercise books.