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The exercises I wrote using the SuperMacLang program have proved successful and beneficial. The students quickly learned how to operate the program and I too learned more as I went along. The students enjoyed ( or at least didn't mind!) the different types of computer exercises alongside regular written exercises. They particularly mentioned their usefulness when reviewing for tests and appreciated the instant feedback provided by the program and by specific hints I had added in.
I learned from and enjoyed seeing how the students worked on the exercises and how their thought processes changed as they progressed through an exercise and gradually realised what they were doing wrong!They quickly learned the need to produce correct spelling and accentuation and sentence structure.
There are certain changes and improvements I would make for future exercises but basically I am very pleased with the results and the students positive attitude to this method.
Report:
For the review of Basic Spanish course, 106, I wrote a series
of exercises using SuperMacLang. This program enables me to write
different types of exercises - vocabulary, multiple choice, grammar,
word order - which the students complete and send to me via my
drop box. I can preset the number of attempts I want to allow
them and can also include feedback for typical errors that I might
expect. The answers that I receive show each and every attempt
students make, enabling me to see how they approach the exercise
and enabling them to rethink that approach if necessary.
The students had already worked on SML exercises during the Fall
97 semester so we had no "how to" problems this time.
New students from another section who were not familiar with the
program simply paired up with volunteer tutors and had no difficulties
at all. This was quite a contrast to the teething problems of
the first semester . Even the new comers delved straight in which
I think illustrates the ease with which Wheaton students adapt
to and accept technology inside and outside the classroom.
In the fall I had required students to submit 2 or 3 exercises
at a time rather than the whole chapter all at once - 6-8 exercises.
The students had asked to be able to submit bigger blocks of exercises
which was fine with me. Some preferred it this way but others
still sent 2 or 3 at a time. Generally speaking the weaker students
preferred to do just a couple of exercises at a time, paralleling
class activities. On the whole I found more students this semester
ready to submit their work earlier than required - amazing!
During the first semester I had been anxious to include audio
or visual elements in some exercises. The students however didn't
seem too interested nor impressed so I kept this semester's work
more down to earth. I gave full credit for the exercises if they
were completed on time. You might expect students to not put so
much effort into their work if they knew they were going to get
full credit anyway. Not so.. Students would, if necessary, make
repeated attempts to get the right answer, then move on, hopefully
with less difficulty, to the next item.
Spelling and accentuation were again much improved since an annoying
little accent or spelling change would mean the difference between
right and wrong, ie. having to do it again.
Both the students and myself felt very comfortable with the SML
exercises this semester and with just a few modifications and
additions I shall be using them again in the same course next
year.
There follow below some of the comments students made when asked
to evaluate the SML exercises.
Last updated
on 1/26/99; 2:18:09 PM
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