As midterms approach, I would like to remind you of the range of possibilities in the LARC language labs for assessment. We would be happy to meet with you individually and discuss your class needs.
1) We have high-quality recording software and hardware on all 60 computers now. Many instructors have a class folder on our server that their students can save their recordings to. Some put a prompt on Blackboard that students listen to and then record their response to. Our recording software complements listening activities nicely (e.g. on-line), in that students can record their responses and make them available to you for review, feedback, or simply documentation of their progress.
2) Instructors bring their classes in for written exams, which are then saved electronically and placed in their folders.
3) Every station in our new Mac lab (BAM 410) has Skype and software to automatically record the conversation. Skype enables the students to call someone at any other computer hooked up to the Internet. Two students at different computers could have a conversation in the lab and then save their recording. They can also have a conference call with as many as nine other speakers. Students could call a TA or a native speaker. The recording software will also record a video call in Skype. Every one of our new Macs has a built-in webcam.
4) Some instructors are using Horizon/Wimba voice tools, now integrated into the SDSU Blackboard. If you put up a voice board, all student audio responses are saved and archived. The labs are optimally configured for students to complete their audio assignments.
5) We also have Internet-based oral assessment software, which is extremely easy to use. You can use video clips, audio, pictures or text as a prompt and create as many questions as you like. Students can come in and complete the test and the results are saved for you on your account. Students have access to the corrected test, so they can listen to their recordings with your feedback. A review of this software was just published in Calico:
6) Students can make high quality video clips of themselves using the built-in camera on the iMacs. Our American Sign Language students use this for all of their assignments. Students can also edit their own video and save the project as a DVD, Quicktime movie and in a variety of other formats. This is ideal for completing class projects. Results can also be displayed over the projector in the labs during a class visit.
7) We check out media that we have here or that we hold for instructors. We also constantly update the language pages: http://larclab.sdsu.edu. (For media holdings, click on 'lab inventory'.)
To use these capabilities, you could either bring the whole class into the lab, or give the students an assignment they can complete on their own. (Some instructors bring their classes in for an orientation, after which students are comfortable using the technology.) Please contact me for lab reservations. Otherwise, the labs (BAM 419/ 410) are open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday thru Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday. There are instruction sheets and lab assistants to help the students.
We provide individual tutorials for instructors, support for research and help in developing classroom material.
8) We have digitized Voci tests for oral proficiency assessment in French, German and Russian. The test is a Quicktime movie of progressively more difficult prompts. Students record their answers digitally in the lab. The Chinese and Spanish Voci are used regularly for proficiency testing while Japanese is used for ongoing program evaluation.
Trevor
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