Schedule: 2009-09-09 (18:30 - 19:00)
Educational Showcase (Sala de Conferencias 1)

Title: Commercial On-Line Courseware: Its Implementation, Usability and Effect
Authors: Haruo Nishinoh
Abstract: As network speeds up and computers easily handle multi-media materials, networked environments have started to provide platforms for language learning courseware. Thus network-based learning with computers is called “e-Learning”. The quickest way to introduce e-Learning to the campus is to purchase commercial on-line courseware. “NetAcademy” is one such on-line courseware which is developed by ALC Educational. The courseware is one of the most popular e-Learning services in Japan. At Doshisha University, “NetAcademy2”, a renewed version of NetAcademy, was implemented in the fall of 2006. Since then it has been used as part of the class work and/or as a self-access e-Learning service.

Although NetAcademy has been purchased in more than 350 tertiary educational institutions across Japan, only a few review articles have been published on the usability and the effect of the courseware. Based on the presenter’s experience and his own class records from fall 2006 through spring 2008, this paper shows how this courseware has been implemented and administered at our institution, and how students use the courseware in different instructional environments. This paper also depicts typical user profile from the result of an extensive survey,. Based on the analysis of the students’ access record, this paper also tries to show how the courseware has been used by the entire bodies of students since its initial implementation.

The paper concludes that, despite its potentiality, e-Learning courseware has not been properly handled and used, and suggests the points for improvement in its administration, implementation, usage, and integration into the curriculum.
Keywords: NetAcademy, on-line courseware, CALL, e-Learning

Main topic: Assessment, testing, feedback and guidance in CALL

Biodata: Associate Professor, Doshisha University
Type of presentation Courseware Exhibition

Paper category Research

Target educational sector Secondary education

Language of delivery English

EU-funded project Yes

Schedule:	2009-09-09 (18:30 - 19:00) Educational Showcase (Sala de Conferencias 1)
Title:	Commercial On-Line Courseware: Its Implementation, Usability and Effect
Authors:	Haruo Nishinoh
Abstract:	As network speeds up and computers easily handle multi-media materials, networked environments have started to provide platforms for language learning courseware. Thus network-based learning with computers is called “e-Learning”. The quickest way to introduce e-Learning to the campus is to purchase commercial on-line courseware. “NetAcademy” is one such on-line courseware which is developed by ALC Educational. The courseware is one of the most popular e-Learning services in Japan. At Doshisha University, “NetAcademy2”, a renewed version of NetAcademy, was implemented in the fall of 2006. Since then it has been used as part of the class work and/or as a self-access e-Learning service. Although NetAcademy has been purchased in more than 350 tertiary educational institutions across Japan, only a few review articles have been published on the usability and the effect of the courseware. Based on the presenter’s experience and his own class records from fall 2006 through spring 2008, this paper shows how this courseware has been implemented and administered at our institution, and how students use the courseware in different instructional environments. This paper also depicts typical user profile from the result of an extensive survey,. Based on the analysis of the students’ access record, this paper also tries to show how the courseware has been used by the entire bodies of students since its initial implementation. The paper concludes that, despite its potentiality, e-Learning courseware has not been properly handled and used, and suggests the points for improvement in its administration, implementation, usage, and integration into the curriculum.
Keywords:	NetAcademy, on-line courseware, CALL, e-Learning
Main topic:	Assessment, testing, feedback and guidance in CALL
Biodata:	Associate Professor, Doshisha University
Type of presentation	Courseware Exhibition
Paper category	Research
Target educational sector	Secondary education
Language of delivery	English
EU-funded project	Yes