My name is Kerry Nelson and I wrote to this site earlier this year about a research project I am working on about how multimedia can be used to help people learn tonal languages. I have now finished my application. It is intended to be a CD but is online at www.kerrynelson.com/msc.
I’m trying to get in touch with people who would like to look at the application and give some feedback to help me with my research. The idea is that it is a prototype so it is not complete but there should be enough there to show what I had in mind.
I hope that you can devote a little time to looking at the site as your comments and feedback would be really helpful!
Regards,
Kerry
Topics for discussion.
Please feel free to answer any questions that interest you in as much detail as you like. If you have any other thoughts or ideas about the design, content or navigation of the application, as it is now or how you would like it to be then please feel free to include those too.
>
> 1. Instructions
> · Should they be written or audio or both?
> · How much can users work out for themselves?
> · Could a tour of the application be used instead of instructions?
>
> 2. Would you like to have the option to record and play back your voice?
>
> 3. Would you like to see sub-titled video clips for dialogues?
>
> 4. Would you like radio and TV clips to be included?
>
> 5. Do you prefer navigational freedom or should the application follow a
> linear path?
>
> 6. Should there be a pre-test to assess the users ability?
>
> 7. Did you feel that there was a build up of content as you progressed
> through the application?
>
> 8. How extensive would you like the grammar support and dictionary to be?
>
> 9. Should there be a choice between male and female speakers to match your
> voice to?
>
> 10. Should tests be scored and should the score be recorded?
>
> 11. Would you like to have romanisation throughout the application, only
on
> non-audio sections or not at all?
online learning
-
Steve Peter
Re: online learning
> 1. Instructions
> · Should they be written or audio or both?
I think written directions are probably the way to go with this. It wouldn't hurt to include an audio version, but it should not be audio only.
> · How much can users work out for themselves?
What you have isn't bad at all, although even in the grammar section, I'd like to have some stuff to click on to hear the pronunciation.
> · Could a tour of the application be used instead of instructions?
Absolutely.
> 2. Would you like to have the option to record and play back your voice?
I have always found that useful.
I would not include, however, any comparison possibility. I recently was the only native English speaker at an otherwise all-Chinese company, and one of my colleagues had an online "Learn English" course that had such a feature. Much to his delight, the program decided his English pronunciation was much better than mine
> 3. Would you like to see sub-titled video clips for dialogues?
That would be very useful. When speaking, it's amazing how much information seeing a person's mouth actually conveys.
> 4. Would you like radio and TV clips to be included?
As much as 650MB can hold. But you could also point out online links for streaming media.
> 5. Do you prefer navigational freedom or should the application follow a
> linear path?
Freedom. Yes, I follow a pretty linear path the first time through, but to make the CD worthy of purchase, it should be something worthy of review, and that I don't want to have to do from front to back.
> 6. Should there be a pre-test to assess the users ability?
Why? Unless you have multiple versions of the CD, there's no real point. (If you do have multiple versions, you could put a pretest on the website to indicate which version to buy.)
> 7. Did you feel that there was a build up of content as you progressed
> through the application?
Yes, although the gap between "here are the numbers" (basically single words) to the dialogs for telling time was somewhat big. A larger range of dialogs (shorter to longer) might be better.
> 8. How extensive would you like the grammar support and dictionary to be?
How much do you want to charge for the CD?
> 9. Should there be a choice between male and female speakers to match your
> voice to?
Absolutely. Especially for someone who has never studied or been exposed to a tonal language, relative tones can be a difficult concept to grasp.
> 10. Should tests be scored and should the score be recorded?
It might be a good option.
> 11. Would you like to have romanisation throughout the application, only
on
> non-audio sections or not at all?
I would like to have to option of showing hanzi, romanization, or both.
> · Should they be written or audio or both?
I think written directions are probably the way to go with this. It wouldn't hurt to include an audio version, but it should not be audio only.
> · How much can users work out for themselves?
What you have isn't bad at all, although even in the grammar section, I'd like to have some stuff to click on to hear the pronunciation.
> · Could a tour of the application be used instead of instructions?
Absolutely.
> 2. Would you like to have the option to record and play back your voice?
I have always found that useful.
I would not include, however, any comparison possibility. I recently was the only native English speaker at an otherwise all-Chinese company, and one of my colleagues had an online "Learn English" course that had such a feature. Much to his delight, the program decided his English pronunciation was much better than mine
> 3. Would you like to see sub-titled video clips for dialogues?
That would be very useful. When speaking, it's amazing how much information seeing a person's mouth actually conveys.
> 4. Would you like radio and TV clips to be included?
As much as 650MB can hold. But you could also point out online links for streaming media.
> 5. Do you prefer navigational freedom or should the application follow a
> linear path?
Freedom. Yes, I follow a pretty linear path the first time through, but to make the CD worthy of purchase, it should be something worthy of review, and that I don't want to have to do from front to back.
> 6. Should there be a pre-test to assess the users ability?
Why? Unless you have multiple versions of the CD, there's no real point. (If you do have multiple versions, you could put a pretest on the website to indicate which version to buy.)
> 7. Did you feel that there was a build up of content as you progressed
> through the application?
Yes, although the gap between "here are the numbers" (basically single words) to the dialogs for telling time was somewhat big. A larger range of dialogs (shorter to longer) might be better.
> 8. How extensive would you like the grammar support and dictionary to be?
How much do you want to charge for the CD?
> 9. Should there be a choice between male and female speakers to match your
> voice to?
Absolutely. Especially for someone who has never studied or been exposed to a tonal language, relative tones can be a difficult concept to grasp.
> 10. Should tests be scored and should the score be recorded?
It might be a good option.
> 11. Would you like to have romanisation throughout the application, only
on
> non-audio sections or not at all?
I would like to have to option of showing hanzi, romanization, or both.