At the American University in Washington, D.C., faculty are using the Macintosh for instruction in a number of Latin American Studies courses in the Department of Language and Foreign Studies.
In an interdisciplinary general education course taught in English, Latin America: History, Art, Literature, a desktop-published text prepared on a Macintosh using Microsoft Word and scanned graphics, is used as a supplement to a commercially available Latin American history text.
Professor Jack Child developed a series of three HyperCard stacks that review the materials in these two texts, take the student through a series of map and other exercises, and then provide tests (multiple choice and identification) that are similar to the ones used in quizzes and exams. A “short answer” section is used by the student to type in answers to questions; the disks are then turned in to the instructor for grading and comments.
The HyperCard stacks use text, visuals, and some sound, and are supplemented with a videotape of the professor’s lectures with 35mm slides. The overall package was selected as one of EDUCOM’s “101 Success Stories of Information Technologies in Higher Education” in 1991.
A Spanish translation course uses a second set of HyperCard stacks, “Introduction to the Geography of Latin America,” also authored by Child. These have been prepared in two languages (English and Spanish), and the student is instructed to begin the program in Spanish. If any difficulties are encountered, the student can open a screen giving the English translation of a particular phrase or paragraph. Essay and multiple-choice answer exercises at the end of the program test the student’s proficiency and are turned in for a grade.
The translation course also uses a HyperCard stack prepared by the instructor that tests students’ knowledge of idiomatic expressions in Spanish. These are provided to the student orally and in writing, with the English translation and usage in a typical sentence available if the student needs help.
The course used a desktop-published text prepared by the instructor, but after several semesters in this and other universities, the text has now been published by a commercial outlet, using the Microsoft Word camera-ready version provided by the instructor.
In addition to the HyperCard stacks authored by the faculty member, both courses also use several commercially available Macintosh applications, such as Hidden Agenda, a role-playing game set in Central America, and Hyperglot Spanish grammar review exercises.
Students report, in their anonymous course evaluations, that these uses of the Macintosh have added an interesting motivational aspect to their courses, and have proven to be effective techniques for reviewing before daily class sessions and exams. International and learning-disabled students are especially grateful for the opportunity to be able to review material as often as they wish in a low-pressure situation where no one is watching them.
Contact Dr. Jack Child, Department of Language and Foreign Studies, The American University, Washington, D.C. 20016; (202) 885-2385.
