--- Forwarded Message from Olaf Bohlke <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 13:27:58 -0500
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum               <[log in to unmask]>
>From: Olaf Bohlke <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #5629 Plan to Kill in Spanish Partner
>Cc: [log in to unmask]
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>

------------------
Thank you very much for pointing this out.  Such a scenario probably seemed
more like a joke when the program was written (Summer 1993 according to
file dates), but after the school shootings in recent years, it feels
inappropriate to expose our students to such ideas.

On our Window 95 machines, the DOS version of Spanish Partner is saved in a
folder named "spanish".  It contains all programming files and data files.
Here are a few ideas which may help.

1. The exercise you mention is in a file named "Ppadj.doc"  This file can
be opened e.g. with MS Word and could be edited, if you know what you are
doing.  For example, the verb "kill" could be replaced with another verb
(watch for all the references to item 4 further down in the document).

2. A quick and clean solution would be to delete this file.  The user
receives a message "Sorry.  This lesson is not ready.  Press Return to
continue" if the item selected.  Hitting Return takes her/him back to the
menu.

3. Or within the "Ppadj.doc" document, highlite and delete the text within
the Item 4 section and its references further down in the document.  The
exercise will still work, but Item 4 is gone.  However, the attack-scenario
is still the same.

Please post any other "solutions" to this problem.

Thank you,
Olaf

Olaf Bohlke, director HLRC
Creighton University
http://www.creighton.edu/langlab
Email: [log in to unmask]






At 08:01 AM 5/1/00 EDT, you wrote:
>--- Forwarded Message from Karima Benremouga <[log in to unmask]> ---
>
>>Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 07:37:04 -0500
>>From: Karima Benremouga <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject: Plan to Kill in Spanish Partner
>>In-reply-to: <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
<[log in to unmask]>
>
>------------------
>
>Dear Colleagues,
>Forgive my title, I had to find one that accurately describes the message.
>We have used Spanish Partner for years, and only yesterday, a student
>complained about one of the exercises under "un poco de todo", past
>Participle as Adjective.
>This is how the exercise starts:
>"Imagine that you and a friend are planning to kill your Spanish instructor."
>Then the twelve exercise items describe the killing plan.
>
>My questions to you are:
>1.  Has anyone else seen this exercise?
>2.  If so, how did handle it?
>
>Thank you for your help.
>
>Karima
>
>
>________________________________________________
>Karima Benremouga
>Director of Foreign Language Laboratory
>311 AH
>4800 Calhoun Street
>University of Houston
>Houston, Texas 77204-3783
>Phone: (713) 743-3211
>Fax: (713) 743-3210
>E-mail:  [log in to unmask]
>URL: http://www.hfac.uh.edu/mcl/
> http://www.hfac.uh.edu/mcl/karima
>
>