--- Forwarded Message from Judy Shoaf <[log in to unmask]> --- >Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 08:16:21 -0500 >From: Judy Shoaf <[log in to unmask]> >User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; en-US; rv:1.7.1) Gecko/20040707 >To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Re: #7843 Language labs without carrels? >References: <[log in to unmask]> >In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]> I would say, look at how the lab will be used! If it is primarily for individual drilling, testing, or other processes enhanced by privacy and isolation, then the booths are good. If it is going to be a computer lab with possibilities of collaborative work, then tables are better. Also consider the line of sight of the student and teacher. Our main audio lab has booths where the students face both the instructor and the computer. This is necessary for pronunciation work. It also makes it necessary for instructors to be sure that the lab planned is pretty demanding--otherwise students will be doing email or ebay (or downloading AOL messenger etc.) instead of the work. The booths probably encourage that sense of independence. We have another computer lab in which the computers are set up so that students, in movable chairs, face either the instructor or the computer; the instructor can see all the student screens, the computers being on open tables. This is much more flexible for classes that are not intensive labs but mix lecture with computer work. Judy