--- Forwarded Message from "Samuels, Jeff" <[log in to unmask]> --- >Subject: RE: #7821 Language Labs Living On Borrowed Time? >Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 11:50:58 -0500 >Thread-Topic: #7821 Language Labs Living On Borrowed Time? >Thread-Index: AcUg2lcSYkQ1t4crTUG/gjShljImPw== >From: "Samuels, Jeff" <[log in to unmask]> >To: "LLTI-Editor" <[log in to unmask]> David, WOW! What a flurry of replies! As Read Gilgen pointed out, there are some presentations at IALLT that will address this issue (mine included). Not to belabor that point, I do wish to address the point you made that the textbook publishers are putting more and more online and hosting materials themselves. This is true, but we're not out of the woods yet! As Digital Exchange Coordinator for IALLT, I am particularly anxious to see this trend continue, but I have to say that we are far from the point where we can rely on the publishers to provide this service in a way that is dependable and consistent for our members. To wit, we still have to take into account: differences in file formats; permissions and restriction/authentication of users; usability and meta-data (What good is it to students when there is no list of exercises by title and page number, and instead they have to match up a file entitled "track 34" with their assigmnment?); and of course, bandwidth and speed concerns. We can address every one of these when publishers allow us to host materials on our own servers and networks, and to make index pages that guide the students to the materials they need. So, my sense is that the language lab / learning center / resource center as we know it is an evolving animal; yet there are certain services that many of us perform that we will continue to engage in until connectivity, security, ease of access, support, dedicated space needs, and other factors undergo a significant transformation. Let me close by seconding the many previous responders who have pointed out the increasing depth and complexity of our services to our students and colleagues. Best, your neighbor, Jeff Samuels Goucher College P.s. IALLT's Digital Exchange can be found at http://ibsen.dartmouth.edu -----Original Message----- From: LLTI-Editor [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2005 4:35 PM Subject: #7821 Language Labs Living On Borrowed Time? --- Forwarded Message from "David Flores" <[log in to unmask]> --- >Date: Wed, 02 Mar 2005 16:28:47 -0500 >From: "David Flores" <[log in to unmask]> >To: <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Language Labs Living On Borrowed Time? Our principal Spanish textbook is going to its 6th edition this Summer, and following a trend I've noticed with many FL textbooks lately: the workbook and much of the audio/video content that was traditionally housed in Language Learning Centers is being placed on the web. If this trend continues, much of our raison d'etre simply vanishes into cyberspace. Sure we still schedule and show foreign language films in our in-house theatre. Sure we still provide video production and editing facilities for classes that might have a short film project as an assignemnt. Sure we are open for instructors to run headset-based, interactive class sessions. But most of the use our lab sees... let's face it... is due to students completing their lab manual assignments and listening to the audio-tracks that are stored locally on our server. So how many of you guys are worried about your labs disappearing in 5 or so years? And have you any thoughts on how to keep the lab relevant even if textbook manufacturers move most of their audio/video content online? David Flores Director: Language Learning Center Loyola College in Maryland 4501 North Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21210 Ph: (410) 617-5230 Fax: (410) 617 2859 *********************************************** > LLTI is a service of IALLT, the International Association for Language >Learning, and The Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning >(http://consortium.dartmouth.edu). >Join IALLT at http://iallt.org. >Otmar Foelsche, LLTI-Editor ([log in to unmask]) >***********************************************