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Resistance, reluctance and radicalism: A study of staff reaction to the adoption of CALL/C&IT in modern languages departments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 June 2002

JOHN H. GILLESPIE
Affiliation:
School of Languages & Literature, University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine Northern Ireland, BT52 1SA (email: J.Gillespie@ulster.ac.uk)
J. DAVID BARR
Affiliation:
School of Languages & Literature, University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine Northern Ireland, BT52 1SA (email: J.Gillespie@ulster.ac.uk)

Abstract

This paper examines staff reaction towards the use of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and Communications and Information Technology (C&IT) in language learning and teaching. It considers the attitudes of colleagues in three different universities, two in the UK and one in Canada. Our findings suggest that staff in these three locations are not resistant to the use of computer technology in learning and teaching but rather that any hesitations they have are due to a range of different factors of a practical kind, ranging from time pressures to course relevance. We found that staff in one institution are clearly more enthusiastic about using CALL and C&IT than colleagues in the other two, but that they were also widely welcomed in the latter. One of the main reasons for this has been the creation of common learning environments on the Web. In addition, findings show that staff already convinced of the benefits that CALL and C&IT bring to the teaching and learning experience (radicals) have a role in encouraging their less enthusiastic colleagues to begin using this form of technology. However, we found that the majority of colleagues are not radicals, but pragmatists, and are willing to make use of CALL and C&IT provided that the benefits are clearly guaranteed. There remains a small minority of conservatives. No suggestions are made as to how to deal with them.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press

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