Educators embraced the use of new technology since the use of the microcomputer became prevalent in schools and homes in the early`` 80s. The rapid technological innovation enable educators to integrate computers with other types of media, such as gra...
Educators embraced the use of new technology since the use of the microcomputer became prevalent in schools and homes in the early`` 80s. The rapid technological innovation enable educators to integrate computers with other types of media, such as graphics, animation, audio and video, and called interactive multimedia. The interactive multimedia has been claimed to have great potential for learning, allowing a high degree of freedom of navigation and learner control in this environment. In contras t to a large number of claims about the benefits of using technology in language learning, a small amount of research has supported such hopes. In addition to the paucity of currentres earch about interactive multimedia, the results of existing research have not identified or explained sufficiently the benefits of interactive multimedia. Traditional experiment research methods have failed because they attempted to examine the effects of CALL in laboratory- like experiments, thus ignoring the effect of all the integrating variables surrounding technology use. It should be noted that the interactions students have with materials such as interactive multimedia programs are affected by the whole culture of a classroom, by how an instructor incorportes a new environment and how students in that setting react to a new environment. This research investigated, first, the use of interactive multimedia language learning material within a classroom, employing a case study, and second, types of interactions and learning strategies students are using when they work with the interactive multimedia program, employing a think-aloud/retrospective protocol. The analysis of interactions and learning strategies were described and explained in relation to the whole context of the classroom culture in this environment, thereby revealing the role of interactive multimedia in an ESL classroom. The results of this study identified the use of different types of learning strategies and the role of those for in- depth and meaningful learning. It also demons trated the significantrole of a whole and cohesive learning environment in which the teacher, students, and computer interacted together so that the students could have independent and responsible leaning in this environment.