Website Evaluation

website: Activities for ESL/EFL Students
http://a4esl.org


Question 1
The targeted users for this website would range from the beginner level, intermediate level and also advanced level. In my opinion, this website would be suitable for lower secondary students (Form 1, 2 and 3). The website has three different difficulty levels which the users can choose from according to their proficiency.

Question 2
This website is very simple. All the users have to do is just to select and click on the preferred link that suits their level of proficiency. This website is mainly exercises and quizzes. What the users can do with this website is to test their understanding towards what they have learned e.g. grammar. The questions and answers are in simple form where users are required to fill in the blanks or choose the correct answers from a grid list. There's also the 'Podcast' section where users can watch online or even download it in mp4 form.

Question 3
There is no need for any special or specific skills that the users need to have to learn or use this application. Yet, users will need basic computer skills to be able to explore this website. There are also crossword puzzles that focuses on grammar. This is similar to what I've learned in the previous class when using the Hot Potato program.

Question 4
Actually, yes. It does remind me of some activities I've done in school. However, I wished my former school was well equipped with such technology so that I could have done online exercises like these. In fact, I used to have exercises like filling in the blanks and a couple of crosswords and grammar games too. However, I find this website interesting but not 'fun'. The good feature about this website is that by the end of every exercise or quiz, the scores of your performance will be stated.

Question 5
My opinion is that the website will be best be held in a lab associated with a class and also a teacher-led class with one or a few computers. Since the website does not require anything 'big' from the users to be able to manipulate the website, it can also be done independently at home. But it is best that there is someone present for guidance and as a facilitator to the users.

Question 6
Well, this website is mainly focusing on the usage of the language (grammar, vocabulary and listening). Therefore, there are communicative and listening (pronunciation) features found in the exercises. The learning theories for communicative (grammar) is where users figure out the structure of language or also known as a sentence (syntax). The parts of speech actually helps users to identify and decide the correct sentence structure and semantically correct. Vocabulary is important to expand the choice of words in the spoken language. And as for the listening (Podcast), users can learn pronunciation of words. By doing the exercises and quizzes in the website as a drill, users will improve in the language.

Question 7
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory, there are no signs of it whereby this website is mostly exercise and quizzes and there are no inclusions of problem solving like mathematics and such.

Vygotsky's constructivist theory of learning associates with the user's social constructivism which encourages the learner to arrive at his or her own version of the truth, influenced by his or her background, culture or embedded worldview. So to say, this theory does not really imply in the website as well.

Question 8
The computer was rising fast in the two past decades. It is said that the computer does multiple tasks that humans can't do and that the computer was a slave. Whereby on the other hand, humans are depending so much on computers that it was referred to as a master. However, when it comes to the learning process, the computer is never a replacement for teachers. This is because learners of today and of the future will still need a facilitator and guidance from a teacher. The computer may provide guidance to learners but it is limited comparing to a teacher, whose guidance is unlimited. Therefore, the computer is merely an obedient servant to students. There still has to be interaction with both human and technology, but the most important one is the communication between two individuals and not a machine.

Question 9
I wouldn't be so sure to use this website for my future work. Yet, I do like the activities on the website, but the layout is sort of cluttered everywhere especially the links. It is not categorized properly or in proper order. But still, it is still useable and not too complicated to manipulate the website. Even if I want apply the activities from this website, the best I could do is just to adapt it and do it the traditional way which is pen and paper, and chalk and board.

Question 10
It would be great of the author would brighten up the page/layout as it will be more attractive to users, which will then instill some sort of motivation to explore the website. Referring to Question 9, it would be helpful if the links were put in proper order (perhaps in tables/boxes). Apart from that, everything is okay because it is simple and easy to use. But, one good thing about this website is that it provides other useful/related links regarding ESL websites.


Gwendolyn Gail Yong
2004327554
U8B