Future of the Language Lab

[Tony Anemone]

Colleagues,

As part of university-wide planning for the technology needs of the
future, the language programs at William and Mary have been asked to
think about the future of our Multi-Media Computing Center (what we
used to call our Language lab).  For example, we have been asked to
list the specific activities that faculty and students in the modern
languages and literatures presently use and anticipate using in the
future.  Two parts of the agenda driving the discussion are that W & M
is moving to have all undergraduate students purchase standard laptop
computers and a new media center is about to open in the library.  Both
of these initiative are seen by the people in Information Technology
and the Dean's office as good reasons to downsize or close the lab or
to transform it into a high-tech teaching and training facility.

I would appreciate hearing from any colleagues who have experience with
such issues or strong opinions about the future of language labs. e.g.,
  Do you think that laptop technology in the hands of faculty and
students renders language labs obsolete?  Are there unanticipated
problems that you have experienced with similar transformations at your
universities?  Do you agree that textbooks with instructional trapes,
CDs or DVDs, and Windows computers on which one can tape, save and
share speech excerpts, etc. can indeed fulfill the traditional
functions of the lab.

Thanks,

Tony



Tony Anemone, Chair MLL
Associate Professor of Russian
P.O. Box 8795
Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
College of William and Mary
phone:          757-221-3636
fax:            757-221-3637

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