Potential superiority of some CALL modalities over alternatives

Background:  Some CALL modalities are very difficult to replicate in any other learning/teaching medium, e.g. auditory/visual enhancement of acoustic characteristics of speech, individualized dictionary on demand in reading. It would seem that these CALL modalities might offer increased efficiency-effectiveness in learning that can be (easily) proved by comparison with non-CALL media. Yet there is hardly any research being done by careful comparative experimental-control group designs.

Research question:  Effectiveness-Efficiency Question: Are any CALL modalities so efficient-effective in assisting learners that they can  be claimed to be superior to other learning-teaching modes, for at least some definable groups and circumstances?

Other Question: What are the modalities of CALL that currently exist which are truly new and could not be replicated in other contexts? (a survey of CALL to identify these and to point out those which are in fact rather similar to other modalities would be valuable.

Suggested methodology/comments:  I would like to see more carefully controlled comparative studies.

Contact:  Anonymous

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