Best practices from prior research; applicability to specific groups/environments

Background:  The field of CALL has been undergoing rapid technological change right along with the tech industries.  Researchers and practitioners of CALL tend to favor the “cutting edge” to extend the field and jump onto the latest innovations even before current technologies become fully deployed or widely available.  The area is mature enough with an ample body of research for taking a step to establish base-line “best practices” or a set of research based guidelines for current practices that can guide teachers in the classroom, aid administrators in making rationale decisions for the support of learning technologies, and provide a solid foundation for future directions in CALL.

Research question: What are the “best practices” in CALL as established in prior research findings?  In what learning environments or student populations are they most applicable?

Suggested methodology/comments:  A meta-study examining the state of CALL in a historical context going back to early research.  Almost three decades of research on educational technologies is available that should be able to be pulled together relating to elementary, secondary and post-secondary student populations that could be used to identify trends, effective practices and groups served.

Contact:  Colin Sachs   csachs@wsu.edu

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