広島大学バーチャルユニバーシティ : オンラインドイツ語講座の構築 その2

For the past two and a half years, faculty members and employees at Hiroshima University have been developing innovative Internet and LAN materials which can be used to supplement regular German language courses in the framework of the Virtual University Project, sponsored by the National Institute of Multimedia Education. In the beginning stages of the project, site designers concentrated on providing supplementary learning opportunities for improving the passive language ability of listening, and for cultivating the underlying knowledge system which includes grammar and vocabulary. But in near future, more effort will be put into developing materials for improving the active language abilities, especially writing. This paper explains in detail about the development of the on-line materials during 2002. (For a general introduction to this project and the development during 2001, see Iwasaki, 2002.) In oarticular. this reoort exolains about: 1. The German learning video entitled "Ein Sommer in Hamburg" (VHS 90min), delivered by video-on-demand; 2. On-line materials for dialog exercises based on the video "Ein Sommer in Hamburg"; and 3. A link page for learners of German entitled "Best Internet Sites for Learning German". This paper also discusses several institutional problems which make it difficult to develop new teaching materials in most Japanese national universities. For example, site designers face: 1. A lack of technical and human aid; 2. Inadequate financial support; and 3. Little formal recognition-in the form of promotions and salary raises-which would encourage the develonment of on-line educational materials. Some concrete countermeasures to overcome these obstacles are proposed. A new special department should be established which can provide technical consulting with respect to materials development. Assistants with proper skills should be hired Crucial equipment needs to be provided. The Internet materials can be accessed from the front page of Hiroshima University's Virtual University On-line German Course Web site (http://flare.media.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/grerman).