Dr. George Mitrevski is Coordinator of the Language Lab at Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama.
Reprinted by permission from:
IALL Journal of Language Learning Technologies
Volume 26, Number 2, 1993, pp. 57-60
(c) Copyright 1993 by IALL, International Association of Learning Laboratories
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Storyspace in the Language Laboratory
reviewed by
Dr. George Mitrevski
Auburn University
Storyspace is perfect for delivering hypertext information clearly and in an interactive format.
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Because the program offers a wealth of hyperlinking capabilities, it can be extremely useful for developing reading materials for foreign language learners
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Because the program offers a wealth of hyperlinking capabilities, it can be extremely useful for developing reading materials for foreign language learners. An author can begin a project by importing an existing text from a word processing document into a Storyspace document. The document can be presented to the student on several levels. If it is presented for reading comprehension purposes, you can annotate the text by providing translation for items (word, phrases, sentences, etc.) that you feel readers may find difficult. You may include as much, or as little, annotation as you feel is necessary. In addition to the translation, you can also include information about usage and grammar. If you would like to have the student look at additional examples and explanations, you can create a link between the annotation and another writing space containing the information. By adding a guard field to a link, you can prevent the student from continuing the reading until after he or she looks at a specific writing space. You can also create simple reading comprehension exercises for the student to complete at several intervals during the reading, or at the end. Because Storyspace does not have any answer-analysis utilities, the student would have to print out the answers and turn them in for grading.
If you are developing a document for advanced-level students, you would probably not include as many translation annotations, but instead might include extensive cultural annotations. If the subject matter deals with something that can be explained much easier with images, you can link any part of the text to a writing space containing graphics.
Storyspace excels in developing hypermedia documents from texts that have rich subtexts.
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To give you an example, I am now experimenting with Storyspace to present several poems by the Russian poet Alexandr Blok in hypermedia format. The poems are about art, and they deal with three famous architectural monuments: Hagia Sophia, Notre Dame, and the Admiralty in St. Petersburg. I started with the text of a paper that I had written a long time ago as a graduate student. Analysis of the structure and meaning of each poem is presented in the form of links. Because there are numerous references in each poem to specific parts of each monument, I scanned photographs of each monument, imported the graphics into the Storyspace document, and created links between items in the poems and appropriate parts in the graphics.
Storyspace excels in developing hypermedia documents from texts that have rich subtexts. Because documents are dynamic, it is quite easy to get the reader/student involved in reading and expanding the hypertext. This is a program you would want to recommend to instructors who teach introductory level literature and culture courses in the target language. It is perfect for delivering linguistic and cultural information in an interactive format.
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