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In:Language-Learner Computer Interactions: Theory, methodology and CALL applications
Edited by Catherine Caws and Marie-Josée Hamel
[Language Studies, Science and Engineering 2] 2016
► pp. 17–40

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CALL ergonomics revisited

ORCiD logo with link | University of Victoria, Canada
 | University of Ottawa, Canada
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Published online: 14 June 2016
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https://doi.org/10.1075/lsse.2.02caw
This chapter revisits the field of educational ergonomics in the light of the current state of learner-computer interactions (LCI) and within the specific context of language learning. The discussion starts by defining the elements that constitute ergonomics in computer assisted language learning (CALL) as a methodological and theoretical framework, reviewing key concepts and principal theories upon which CALL ergonomics is based. The discussion focuses on the motives behind this innovative approach before exploring specific examples of engineering methods that can be applied to CALL research. We argue that methods inherited from human-computer interaction (HCI) or human-­centred design (HCD) offer an excellent complement to CALL research and that, vice-­versa, CALL ergonomics constitutes a framework that is closely related to HCI research, in that the user plays a central role in influencing the interactions, providing rich data that can be recycled in many ways.
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