|
|
|
CONTACT
Jaime Quinn
homunculus@kagi.com
How does it work?
This is a combination of immediate usefulness and long-term benefits
that is unmatched by any other product on any platform. Say someone is
are learning a language by using it - the best way to learn. Instead of
carrying around a bulky foreign language dictionary or phrasebook, they
can simply install Translate onto their pocket-sized PalmPilot. When they
need a word, they look it up with digital speed.
At the same time, they're also learning the language, and they want
to remember the word for the long term. So, automatically or at the touch
of a button, they export the word - in English and the other language -
to Flash!. Flash! makes a flash card out of it, and puts it in a deck devoted
to that language to study later. When they study using Flash!, it responds
to how easy or hard they find it to learn each word, making an individualized
study schedule and tracking their progress. They can even test themselves
using multiple choice questions, where Flash! tries to trick you by giving
you the options you've mixed up in the past!
Flash conforms to the latest research on learning by scheduling each
card on an "expanding pattern of retrieval". When people study a fact on
intervals that increase as they learn, the transition from short-term to
long-term memory becomes natural and painless. Educators know this, and
place periodic cumulative reviews into textbooks. But no other product,
printed or digital, will automatically fine-tune this process - on a point-by-point
basis - to an individual's own pace of learning . Research shows that this
study method has "Wide potential application... [We find] evidence for
the generality of this learning strategy." (William et al, "Expanding Pattern
of Retrieval", Journal of Experimental Psychology Applied 1996 2(4))
Why is this so timely?
In today's world, borders are increasingly disappearing. Both culturally and commercially, international exchange is more and more common. On the commercial side, new laws and technologies are making it easier to negotiate old borders. All the more vital, then, that we learn to understand each other and the larger effects of our interactions. But on the cultural side, one border remains strong: language.
New technologies to aid crossing that border are needed. Recent research from the National Foreign Language Center at Johns Hopkins ("Case study of America's Language Needs", Brecht 1996) shows that a crisis may be approaching as traditional classroom language instruction falls behind the need for bilingual proficiency. Technologies and services such as Altavista's Translate are helpful, but do nothing to increase the number of bilingually competent people, who are always in demand. This partnership is truly a radical step for technological aids to language learning.
The companies and products
Flash!, Homunculus software's flagship, has received rave reviews from both customers and reviewers. The professional reviewers at pilotzone.com, the moderated PalmPilot software site from the makers of Tucows, gave "Flash! 1.0" 5 planes - the highest rating, and superior to many pilot standbys such as RPN and AportisDoc. Since then, Flash! has only improved, with many new features added through version 1.4. This partnership is only the first of several planned targeted integrations between Flash! and popular pilot titles. Homunculus software is committed to providing software that works they way your brain works.
Contact: homunculus@kagi.com.
Flash! home page: http://www.oberlin.edu/~jquinn/flash.html
Translate is the original foreign language dictionary for the PalmPilot and offers dictionaries for over 16 languages. The application supports two-way word and phrase translation and features easy VCR-like navigation for browsing the dictionaries loaded. It's advance searching features allow it to find the closest match if a word is misspelled or not contained in the dictionary. Exporting to the Flash! program can be set to be performed automatically after each lookup, or manually, by selectively pressing an export button.
DDH Software has many different software titles available for the 3com PalmPilot and IBM Workpad. The applications range from language and reference titles like Translate and Thesaurus/SpellCheck, to games like Hangman and Wheel of Treasure. Over 16 languages available for purchase individually with Translate, with special discounts available for multiple language purchases.
Contact: David Haupert sales@ddhsoftware.com
http://www.ddhsoftware.com
-30-