ERIC Number: ED372630
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1993
Pages: 74
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The MacMagic Program and Its Effects on "English as a Second Language" Students. An Evaluation Study.
Kim, Mi J.
This report presents a description and evaluation of the MacMagic Program, a computer-facilitated core program in language arts and social studies in its fourth year of operation at Davidson Middle School in San Rafael, California. The program consists of two sixth- and two seventh-grade classrooms that use computers and cooperative learning techniques to enhance learning. The evaluation of the MacMagic Program sought, among other objectives, to assess the program's utility as a vehicle to enhance the learning of English as a Second Language (ESL) among the program's multilingual students. The evaluation consisted of classroom observations, administration of the Language Assessment Scale test to students, and comparisons of 22 ESL MacMagic students with 22 similar students in the regular ESL program at the school. Overall, it found that students expressed positive opinions about the MacMagic program and enjoyed working with computers. Comparisons between MacMagic and regular ESL students found no significant differences in test scores, absenteeism, and English language proficiency. The amount of social interaction between ESL students and native English speakers was higher in the MacMagic Program than in the regular ESL program. Recommendations for program improvement are presented. (Contains 102 references.) (MDM)
Descriptors: Classroom Communication, Comparative Analysis, Computer Assisted Instruction, English (Second Language), Grade 6, Grade 7, Intermediate Grades, Junior High Schools, Language Arts, Language Proficiency, Middle Schools, Native Speakers, Program Descriptions, Program Effectiveness, Program Evaluation, Second Language Programs, Social Studies, Student Attitudes
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Marin Community Foundation, San Rafael, CA.
Authoring Institution: Beryl Buck Inst. for Education, Novato, CA.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A