Open Source Software

[John D. Dieter]

Has anyone experience of using Microsoft Agents...

Microsoft agent is cartoon characters. (like clippy in word)

You "play" with cartoon characters. Can we please concentrate on serious technology - and not play animations and cartoons?

If you want games - there are plenty of open source game engines you can use.

If you are serious about computer technology - leave the games alone. They are a waste of time.

[Maggie Jarvis]

Microsoft agent is cartoon characters. (like clippy in word)

You "play" with cartoon characters. Can we please concentrate on serious technology - and not play animations and cartoons?

If you want games - there are plenty of open source game engines you can use.

If you are serious about computer technology - leave the games alone. They are a waste of time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

John, I have no intention of 'playing', but I am interested in making learning activities more attractive for the sort of students I teach. If that means using animated characters that will engage low ability students then I feel that this is an appropriate use of this sort of technology. My question was not intended to be frivolous in any way.

[Graham Davies]

Games are considered to be an essential part of teaching in my subject area, Modern Foreign Languages. I used games of various sorts in my lessons long before computers became affordable for schools and long before some members of this Forum were born (I am now approaching 63). Have you heard of Kar2ouche? See: http://www.kar2ouche.com

"Games are a waste of time." Rubbish! Computer games involving a language-learning task or games such as Sim City that can be utilised for language-learning tasks make a valuable contribution to language learning - and stacks of literature have been written about this topic.