Comments on Chapter 6

In my university, most of tasks in intensive reading class, if any, fall on the 4 point on the flexibility continuum since the time, place, pacing and outcome of tasks are predetermined and fixed. IT techonology would only be involved in the preparation stage of the task to search and collect relevant data and information needed. Take class discussion as an example. The topic will be assigned to students nearly two weeks before the discussion for them to prepare their speech. Relevant websites , webpages or search engine would be provided by teacher. Then with the data or information collected through individual work, students attend the oral discussion organized by teacher. Even the purpose of the task is to help students to contruct knowlege and practice oral English, the process is individualized with little help from teacher particularly. "Liberated" tasks are far from our reach in class due to the fixed curriculum and large class size. IT may offer a option for teacher and students and liberate them to limited extent given that both students and teacher are willing and capable to integrate it into learning. The major reason lies in the "physical learning distance", we are really short of resources and access to necessary material.