E-Learning and foreign languages

Diploma Thesis from the year 2002 in the subject Computer Science - Miscellaneous, grade: 1,0, University of Applied Sciences Bielefeld (unbekannt), language: English, abstract: Inhaltsangabe:Abstract:§Language learning software has been available on the market for a couple of years. So far the most common form of delivering the product is a CD-Rom. The Internet offers not only the possibility to deliver this product in an immaterial way, but also to add new features to it.§The goal of the thesis is to find out, which additional features an online offered language learning software must possess, to satisfy the needs of the customer. This task is part of the so called new product development process. It is a very complex process and refers to all departments of a company, even though, for a long time it has been considered to be only the job of the R & D department. But to solve the above mentioned task, the technical component, of new product development is not important. For this piece of work only the point of view of the marketing department is important, as it is their duty to observe the market expectations. Therefore this thesis only covers the first part of new product development, the opportunity identification, and partly the design.§Firstly the different environments were studied and secondary data were collected. A main part of the secondary data were delivered by a European Union study from the year 2000. This research was focused on the knowledge and habits of EU inhabitants regarding foreign languages. §After the examination of the available secondary data, the required primary data were collected, to find out how the single features satisfy the requirements of the target group. Other secondary data were delivered by pedagogical departments of universities. They researched and evaluated, from the pedagogical point of view, possible online features like e-mail, newsgroups and chats, videoconferences, downloadable video / audio files and up to date articles.§This thesis objective is to find out, how these possible features meet the requirements of the customer, or to be more precise of the target group. Therefore the target group had to be defined. Defined by profession, the target group consist of: Students in higher education and universities, managers and White Collar Workers.§Thanks to the secondary data, the needs of the target group are known. To obtain the required primary data, on how the possible product features satisfy the market needs, a questionnaire was designed. The interviews took place in two countries and at international courses in order to be able to consider domestic differences. The universities were: The University of Applied Science, Bielefeld, Germany and the Universidade do Minho, Braga Portugal.§The results were analysed and afterwards the few available offers, of online language learning products, were evaluated according to the obtained results. Resulting from this work one can state that there is a general positive attitude of the respondents regarding the new possible features, even though different attitude groups exist.§The features that are considered to be the most valuable and helpful ones are E-mail, newsgroups and Chat and Downloadable Video / Audio files . At present there is not even a handful of companies, which are offering one or all of the new possible features, on the Internet. This means the entry barrier for this emerging market is still very low and that makes this market quite attractive.§Inhaltsverzeichnis:Table of Contents:§1.)Executive Summary4§2.)Introduction6§a.)A General outline of the development in Europe6§b.)Elearning of foreign languages7§c.)The part of New Product Development8§3.)Literature Review9§a.)Introduction9§b.)Elearning from the pedagogical point of View9§c.)Problems of New Product Development11§i....