User-centered Computer Aided Language Learning

In the field of computer aided language learning (CALL), there is a need for emphasizing the importance of the user. User-Centered Computer Aided Language Learning presents methodologies, strategies, and design approaches for building interfaces for a user-centered CALL environment, creating a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges of the field. User-Centered Computer Aided Language Learning acts as a guide to help educators, administrators, professionals and researchers find the basis of a framework for the development and management of CALL environments that are enriched with many domains and take into account interaction and activity, which go beyond the basic linguistic elements of the field.

Panayiotis Zaphiris is a senior lecturer at the Centre for Human-Computer Interaction Design, School of Informatics of City University London, UK. Before joining City University, he was a researcher at the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, USA, where he also got his Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction. He also holds an MSc in Systems Engineering and a BSc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland. His research interests lie in Human-Computer Interaction with an emphasis in inclusive design and social aspect of computing. He is also interested in Internet-related research, such as Web usability, online communities, e-learning and social network analysis of online computer-mediated communication.

Giorgos Zacharia is a Ph.D. student in Computer Science at MIT, USA, and a member of the Center for Biological and Computational Learning of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. His research focuses on multitask learning, and learning algorithms for ranking and conjoint analysis problems. He holds an S.M. from the Software Agents group of the MIT Media Laboratory, where he did research in reputation mechanisms for online communities, dynamic pricing, and information retrieval. His research interests in Human Computer Interaction include e-learning and quantitative methods for evaluating interactions of networked communities. Zacharia was the Founder and Chief Scientist of Open Ratings Inc. where he lead research and development, to develop supply base risk management solutions using predictive data mining.