Northern Illinois University
World Languages and Cultures
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

After I finished writing my comprehensive exams at Queen’s University, I got my first "real job" setting up a German language program at Middle Georgia College, a small junior college in Cochran, Georgia. The program included a distance learning component and the courses were delivered via interactive satellite broadcast to four other colleges throughout southern Georgia. Working with technology and adapting my teaching to a distance-learning format brought about a "switch of allegiances," and I abandoned my focus on 19th-century German literature to begin working in the area of technology-enhanced language learning.

I enjoy teaching the German language – especially at the elementary and intermediate levels when students are still surprised and fascinated by the intricacies and eccentricities of the language. I recently introduced a film component to my elementary-level course, which will encourage students to look closely at aspects of German culture and language that their textbooks simply cannot provide.

I am currently working on a book on technology-enhanced language learning (TELL) that outlines a variety of approaches to employing technology in FL education and provides a comprehensive analysis of technological tools best suited to a variety of instructional goals. I am especially interested in alternate assessment methods, games and gamification in FL education, and the use of virtual environments for online FL course delivery.

When I am not in "professor mode", I enjoy spending time with my family, hanging out with my two dogs and three cats, yoga, learning to ride (hunter jumper/dressage), learning Japanese, knitting and crocheting and lots of reading (mostly the dark stuff).

Selected Publications

• "A New Language for the Net-Generation: Why Second Life Works for the N-Gen" World Language Teaching in the N-Generation: Issues and Perspectives (Oxford and Oxford, Eds.) University of Hawai`i Press, 173-181.
• "Learning in 3-D Multi-User Virtual Environments: Exploring the use of Unique 3-D Attributes for Online Problem Based Learning" (Co-authored with Nicholas Omale, Wei-Chen Hung, and Lara Luetkehans). British Journal of Educational Technology 40(3) 480–495.
• "New Directions in CALL: An Objective Introduction to Second Life" Volume 25, Issue No.3 of the CALICO Journal 25(3) pp. 547-557.
• Cooke-Plagwitz, J. and Lomicka, L. (Editors) Teaching with Technology. Heinle Professional Series in Language Instruction: Vol 1. Boston: Heinle, 2004.

Memberships

• Modern Language Association (MLA)
• International Association for Language Learning Technology (IALLT)
• Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ICTFL)
• American Association of Teachers of German (AATG)
• American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
• Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)

Education

• Ph.D., Queen's University
• M.A., Dalhousie University
• B.A., Dalhousie University