Diamonds on my windshield: the use of computer-based instruction in computational linguistics

Many disciplines currently have more or less organized activities concerned with developing resources to support Internet-and computer-based instruction. This talk will examine this area, with particular focus on the questions: • What is special about computational linguistics in terms of its subject matter, history and existing resources? • What is the current state of resources in our area? • When is this kind of instruction justified? • What are the problems to be faced and what solutions might there be? We will see that in some cases computer-based intervention can lead to enhanced learning, and so provide a non-economic justification for the use of such techniques. Also, current technological developments offer part of the answer to the problem that such resources are often not reused.