Catherine G. Caws, PhD (UBC)

Contact

Tel. : (250) 721-7364      
Office : Clearihue C247A
Email : ccaws@uvic.ca

Catherine Caws completed an M.A. in English and Canadian civilization at the Université de Nantes (France) and a Diploma in Translation at the University of British Columbia before undertaking doctoral studies in French Linguistics at the University of British Columbia. She has been teaching at the University of Victoria since 2002. Her doctoral research was on the semantic and lexical identity of French idiomatic expressions, and more specifically on their historical description. Her dissertation concentrated on specific idioms using MelCuk text-meaning theory to describe them more accurately. After she graduated from UBC, she taught at Simon Fraser University and while continuing her work in phraseology, she started research in Computer Assisted Language Learning as it relates to the teaching and learning of French in higher education settings. Her work is strongly influenced by cognitive and constructivist theories, and lately she has also been investigating the connection between A.T. (Activity Theory) and computer assisted learning.

Specializations

Second Language Teaching
Computer-Assisted Language Learning
Computer-Networking
Lexicology and Lexicography

Selected Publications and reviews (2005-2009)

Hamel, M.-J. et Caws, C. Usability Tests in CALL Development: Pilot Studies in the Context of the Dire autrement and FrancoToile, Calico Journal 27(3) 2010. pp. 491-504.

Contexte et culture en enseignement du FLS: de la création d'un corpus à son exploitation linguistique. Mélanges CRAPEL 31, 2009. pp. 205-222. Article online.

Development and Implementation of a Learning Object Repository for French Teching and Learning: Issues and Promises. CALICO Journal 26 (1) 2008. pp. 123-141.

Schuerholz-Lehr, S., Caws, C., Van Gyn, G. & Preece, A. "Internationalizing the higher education curriculum: An emerging model for transforming faculty perspectives". Canadian Journal of Higher Education.

Review of "The Hockey Sweater: educational et cultural CD-ROM". Language Learning and Technology, 11 (3).pp. 29-37, 2007. http://llt.msu.edu

"Nouvelle approche du traitement lexicographique de la locution : l'exemple de entre chien et loup". Cahiers de Lexicologie 89, 2006(2). pp. 1-13.

"Assessing group interactions on-line: Students' perspectives". Journal of Learning Design 2006, vol.1(3). pp. 19-28. http://www.jld.qut.edu.au/

Caws, C., Friesen, N. & Beaudoin, M. "A new learning object repository for language learning: methods and possibles outcomes". Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects, vol.2, 2006. pp. 111.124. http://ijklo.org/

Catherine Caws. "Application de principes cognitivistes et constructivistes à l'enseignement de l'écrit assisté par ordinateur: perceptions des étudiants". ALSIC, vol 8, 2005. pp. 146-166. http://alsic.revues.org/index343.html

Catherine Caws. "Evaluating a learning objects repository: a pilot study". The IALLT Journal of Language Learning Technologies, vol. 37, number 1, 2005. pp. 51-62.

Research Projects

"Usability tests in CALL development: Insights on the Learner-Task-Tool Interaction". A SSHRC funded project in collaboration with Dr. Marie-Josée Hamel (U Ottawa). 2010-2013. (410-2010-0356).

FrancoToile: a searchable digital library of video clips representing the Francophonie. Prtotype available at http://francotoile.uvic.ca Please contact me to obtain access. or use your UVic netlink id. SSHRC Funded- 2010-2013.

"Learning and teaching impact of a French learning object repository." In collaboration with Simon Fraser University and Faculté St Jean (U of Alberta) sponsored by SSHRC (820-2004-1050). http://flore.uvic.ca

Courses Taught (in the last three years)

FRAN165

FREN155, FREN185, FREN175, FREN195

FREN302A, FREN302B, FREN429

FREN502, FREN503, FREN504