The Patient But Stupid Computer: What Computers Do Best and What Teachers do Best.

In 1994, the CAELL Journal featured an article based on a comment by a troubled student who was overheard muttering over and over, “Stupid computer.” When asked by the teacher why the student didn’t just turn the computer off if it was so stupid, the student replied, “Because it’s so patient.” The article reflected then on some of the advantages computers demonstrated over human teachers. In the 20 years since that article was published, enormous advances have been seen both in computer-based language learning and the sophistication of students using it. This presentation moves from what teachers and computers do best to how teachers can use computers in new forms of teaching and research.