Left, Nancy Heiges, standing, works through her award-winning "The Mysterious Hitchhiker," with ALP student Ki Seol Yang.Heiges's "The Mysterious Hitchhiker" was selected as the winner in the category for U.S. entries. The project, for which she received a $400 prize from Berlitz, is a computer program to help English as a Second Language (ESL) students learn and practice reading, grammar, and listening skills.
"It's a series of HyperCard stacks; each stack is based on legend, like the famous 'vanishing hitchhiker' story. That's the first one, in fact," said Heiges. "Students can read the story, click on words to hear them pronounced or see a definition, and do various activities using the content of the story," she added. The program is stationed in the Mac Lab at the Georgia Center.
"I'm honored by this award, and I couldn't have done it without the support and encouragement of my boss, Martyn Miller (head of the American Language Program) or the technical expertise of Clate Sanders (administrative specialist) and Brad Cahoon (coordinator for technology-based instruction) at the Georgia Center," said Heiges. She also credits Susan Gill, an ALP public service faculty member who illustrated Heiges's program, for "contributing to the success of this program."