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About Us

The MOBL group at UMD seeks to harness the vast potential of mobile computing for language learning inside and outside the classroom. Our work involves students directly, and is conducted in such a way as to produce innovative research on the intersection of second language learning, digital technology and cultural studies.

Our Team

Dana Lindaman

Dana Lindaman is an Associate Professor of French Studies at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He teaches all levels of French language and culture and looks for opportunities to engage students (and himself) in active learning.

Dan Nolan

Dan Nolan is an Assistant Professor of German Studies here at UMD. His research in literary criticism focuses on gestures of truthfulness in the emerging publics of Germany and Russia in the 18th and 19th centuries. He also helped to found this group. Working with students and faculty from across the campus, the Mobile Language Learning Group develops applications that tap into the potential of emerging mobile computational devices to augment a variety of aspects of second language acquisition.

Pete Willemsen

In addition to helping to manage, inspire and support this group, Pete also runs the Simulation and Interaction in Virtual Environments (SIVE) Lab with a research group composed of Master’s level graduate students, and many talented undergraduates. His research efforts are highly interdisciplinary and are focused on the simulation of physical phenomena and interaction within virtual environments.

Fiona Reid

Fiona is a Graphic Design major at UMD. She helps design elements for the MOBLL group, such as their logo and website. She’s an avid illustrator as well as graphic designer, and enjoys anything that allows people to be creative and open minded.

Charles McGregor

Often found working on the various projects at MOBLL, Charles is a Computer Science major and Art minor student at UMD. Whether it be constructing the codebase, designing interesting game mechanics, or even making some new tunes, he is trying to bridge the gap between disciplines including language learning with intuitive games and apps. When he isn’t toiling away on the latest MOBLL app, he is often found developing his own games at Tribe Games.

Past Members

Jonathan Beaulieu

Aleksander Straumann

Ryan Goff

Joshua Ruprecht

Brett Tyson

Carl Berwald

Marilène Haroux Stanley

Jerry Fenn

Shannon Godsey

Noah Kuzas

Forest Mead

Jill Gaeta

Cody Sinn

Devan Burnett

Lisa Fitzpatrick

Maria Nelson

Mitchell Rysavy

Micheal Mullins

Jennifer Gordon

Mariana Waisman

Sean Breid

Yan Jiang

Abigail Kallas

Privacy Policy

This privacy policy governs your use of the software application French Pronunciation App and / or German Grammar Guide for mobile devices that were created by the MOBLL Group at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). The apps are designed to help users improve language ability through self-directed or in classroom use.

What information does the Application obtain and how is it used?

These Apps never collect your audio or user feedback data to store on any of our servers. For the French Pronunciation App, audio is recorded on the device for the user’s playback alone. For all apps, all data stays with the user on his or her device.


Contact us

If you have any questions regarding privacy while using the Application, or have questions about our practices, please contact us via email at mobll@d.umn.edu.