The popularity that drag'n'drop exercises enjoy amongst learners of all ages may be explained by way of a simple analogy. Think of the last time you rearranged the furniture in your room, if you can't then have a go at dragging the furniture at the bottom of the page. Think of the immense satisfaction there is in being able to physically interact with the environment in which you live to produce something which reflects your own tastes and needs. Then imagine how you would feel if you found the chairs nailed to the floor (like they are in many university classrooms), or the wardrobes unmovable, the mirror glued to the wall.

I would contest that many of the exercise typologies currently available create frustration similar to the latter case. Drag'n'drop exercises, on the other hand, allow users to physically manipulate the virtual environment in which they live, and personalize the aspect of the exercises they are working on. This type of task completion is very intuitive and pleasurable, and often reflects real life needs better than multiple choice or true/false questions. 

The following pages will show some of the almost limitless exercise types that can be created for 2nd language learning purposes (and in the field of education in general) by using Macromedia Flash MX and a dash of imagination.

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