Group Admins
Description
As explained in the recent HEA report (2013) “Using e-tools to facilitate international collaborations and enhance language teaching” there is much to be gained from increasing the use of Online Intercultural Exchange (OIE) as part of the language learning experiences of the UK undergraduate. This activity, sometimes referred to as virtual exchange, involves connecting learners internationally using computer-mediated communication (CMC) in order to carry out collaborative tasks, practice language skills and learn more about each other’s worlds. Activity includes the synchronous or asynchronous, the spontaneous or planned, the formal or informal. Many examples of existing activity can be explored on the uni-collaboration website, http://www.uni-collaboration.eu/ .
There are many barriers to the successful implementation of such activities and they are often undertaken with little or no institutional support (Guth et al, 2012). Those who undertake it however claim that involvement in OIE has had a significant impact on their learning and it is both “worthwhile and challenging” (Bell and Zaitseva, 2005). In a report on the modernisation of Higher Education (2013) the European Commission argues: “In a changing world, Europe’s graduates need the kind of education that enables them to engage articulately as committed, active, thinking, global citizens as well as economic actors in the ethical, sustainable development of our societies.”
This presentation will show how a large scale virtual exchange, currently involving over 900 students from the University of Warwick and Universite Blaise Pascal, Clermont Ferrand in France, has been informed at every level by theories relevant to this emerging, interdisciplinary area of study. It will provide evidence of valuable learning experiences from the past 3 years for both students and staff involved, analysed in the light of the proposed MERM framework (Childs, 2013) and will exemplify the many challenges and obstacles encountered. Evidence on board from riding this particular wave has implications for technology choices and their affordances and for how we support each other in uncovering deeply held beliefs about the nature of learning. It will help those thinking about getting their feet wet.
References:
Bell, F. and Zaitseva, E., 2005. ‘Only Connect’? Complexities in International Student Communication.
E-learning. 2(4) pp341-354.
Childs, M. 2010. A conceptual framework for mediated environments. Educational Research. 52(2) pp197-213.
European Commission. 2013. Modernisation of Higher Education. [pdf] Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. Available at:http://ec.europa.eu/education/library/reports/modernisation_en.pdf
[Accessed 17 March 2014].
Guth, S et al. 2012. University Language Classes Collaborating Online. [pdf] Available at: http://intent-project.eu/sites/default/files/Telecollaboration_report_Final_Oct2012.pdf
[Accessed 25 March 2014].
MacKinnon, T. 2013. Using e-tools to facilitate international collaborations and enhance language teaching. [pdf] York: The Higher Education Academy. Available at:http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/disciplines/Languages/Using_e_tools.pdf
[Accessed 25 March 2014].
Authors
| Name | Teresa MacKinnon |
| URL | http://myfav.es/warwicklanguage |
| Affiliation | University of Warwick |
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Teresa MacKinnon posted an update in the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 1 month ago
My slides from this morning’s session.
PS. I forgot to mention: the hang gliding image was taken by one of our students visiting the Clermont partners in France. It illustrates that this was a voyage we entered into without knowing where it would lead. (Took some nerve too!)
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joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 1 month ago
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joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 1 month ago
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Teresa MacKinnon posted an update in the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 1 month ago
looking forward to meeting #altc #community for this session this morning slides available here http://www.slideshare.net/teresamac/voyages-to-new-horizons
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miravogel joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 1 month ago
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Sarah Sherman joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 1 month ago
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emmaking joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 2 months ago
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traceymadden joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 2 months ago
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joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 2 months ago
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joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 2 months ago
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joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 2 months ago
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catherinemclean joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 2 months ago
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rhowe joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 2 months ago
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Teresa MacKinnon joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 2 months ago
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joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 2 months ago
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s.owens@lancaster.ac.uk joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 2 months ago
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hi Stephen, hope to meet you at this session. Let me know if there is something in particular you would like to know about this work.
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joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 2 months ago
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sarahcornelius joined the session Voyages to new horizons. (526) 7 years, 2 months ago
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hi Sarah, hope to meet you at this session. Let me know if there is something in particular you would like to know about this work.
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