An Inercontintental Video-Web Communication Project between Chile and the Netherlands

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Student cohort

Brief description and intended outcomes

This video-web communication project was set up to enrich and internationalize the learning environment of Spanish language and culture of students in both groups, aiming to enhance students' intercultural communicative competence.

Technologies used

Tasks & Phases

The project required learners to complete five tasks collaboratively, one per week, in a period of five weeks. Tasks were designed with a focus on the development of intercultural communicative competence, they aimed at creating opportunities to negotiate intercultural meaning and to promote cultural awareness, understanding and tolerance of cultural differences and discussion of commonalities.

• Task 1: Challenging stereotypes and getting to know each other - online interviews and write up
• Task 2: Interview review - peer review and publication of interviews
• Task 3: Student Life in Concepciòn and Utrecht - academic issues, student life and intercultural experiences
• Task 4: Literary Debate - Group 1 make presentations of books Group 2 act as jury and evaluate presentations. Debate on literary issues
• Task 5: DIfferences puzzle us - questionnaire on intercultural  differences, audio on pragmatic differences and discussion

Assessment

Learners were assessed on their virtual interactions, written products and reflections in the blog. The virtual interaction were assessed focusing on participants' involvement: adequate preparation, active participation, contribution to meaningful intercultural negotiation.

Evaluation of the Exchange

Positive

Students evaluated the project positively, managed to cope with difficulties and manifested positive attitude to continue with the project and recommend it to others. Positive impact on students' communicative competence, particularly intercultural and linguistic, and increased cultural awareness. Group 2 improved communicative competence when using L1 with non-native speakers and engaged in valuable metacognitive processes. Positive impact of actually seeing each other while interacting. Positive also for group 1 interacting with Spanish speaking community other than Spain - so new cultural framework, that of Latin America.

Negative

Technical problems emerged reurrently - delay in communication, volume, image quality

Different perceptions of the importance of punctuality and attendance at sessions.

Author's conclusions

Video-web technology can enrich, empower and inject life and motivation into language classes and the affordances of this technology enabled teachers and learners to enhance the language learning process and deal with pragmatic and cultural issues in authentic context.

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The Soliya Connect Program ^[2]

Student cohort

Brief description and intended outcomes

The Soliya Connect Program is a telecollaboration project which involves students in the West and in the Arab and Muslim world. Through the medium of English, students study and discuss the causes of conflict between East and West. The program is run by the Soliya organization, an NGO based in New York, now part of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, which co-ordinates the universities involved and facilitates discussions between students. The program was an optional module for the English program at ENSIMAG in France. The aim of adopting the Soliya Connect Program at ENSIMAG was to meet the University's language learning requirements and also those of UNESCO's International Education which include the promotion of social responsibility, the acquisition of critical understanding of national and international issues. This was the first time English as a Foreign Language students participated in the Soliya Connect Program. Since then, other EFL students have also participated.

Technologies used

Tasks & Phases

The program consists of several tasks.

• Eight weekly 2-hour video-conference discussions moderated by two facilitators, one of whom also is a fluent Arabic speaker. The discussion is summarised by one of the facilitators as it evolves using the text-chat function.
• Assigned Readings for two of the sessions.
• Individual Video assignments. Students are provided with 6 hours of raw footage from Al Jazeera and Associated Press on the Gaza conflict and are required to produce a 3-5 minute 'objective' news report, which is then discussed in one of the video-conferencing sessions. (sample video project 1, 2, )
• Final Essay based on joint project - students were required to exchange information and opinions on a topic of their choice through blogs, interviews or videos and then write an essay on this from both their point of view and that of their partner
• Blogging - Students are encouraged to keep an individual blog on Soliya.net where they can express and share ideas by posting on their own blog and other students' blogs. Group 1students were also asked to comment on a blog created by their instructor to provide him with feedback on the project Soliya-Grenoble blog

Assessment

Students were assessed on their video assignments and final essays. Grading was based 50% on the quality of their English and 50% on the content. Students were also given oral marks for their de-briefing sessions with the tutor and group discussions.