IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO: STUDENT VOICES REGARDING

VIRTUAL EXCHANGE

HAIDEE THOMSON

MURORAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYSUN JULY 19

APVEA/SUMMER MOODLE WORKSHOP

IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO:

What motivation is there to post if your intended audience is not reading or responding?

How can we guarantee a virtual exchange?

VIRTUAL EXCHANGE:

Teachers and students in JapanTeachers and students in ColombiaMoodle forums (show & tell)

Muroran, Japan20% of course gradeStudents posted often

ColombiaNot assessedStudents posted seldom (many never posted)

Example group # 1021 members (7 Colombia + 7 never accessed the course)

(7 Japan)

Example topic: A day in my life3 threads52 replies

3

49

Colombia Japan

Example group # 620 members (6 Colombia + 6 never accessed the course)

(7 Japan + 1 never accessed the course)

Example topic: A day in my life5 threads27 replies

1

26

Colombia Japan

Student voices from the Japan side

Survey after 10 weeksN = 68 from 3 different classes

How can the Virtual Exchange be improved?

Student voices – free comments

65 comments (out of 68)20 regarding lack of response from Colombia side (29.4% of 68)

返信が来るのに時間がかかったのであまりコミュニケーションした気になりませんでした。It took a long time to receive responses so I didn’t really feel like we were communicating.

コロンビアの学生に送ってもあまり返信してくれませんでした。Even when I posted a message for Colombian students, there was hardly any response.

Friends in Japan (in your class)

Friends in Japan (in another class)

Students from your class in Japan (other than your close friends)

Students from another class in Japan (other than your close friends)

Students in Columbia

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

23

14

39

36

47

29

19

41

37

36

No. of votes

Who did you write most of your posts to? (N=68)Who do you think reads most of your posts?

グループ内の外国の人の投稿が少なすぎる。これでは virtualでやっている意味がない。日本の学生との英語でのコミュニケーションは授業で実際にできるので、 virtualでは外国の学生のみとの交流でいいと思う。

There were not enough posts from foreigners in my group. So there was no reason to be doing ‘virtual’, We can communicate with Japanese students in class, so the virtual exchange would be better with only foreigners.

Expanding our world

外国の人と英語の文章でコミュニケーションをとることが初めてだったので、いい経験になった。It was my first time to use English to communicate with foreigners, so it was a good experience.

It was a class requirement

I wanted to improve my English

I enjoyed sharing about myself and my interests

I enjoyed learning about other people and their interests

I wanted to develop friendships or relationships

I wanted to learn about Colombian culture

I enjoyed communicating via the virtual forums

Other

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

I was motivated to post and reply on the VE because:

No. of votes

More intern

ational

particip

ants

Less

Japan

ese parti

cipan

ts

Using J

apan

ese as

well a

s Engli

sh

Having o

nline ch

at in Engli

sh0

102030405060

What would make the VE better?N

o. o

f vot

es

Not at all interesting; 10

Not interesting; 17

Interesting; 32

Quite interesting; 6

Very interesting; 3

How would you rate the virtual exchange?

Virtual Exchange must be an exchange:

Assessment pushes students to participate

Both sides assess timely participation

Timely participation = Exchange

Thank you!Any questions?

haidee.thomson@mmm.muroran-it.ac.jp