Telecollaboration: where we are and where we are headed

Sarah Guth, Francesca Helm, Sake Jager, Gosia Kurek,

Mirjam Hauck

EUROCALL 22-25 August 2012 Gothenburg, Sweden

Agenda• Brief introduction• Paper 1: Survey – State of the art of telecollaboration

in Europe (Sarah Guth)• Paper 2: Telecollaboration Case Studies and strategies

for mainstreaming integration in HEIs (Francesca Helm)

• Paper 3: The Unicollaboration Platform (Sake Jager)• Paper 4: Telecollaboration Task Database (Gosia Kurek)• Paper 5: e-Portfolio (Mirjam Hauck)• Future & Discussion (all presenters)

What is telecollaboration?

• Telecollaboration/ Online Intercultural Exchange (OIE) involves virtual intercultural interaction and collaboration between classes of Foreign Language (FL) learners in geographically distant locations

Primary and Secondary Schools

Mobility is important for personal development and employability, it fosters respect for diversity and a capacity to deal with other cultures. It encourages linguistic pluralism, thus underpinning the multilingual tradition of the European Higher Education Area and it increases cooperation and competition between higher education institutions

In 2020, at least 20% of those graduating in the European Higher Education Area should have had a study or training period abroad.

– Communiqué of the Conference ofEuropean Ministers Responsible for Higher Education,Leuven

and Louvain-la-Neuve, 28-29 April 2009

Mobility and the EHEA

And the remaining 80%? Virtual mobility:i.e. the use of the internet and other electronic forms ofinformation and communication, is often a catalyst for embarking on aperiod of physical mobility. Although not a substitute for physicalmobility, it does enable young people to prepare a stay abroad and cancreate conditions for future physical mobility by facilitating friendships,contacts and social networking etc….

– It can also provide an international dimension to those learners who, for different reasons, are not able or willing to go abroad. In that context, ICT can be used for “electronic twinning” …etc.

Commission of the European Communities:Green paper: promoting the learning mobility of young people.

Benefits of telecollaborationFor Students: Development of FL competence, intercultural

awareness, electronic literacies

For University Management: ‘Low cost’ internationalisation strategy / Opening up new university partnerships

For Mobility Officers: Preparation for physical mobility/ Alternative to physical mobility

For University Educators: Opening up of classroom / Authentic communication and project work / Developing

international network of collaborators

INTENT• Integrating Telecollaborative Networks into Foreign Language

Higher Education

• Financed By The European Commission - Lifelong Learning Programme

• Co-ordinated by Robert O’Dowd at the Universidad de Leon, Spain

• 8 European partners (PH Heidelberg, Grenoble III, Padova, Czestochowa, Groningen, UA Barcelona, Open University UK)

• October 2011-March 2014

Carry out a study of Telecollaboration in

European HEI’s

Develop tools & platform to support Telecollaboration in

European HEIs

Identify and develop strategies for

Integration of TC

Provide training through workshops &

online resources

The INTENT Project

Study of Telecollaboration in European Universities Online surveys from December 2011 - February 2012 Language versions: English, German, French and Italian Three surveys with responses from 24 European countries:

Experienced teacher telecollaborators (102 complete responses) Inexperienced teacher telecollaborators (108 complete responses) Experienced student telecollaborators (131 complete responses)

Qualitative Case studies: 7 representative examples of telecollaboration around Europe

Aims: Identify types of telecollaborative practices undertaken by European

university educators Explore the barriers to telecollaboration and the strategies used to overcome

these barriers

What languages do they teach?

Catalan, Chinese, Dutch, Finnish, Hungarian, Polish, Portughese, Romanian, Turkish and ... Translation, Intercultural Studies, Communications Studies, Linguistics ...

Who are they teaching?

Where did they hear about OIE?

Why did they implement OIE?

Why did they implement OIE?•développement des compétences didactiques, pédagogiques et

techniques pour de futurs enseignants de langue française (T-Yes-FR-16) (Development of teaching and pedagogic competence and techniques for future French language teachers.)

•learning first-hand about the collaboration between technical communicators and translators which goes on in the real world of localization. (T-Yes-EN-56).

•Development of learners' autonomy. (T-Yes-EN-01)

•Development of multiple academic competences. (T-Yes-EN-51)

•Encourage acceptance of cultural diversity rather than social inequality. (T-Yes-EN-39)

How many languages are used?

Which languages are used?

Finnish, Greek, Turkish, Hungarian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Catalan, Rumanian

Which tools are used?

Where are partner classes located?

Most common features of OIEs• No. carried over 5 years:

– 1: 28%– 2-4: 42%– 5+ 28%

• Number of partner classes:– 1: 58%– 2: 15%– 3: 14%

• Duration:– 3-6 mos: 26%– 1-3 mos: 54%

• Assessment– Yes: 64%– No: 36%

Institutional Factors

Overall evaluation

Students – Final comments“je n'ai pas vraiment vécu la télécollaboration sous l'angle d'une rencontre inter-

culturelle, mais d'une rencontre tout court.”

• Eine gute Idee, aber nur wenn sie sinnvoll geplant und durchgeführt wird.• I encourage all students to participate in a cultural exchange• I think it was a great idea and experience. I think Skype would be a better way of oral

communicating.• I think, it was fine and also, that it would be a necessary part in the degree of people who are

learning a foreign language.• I will encourage everyone to participate in exchange programs• Ich denke, dass interkultureller Onlineaustausch besonders für Studierende, die bisher nur

wenig interkulturelle Erfahrungen gemacht haben, sinvoll ist.• Our University should organise more exchanges.• Si on organise la télécollaboration je'exigerais comme prof un laps de temps obligatoire pour

parler (p.ex. les élèves doivent avoir une conversation pendant une heure par semaine..)• We must do them mor than one term

Identifying Strategies for integrating TC into university education

• What are practitioners doing to overcome these barriers and to ensure successful, on-going exchanges which involve recognition of teachers and students’ work?

Name of Exchange Participating Institutions Student Profile

The SW-US Exchange Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden & Clemson University, South Carolina, USA

Engineering students in Sweden and English students in the USA

SpEakWise Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland & University of Hildesheim, Germany

Students of German and Business studies in Ireland and students of International Information Management and of International Communication in Germany

Telecollaboration at Padua

The University of Padua, Italy & various partner universities and telecollaborative networks

Students of foreign languages in Italy with students from various study backgrounds

V-PaL University of Manchester, UK & Universities of Cagliari and Macareta, Italy

Students of Modern Languages in the UK and in Italy

The Trans-Atlantic Network

Vasa Universitet, Finland; Università degli Studi di Trieste and Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy; Université Paris—Denis Diderot, France; Århus Universitet, Denmark; Hogeschool Gent, Belgium; North Dakota State University and University of Wisconsin, USA

Students of Translation Studies in the European institutions and students of technical writing in the American institutions

Le Francais en Premiere Ligne

University of Riga, Latvia & University of Grenoble, France

Students of French in Latvia with students of foreign language education in France

The Claivier Project Université Balise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand, France & University of Warwick, UK

Students of Sports Sciences in France and students of various undergraduate degrees in the UK

Learning from the Case Studies

Telecollaboration is not only for ‘pure’ language students – Engineering students in Sweden, Business Studies students in Trinity, Dublin

Senior Management – view OIE as a positive international activity but are often unwilling to provide adequate staff and technical support

OIE can contribute to educators’ academic careers – new academic networks, staff mobility – e.g. Riga & Grenoble / Warwick & Clermont sign ‘Memory of Understanding’

No ‘one size fits all’ -Different levels of integration are possible: Claivier at Warwick takes place independently of academic courses SpEakWise at Trinity is integrated into a course but does not carry credit Manchester and Latvia – course marks are based completely on OIE activity

Strategies for Integrating Telecollaboration Signing of written contracts between participating partner classes – provides

security to include exchanges in study guides etc.

Ensure that students see relevance and value of exchanges – e.g. through providing academic credit for OIE

Functioning partnerships gather momentum – try to maintain steady partners

Ensure awareness and support of department heads – coordinating staff can be replaced if necessary

Ensure internal department collaboration and sharing of good practices (e.g. Padova – tool sharing, involvement of graduate students, mobility staff, admin)

Prestige and awareness raising through press releases and prize winning (e.g. Trinity award)

‘Loose networks’ of partners are gaining in popularity TransAtlantic Network (Translation students around Europe & technical

writing students in USA) Soliya – Connects students from 100 HEI’s in 27 countries in Western-

Eastern dialogue Cultura – bilingual bicultural exchanges through comparative task types AUSJAL DUAL IMMERSION PROJECT - 21 Jesuit universities from eight

different countries in North and South America Byram’s Intercultural Citizenship project – 25 practitioners looking for

partners to carry out a project on intercultural citizenship

Advantages: Common themes of interest Not obliged to work with same partner constantly - flexibility Activities, solutions and ideas are shared and developed

UniCollaboration PlatformMain functions:• Interactive platform for Telecollaboration/OIE in HE• Information sections for teachers, mobility coordinators,

administrators, students• Tools for practitioners: create tasks, describe classes, search

for classes• E-portfolio: competences and tools for reflection and

(self-)assessment• Training and ‘how to’ materials• Social functions: links to FB, Skype, messaging, blogs• Announcements and site activities on home page

Practitioner profile• Personal details:

– Info section– Contact form– FB and Skype user name

• Institutional details– Access to other practitioners in the same institution

• List of classes available for telecollaboration• List of tasks created• Function to establish new partnerships

Class search tool• Tool for finding classes to work with• Searchable fields include:

– Target language– Country– CEFR level– Mode of exchange– Number of students– Study programme– Period– Availability

• Map searches supported

Platform: Implementation details• Design, programming and hosting: OU, Knowledge

Media Institute (Chris Valentine)• Functional specs: Léon (O’Dowd), Groningen (Jager,

Thorne), Grenoble (Mangenot, Nissen)• Site designed in Drupal• Limited version: September 2012 (limited

functionality, for adding content and release in our own personal networks)

• Full version: Autumn 2013 (for training, open to the general public)

The role of tasks in online exchanges:

• provide a purpose and a structure to a multimodal, multilingual and multicultural situation;

• help integrate the exchange with a school curriculum (O’Dowd, 2010);

• help reduce misunderstandings resulting from cultural differences;

• help reduce misunderstandings resulting from various levels of partcipants’ multimodal competence (Hauck, 2007).

Our strategies for creating a bank of telecollaborative tasks

- establish needs and expectations of potential users;- explore the features of already existing telecollaborative

platforms: their functionalities, target audiences, types of tasks e.g Cultura, E-twinning, Niflar, Le francais en (Premiere) Ligne ;

- refer to research into the role of task design in telecollaborative learning (e.g. Dooly, 2011; Hauck, 2010; O’Dowd & Wary, 2009, Hampel, 2006, Mueller-Hartman, 2000).

Structure of the task databank

• Stand-alone tasks – the smallest possible units of interaction between partcipants

• Task sequences –examples how long-term exchanges can be structured, consist of stand-alone tasks.

Criteria for task description

Criteria for task description

Eportfolio for Telecollaborative Language Learning

• Set of competences to identify the “Telecollaboratively Competent Person” (TEP)

• Help individuals keep track of their development during an online exchange

• 3 parts:

– descriptors (also goals for self- and other-directed learning)– template for Personal Reflection Diary (to link descriptors with

events before, during and after an online exchange)– sample rubric (criteria based on descriptors for self-progress

reports, peer evaluation/s, formative assessment)

Part 1: Descriptors of Telecollaborative Effective Person

• 4 main areas:

– Online Language Competences (not to be confused with general language learning levels!)

– Social Competences– Technical Competences– Cross-Cultural Competences

• Main areas divided into 3 'macro' KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes)

• 'Macros'devided into 'micro' KSAs (to pinpoint specific actions that can reflect development →assessment of competences)

Online Language

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS ATTITUDES

K.1. Knows that on-line language has its own particular features

S.1. Can communicate using online language with its particular features

A.1. Accepts /is open to non-standardised, flexible, evolving nature of on-line communication

knows and recognises meaning making features of online communication when provided by the interface (e.g. buttons for emoticons) ...

can insert emoticons and other symbols from interface to make or add meaning to the online communication ...

chooses to use emoticons and other symbols to express own emotions ...

Social

K.2. Knows that identities are multiple, dynamic and situated

S.2. Can understand that online identity is constructed and defined in the interaction with other participants

A.2. Accepts that online identity may vary from real life identity and from one context to the next

knows which identities are appropriate to the on-line context and communication channel being used (e.g. appropriate avatars in virtual worlds) ...

can adopt textual and visual identities that are appropriate to the context (e.g. does not take offensive user names, dresses avatars appropriately, etc.) ...

accepts that identities are multiple and context-bound ...

TechnicalK.3. Knows that the local contextual features have an impact on online communication

S.3. Can apply the necessary logistics to adjust local and online circumstances

A.3. Is sensitive to both online and local environments and the way they condition each other

knows which local contextual circumstances to consider when arranging exchanges ...

can consult and use online tools designed for facilitating meetings, etc. (world clocks, calendars, etc.) ...

chooses to use complementary tools for facilitating planning ...

knows the proper local conditions for effective online communication (sound, lighting, etc.) ...

can control the local environment to ensure effective online communication ...

is critically aware of distracting features of local environment ...

Cross-cultural

K.3. Knows that online exchanges offer unique opportunities for self-development

S.3. Can learn from all exchanges, successful or not

A.3. Is ready for opportunities for self-development in the context of online exchanges

knows that each individual is the outcome of a long socio-historical process of acculturation (often implicit and subconscious process of learning) ...

can examine and step outside his/her own and partners’ cultural boundaries that are displayed in the exchange, and learn from them ...

wants to find out more about own cultural context(s) and the cultural context(s) of partners as part of the online encounter ...

Acknowledging the challenges

• Descriptors represent an “ideal”

• Inconceivable to capture the multitude of parameters of online exchanges

→ impossible to provide a comprehensive list of TEP competencies• Simply an overview of the type of competences a TEP would have

• Presentation does not reflect any hierarchy in terms of importance

• Can serve as goals for self-directed learning

• Can be used for self/assessment of progress made in developing the competences

Other work in the field ...• Assessment of intercultural communicative competence:

– INCA (Intercutlural Competence Assessment)

• www.incaproject.com

– YOGA (Your Objectives, Guidelines and Assessment)

• www.experiment.org/documents/AppendixG.pdf

• EU-funded projects:

– LOLIPOP (ELP with enhanced intercultural dimension)

• http://lolipop-portfolio.eu

– CEFcult (drawing on INCA descritpors)

• www.cefcult.eu

Another source of “inspiration” for TEP descriptors:

Get involved

• Contact and suggestions welcome:– intentproject@gmail.com

• Read our Report on Telecollaboration in Europe: – www.intent-project.eu

• Upcoming platform for collaboration and networking: – www.uni-collaboration.eu

Recommendations• Support the establishment of online exchanges between European countries in much the

same way as they have supported physical mobility

• Draw up models of Erasmus agreements specifically for virtual mobility programmes.

• Establish European grants for virtual mobility to help cover the organizational costs.

• Support the establishment of OIEs for students prior to their period of physical mobility. With the training and support of international office and language centre staff exchanges, these ‘pre-mobility exchanges’ could improve the quality of physical mobility by promoting integration of Erasmus students in host universities.

• Integrate OIE in teacher education programs as this will encourage future educators to integrate telecollaboration into their practice

• Provide incentives and support for educators embarking on their first experience of OIE.

• Provide a technical and administrative infrastructure which will support educators in their telecollaborative activity.

• Find more systems of awarding credits (ECTS) for students’ participation in OIEs. Other ways of awarding credit, such as explicit mention of the activity in the European Diploma Supplement, are also worthy of exploration.