Elodie Vialleton & Dr Uwe Baumann, Department of Languages, The Open University
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Transcript of Elodie Vialleton & Dr Uwe Baumann, Department of Languages, The Open University
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Academic mobility within a department What happens when French and German specialists work on an Italian distance course
Elodie Vialleton & Dr Uwe Baumann,
Department of Languages, The Open University
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Context
• UK Higher Education sector: resource constraints
• The Department of Languages at the Open University
The challenge: widening the curriculum with limited new resources.
The approach: cross-language teams to develop new modules in Welsh, Chinese and Italian
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This paper
• is based on feedback from colleagues• describes our Department and how we work• presents a case study: L150 Intermediate Italian• examines outcomes: challenges and benefits
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• Founded in 1991• Modules in Chinese, English for
Academic Purposes, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Welsh
• from beginners’ to graduate level in French, German, Spanish
• Various qualifications, including BA Modern Language Studies
• over 11 000 students in 2012• about 70 members of staff in the
Department• about 40 academic staff
The Department of Languages
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Distance learning materials• Course website as the hub• Use of VLE
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Distance learning materials• Course books• Audio-visual materials, DVD-ROMs
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Distance learning materials• Materials for e-tutorials (virtual whiteboards)
microphone
chat
participants
whiteboard
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• in-house design and production (all stages, from syllabus design to activities on the VLE and assessment materials)
• in teams• traditionally: up to 4 years development time
Module production
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• L150 Vivace• Standard model: mix of media, in-house design
Case study: intermediate Italian
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• 2 academics specialists of Italian (one experienced in Open Distance Learning or ODL, one novice)
• 4 non-specialist academics: 2 specialists of French, 1 specialist of German, 1 specialist responsible for student and tutor support (all experienced in designing and writing language courses for ODL audiences)
• 1 administrator• Some consultants
The team
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• Planning the module structure and distribution of materials across different media
• Overall syllabus design and design of unit outlines• Planning cultural content and overall focus of videos• Designing the principles of assessment
The input from non-specialists
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• Yes…• writing up content taught in English based on outlines or
items provided by specialists
• …but• The bulk of the writing had to be done by specialists
Did it go as far as materials creation?
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• Details of the syllabus (linguistic progression, vocabulary, etc.)
• Writing all the content in Italian (designing language and culture activities)…
• … and a lot of the content in English (e.g. feedback, grammar teaching points)
• Supervision of video production (e.g. what questions to ask to elicit particular language content) and audio recordings
• Writing of assessment tasks
The input from specialists
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• The combination of the knowledge, skills and experience of the specialists with the transferable skills and previous knowledge and experience of the non-specialists
• All team members developed a sense of ownership of the project
• Flexibility, open-mindedness, pragmatism, perseverance• Role of administrative support
What worked well in cross-language teams
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• Focus of Italian specialist on writing, less involvement in other tasks and discussions
• Negotiating different perspectives and approaches to teaching of language and culture, and different approaches to ODL
• Issues due to roles being interpreted differently at the outset (e.g. blurred boundary between generic / specific content)
• Dealing with different personalities • Experience of and expectations about team work
What were the challenges in cross-language teams?
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• Higher focus on reflection on cultural differences reflected in the development of intercultural competence in the module
• A different angle to critical reading, closer to a student’s perspective
• Higher standardisation across the module due to writing being shared
• Comparability with modules at the same level in different languages
The benefits? Content
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• Confrontation of cultures and teaching cultures• Stronger focus on teaching practices, opportunity for
self-reflection on pedagogy and teaching methods• New skills and different experience gained• Redefining of identity (professional and individual)• Intercultural communication ‘live’
The benefits? Personal development
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• Cost effectiveness. HR management, deployment of resources and opportunity for more rapid response to market demand
• Sharing of practice and expertise • Widening the skills base of staff• Development of a more collaborative approach• Breaking down of ivory towers• Stronger harmonisation across language teams• Stronger sense of community, better integration of
members of smaller teams.
The benefits? For the Department
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• Fostering collaboration and dialogue outside of individuals’ subject specialism
• Exchange of knowledge and practice (embedded staff development)
• More integration across related disciplines• Greater comparability of student experience which is a
ever greater concern in the sector • Developing a different sense of identity, for individuals
and for subject communities
Internal academic mobilityBeyond distance teaching
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[email protected]@open.ac.uk
Department of LanguagesThe Open UniversityWalton HallMilton KeynesMK7 6AA
www.open.ac.uk