This document describes the TalkTech project from 2008-2013 that involved students from Bentley University in Boston and Politehnica University of Timisoara in Romania collaborating on micro-projects simulating global work. Over the years, the projects involved researching and creating multimedia presentations and artifacts on topics like emerging technologies, start-up companies, and popular apps using various online tools. The goal was to introduce students to real-world technology topics and trends in an international, connectivist learning experience that simulated working in a global IT company.

1. Micro-­‐projects
for
simula2ng
working
at
global
level
Dr. Diana Andone
Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania
UL
2014

2. Digital students & Technology

3. Take tehnology for granted
Digital
students

4. They
are
not
“the
many”….
Digital
students

5. need to control - online activity,
communication, eLearning environment
Digital
students

6. Crea2ve
creators

7. Global
workforce

8. TalkTech
project
2008-­‐2013
UPTimisoara
Romania
Bentley
University,
Boston,
USA
UL
2014

9. TalkTech
2008
–
2013
Where
We
Are
UL2014

10. TalkTech
2008
–
2013
Students
Bentley
University
• IT
101,
Informa2on
Technology
• 50
students
• Spoke
English
• Web
literate
• PC
Literate
• Age
18-­‐21
UP
Timisoara
• TMM,
Technologies
of
Mul2media
• 40
students
• Spoke
English
• Web
literate
• PC
Literate
• Age
21-­‐24
UL
2014
587
students
involved,
no
dropout

11. TalkTech
2008
–
2013
Students
UL
2014

12. ViCaDiS
campus
ELSE
2014

13. TalkTech
2008
–
2013
2008
• Create
a
web
page
with
images,
a
video,
a
PowerPoint
or
Google
presenta2on,
a
recorded
audio
conversa2on,
or
a
combina2on
of
any
of
these
that
presents
your
group’s
understanding
of
a
current
issue
in
technology
and
culture
• Post
content
and
group
progress
to
a
collabora2ve
Google
Site
TalkTech2008
2009
• Research
a
web-­‐based
collabora2on
tool
• Create
a
wiki
page
with
images,
blog
entry,
video
or
video
tutorial
of
a
tool;
post
link
on
ViCaDiS
2010
• Create
a
short
video
evalua2ng
two
similar
online
collabora2on
tools
(screen
sharing,
forms,
presenta2ons,
video
conferencing,
scheduling,
project
management,
mind
mapping)
from
the
perspec2ves
of
usability
and
entrepreneurship
• Summarize
findings
in
a
Google
Doc
or
video.
UL
2014

14. UL
2014

15. TalkTech2010
project
UL
2014

16. TalkTech
2008
–
2013
2011
• Create
a
presenta2on
in
which
your
group
analyzes
and
discusses
the
poten2al
of
various
start-­‐up
Internet
companies
• Use
VoiceThread
to
add
comments
or
narra2on
to
the
presenta2on’s
slides;
integrate
in
ViCaDiS
blog
2012
• Create
a
presenta2on
in
which
your
group
researches
innova2ve
methods
used
in
business
by
promising
start-­‐up
companies
• Use
VoiceThread
to
add
comments
or
narra2on
to
the
presenta2on’s
slides;
integrate
in
ViCaDiS
blog
2013
• Research
popular
web
or
mobile
apps
• Create
an
interac2ve
image
using
ThingLink
Annota2ons
must
include
audio
and
video
clips
in
which
interna2onal
partners
appear
simultaneously
discussing
their
topic
• Post
ThingLink
to
ViCaDiS
blog
UL
2014

17. TalkTech
2008
–
2013
UL
2014

18. TALKTECH
2013
TOPICS
• 1.
Most
Popular
Android
Apps
• 2.
Most
Popular
iPhone
Apps
• 3.
Most
Popular
Cloud
Storage
Providers
• 4.
Most
Popular
Social
Media
or
Technology
Blogs
/
Podcasts
• 5.
Most
Popular
Travel
Web
Sites
• 6.
Most
Popular
Google
Products
• 7.
Most
Popular
Web
Adver2sing
Services
• 8.
Most
Popular
Photo
Sharing
Sites
• 9.
Most
Popular
Social
Networking
Sites
• 10.
Most
Popular
Social
Bookmarking
Sites
• 11.
Most
Popular
Health
and
Fitness
Apps
• 12.
Most
Popular
Mapping
Sites
and
Apps
• 13.
Most
Popular
Video
Conferencing
/
VOIP
Services
• 14.
Most
Popular
Online
or
Mobile
Payment
Services
or
Apps
• 15.
Most
Popular
Videostreaming
sites
and
Apps
UL
2014

19. UL
2014

20. UL
2014

21. TalkTech
2013
Student
Use
of
Technologies
• 1.
Mobile
phone
• 2.
SMS
–
text
messaging
• 3.
iPod
/mp3
player
• 4.
Search
engines
(Google/Bing)
• 5.
Online
Messaging
(Yahoo,
G-­‐Chat,
etc)
• 6.
VoIP
(Skype,
Google
Talk,
etc)
• 7.
Mobile
chat
(WhatsApp/Viber)
• 8.
Online
video
(YouTube)
• 9.
Photo
Sharing
(Flickr,
Picasa)
• 10.
Online
games
• 11.
Blogs
• 12.
Wikipedia
• 13.
Facebook
• 14.
Twiier
• 15.
Collabora2ve
Wri2ng
Apps
(Google
Docs/Office
Web
Apps)
UL
2014

22. Task Tools
align time zones timeanddate.com
chat Facebook, Yahoo! IM,Google Hangouts
create and host audio SoundCloud
create and host video YouTube, Screencast-o-Matic
create interactive images ThingLink
edit audio Sound Forge
edit images PhotoShop, Paint.net
edit video Windows Live Movie Maker
email Gmail, Outlook
hold video conferences Google Hangouts, Skype
record video mobile phone camera apps
schedule meetings Doodle
search the web Google, Bing
share photos Flickr, Tumblr
share screens join.me, Google Hangouts
UL
2014

23. TalkTech2013
Desirability
Test
UL
2014

24. TalkTech
2008
–
2013
• Mul2cultural
• Online
–
different
2mezones
• Simulate
real
world
work
in
an
IT
company
• Students
freely
choose
the
tools,
communica2on,
working
2me
and
hours
• All
students
finished
and
delivered
the
ar2fact
UL
2014

25. TalkTech
2008
–
2013
• Connec2vist
OER
-­‐
xOER
• introduced
students
to
real-­‐world
technology
topics
and
trends
and
facilitated
their
use
of
a
variety
of
OER
and
tools
within
an
interna2onal
educa2onal
context
• create
the
learning
and
working
environment
for
producing
the
final
ar2fact,
in
a
self-­‐organized,
networked-­‐based
and
quite
omen
complex
and
chao2c
manner
UL
2014

26. Digital students
enjoy enhanced interactivity and connections
perceive their learning environment as boundless
no single approach
leave the power of choice of the ‘right one’ to the
student

27. CONTACT
Dr.eng. Diana Andone
Director
e-Learning Center
Tel: +40.256403300,
Email:
diana.andone@upt.ro
Web
Elearning.upt.ro
UPT
–
CeL
Campus
Virtual
www.cv.upt.ro
@diando70
hip://www.slideshare.net/diando70/