This is a ppt of a presentation given as part of the BESIG Summer Symposium at UCLAN Preston, June 2011. It details an exchange using digital technology between two universities, one in Bordeaux (ENSCBP) one in Bonn (HBRS).
ENSCBP. Claudia/CateStudentsbelong to the socalled ‘elite’ French system; Very intense Twoyearsadvanced math and science classes to beacceptedinto the system for moststudents. Verycompetitive. Our job: Cultivating a positive attitude towards learning at a point where the learners may have reached a saturation point. Students in the project are around the C1 level in theory but for real communicative purposes they are more B2. Focus in France is not on production but on comprehension and usually of texts.the exchange programme is important in France becauseour first years (aged 19/20)need motivation aftertheir 2 years of preparation. Our programme is both scientific and professionalFor our first years our primary motivation is student’s motivationusing all available tools to stimulate this.We work almost exclusively in a muli-media framework. All our courses are online and our Institute uses a workplatform (currently Dokeos but changing to Moodle).First year students have a self access component to the course which is conducted through Dokeos. We use MSN webchat and audacity in class. We also have a learning wiki. So some Blended learning practices. All our students are expected to upload assignments and download corrected work. We also use forums for discussion. Our students are digital natives but some are reluctant and wish to emmigrate…German part (ourstudents)ReginaStudents are highlymotivated. In Rheinbach: students are first semester and attend a bilingual BA programme in Business Administration. In Sankt Augustin students are in their first semester and are enrolled in a regularGerman BA programme in Business. Requiredlevel of each couse isat least a B2. Nearlyhalf the students are at the C1 Level. They are interested in learning English and getting first hand experience in using digital technologies in an international context. Theyunderstand the need for communication in English internationally and do not have anyexperience in international projectmanagment. Somestudents have periousworkexperience in business beforeenrollingat the university. The averageageis about 20 -21 years. Each course is a requiredlanguage course (ICC or Business English).
France:Cate/Claudia pm experienceFor most of our students this was the first time that they had to manage a programme with non French people. ‘Real world communication’ which pulls them out of their comfort zone. C/C technologyOur students are digital natives and if they don’t know how most are interested in finding out are are autonomous in working things out. But some are reluctant and wish to emmigrate…C/C importance of culture(s) in businessAlthough on both sides our students are European, and have travelled.Trying to get a job done when collaborating with people who don’t think exactly the same as you if not the same thing as spending two weeks on holiday in another country..C/C motivation motivationmotivation.GermanyOur experience and also a survey that we conducted in our Business English classes has proven is that our “digital natives” are far from being natives. The teacher have more experience than our students.() Some students even lack basic computer skills. The reason is that computer skills are not required in secondary educations and not for Abitur (i.e. A-Levels) We can go so far as state that we have many students that have never worked online collaboratively nor do they have experience with an LMS or other collaborative tools. One year ago only 50% of the students had a Facebook account, this year 80% had an account. What does it mean to be a digital native. Pressing on like and dislike button or Facebook? Or being able to communicate using Web 2.0 tools ?