Method, Curriculum and Assessment for Successful Virtual Dual Immersion Colleen Coffey Marquette University Department Profile Spanish French German Italian Chinese Japanese Arabic Enrollment Vs. Virtual Immersion Total Language Students Total Lower Division Students Total Virtual Immersion Students Final % Fall Semester 2,101 2009 students 1,198 students 560 students 25% dept 50% lower division Fall Semester 2,250 2010 students 1,231 students 460 students 22% dept 45% lower division Totals 2,429 students 1020 students 4,351 students Virtual Exchange Program Evolution Spanish 38 / 3 sections 460 Spanish, French, Italian, Arabic / 22 sections 56 Spanish/ 5 sections 560 Spanish, French, Japanese, Italian, Chinese/ 27 sections 138 Spanish & French/ 9 sections 249 Spanish, French, Chinese/ 11 sections Virtual Immersion Program Components NS/ NNS Desktop to Desktop Videoconferencing in Class Virtual Cultural Events in Class Independent Exchanges – Open Lab/ Facebook Site/ Out of class appt. Desktop to Desktop Cultural Event: Martinique: Culture & Chouval Bwa Expert Event: Economist- Specialist TLC Independent- Autonomous Exchanges Do We Understand How We Learn Best? Professor Benjamin Stewart Universidad Autónoma Aguascalientes – Sept. 24, 2010 to AUSJAL Language Technology Webinar Do We Have Our Objectives in Mind Every Day? 1. What are your objectives in teaching language? 2. What objectives do your students have in learning language? How Do We Get There?: Are We Learning LEAN? What actions do you take as a teacher to meet those objectives? How many actions do you take that lead to results? How many do you take that don’t? Objectives for Exchanges Oral and Written Proficiency - Interaction Intercultural Competency -Task Based, CBI, Interaction Collaboration- sharing learning process Continued Motivation for Lifelong Learning- Human Connection What is Curriculum Based On? OPI Byram’s ICC ACTFL Standards AIR METHOD OBJECTIVE: Proficiency What is Proficiency Based On? Global tasks or functions * ask and answer questions, describe , narrate, compare and contrast, form opinion (What can learners do?) Context/ Content areas *where and what situation Accuracy *grammar, vocab, pronun, fluency, sociolinguistic and use of appropriate strategies Text Type *words , sentences, paragraphs, extended discourse OPI Rating Scale Novice: Can communicate minimally with formulaic and rote utterance, lists and phrases. Intermediate: Can create with language, ask and answer simple questions on familiar topics, and handle a simple situation or transaction. Advanced: Can narrate and describe in all major time frames and handle a situation with a complication. Superior: Can support opinion, hypothesize, discuss topics concretely and abstractly, and handle linguistically unfamiliar situations. Framework for Teaching Culture FOREIGN LANGUAGE STANDARDS 1999 p. 47 Perspectives Practices Products Byram’s Model of ICC •Attitudes •Knowledge •Skills - Interpret & relate - Discovery & interaction •Education - Critical cultural awareness - Political education Creating Community – Principles of Conversation (Margaret Wheatly 2009) 1. We acknowledge one another as equals 2. We try and stay curious about each other 3. We recognize that we need each other’s help to become better listeners 4. We slow down so we have time to think and reflect 5. We remember that conversation is the natural way humans think 6. We expect it to get messy sometimes AIR Methodology Activation Interaction Reflection Activation Access previous knowledge about topic discussed by preparing questions and answers about topic. Access previous perspective and experience with C1 (learner’s own culture and sense of self) prior to engaging in dialogue with C2. Interaction Asking and Answering Qs about linguistic and cultural meaning comprehensible input Asking for clarification Recasting sentences as they have been stated Active listening Information probes Clarification Reflection Process to digest fusion of all old and new linguistic, cultural, content information Creates space for reflection as one of the key elements to the learning process Engages learners in awareness of new perspective, attitudes and beliefs through interaction. Technology Used in AIR Social Software Programs for the three part Method Learning Through Connection Professor Benjamin Stewart Universidad Autónoma Aguascalientes – Sept. 24, 2010 to AUSJAL Language Technology Webinar Technology Used in AIR Method Reflection CLE LMS Interaction Voicethread Ning Wiki Elluminate/ Zoho/ DimDim Twitter Facebook Blog Google/ Skype/ Activation Digital Language Chart: Blog, Google Doc. Discussion Tables Provide structure to meet communicative objectives (mine, my students, global needs, etc.) facilitate fluency of thoughts with adequate structure and support Empower learners to create with the language Activate C1 to easily access C2 Train learners to develop strategies that coincide with the way they develop language skills naturally Provide GOALS and EXPECTATIONS while encouraging creativity. Topics and Subtopics Vocabulary Questions Sentences • EXAMPLES OF VOCAB • Examples of Questions • Examples of Sentences TEMA Subtema I Subtema II Subtema III • Preguntas______ • _____________ • _____________ • _____________ • _____________ • Frases • ____________ • ____________ • ____________ • ____________ • Preguntas_____ • _____________ • _____________ • _____________ • _____________ • Frases • _____________ • _____________ • _____________ • _____________ • Preguntas _____ • _____________ • _____________ • _____________ • _____________ • Frases • _____________ • _____________ • _____________ • _____________ vocab vocab vocab Expert Event: Economist- Specialist TLC Reflection Post session digestion Expert Event: Economist- Specialist TLC Assessment How do we alter assessment to reflect method? How do we measure what we learn? Assessment Words Aligned with Proficiency Nuts and Bolts Assessment Checklist Evaluates Skills Directly Reflecting OBJECTIVES Grounded in Lean Learning and AIR Methodology Provides Learners SPACE to Show What They Can Apply Focuses on Process not Facts- Documents One Point in Journey Incorporates Self Evaluation and Peer Evaluation as Reflection Exam Requirements This take home exam has four components. In each component you must prepare, practice and apply specific language functions. If you choose to combine any two components, you may do so but must indicate At the beginning of the recording that two components are combined. To organize your ideas you will prepare language charts. You must prepare One language chart per component, but are welcome to use more than one to reflect process . Please note point distribution and description Of expectations in exam rubrick. Description: Ser v. Estar, adjectives, comparisons, pero v. sino Present tense narrative: Present actions, descriptions, comparisons, ser v. estar, adjectives, gustar Sequence of events: Preterite, description, gustar Exam Process I Exam Process II Exam Process III Exam http://voicethread.com/share/911926/ Exam Sample II http://voicethread.com/#q.b1363604.i7235766 / Self Review & Peer Review Administration & Communication How do we learn from one another, share and collaborate Program Administration Within Department and College: •Trainings •Meetings • D2L Virtual Exchanges Page •Lab Assistants With Global Partners: •Google Docs •Forum •Skype meetings •Webinars •Communication Coordinators •Collaboration- Sharing grants/assistants/ resources Important Points to Consider •Keep conversation about goals and expectations with teachers and students front and center. •Allow teachers and students to participate in its growth and evolution. •Development of each language takes 2 semesters for a smooth ride. •Teacher training/ buy in can take 2 to 3 semesters for high comfort. •Supporting success of each session is priority. •Some languages require 2 to 3 student assistants at the same time. •Make observations, communicate and adapt to cultural differences. •Marquette has no lab director or official lab. (plans for 2011) Evaluation Student Perspective Would you be more likely or less likely to enroll in a language course in your future based on your experience of participating in virtual language exchanges in this class? In which of the areas you have checked above do you feel you have improved the most, and why? I feel less apprehensive/nervous because I know that my partner is having just as much trouble learning their foreign language as I am, and I know they want to help me not judge me. Not dwelling on making mistakes while speaking the language because the listener can usually understand what you are saying and will correct you. Being able to speak in the language without having to think beforehand how I want to say something. In which of the areas you have checked above do you feel you have improved the most, and why? I am more confident when speaking with a native speaker from practicing in the lab sessions and from being complimented by my partner on my ability to speak their language. I am more aware of language learning and realize it is a lifelong process that is never complete because I am still learning new words in English, so I expect it to be the same for a foreign language. How have your attitudes and beliefs about your partner's culture changed as a result of participating in language exchanges? Be specific. The culture became real to me. I felt like I was able to actually understand and experience it. I became more aware of the differences that exist between our different cultures, but also the many similarities that both cultures have as well. I have a greater appreciation towards those who try to learn English. American culture distorts the ideas that we have about other countries due to media and the lack of information that we have about other countries. I am more open to other languages and cultures after participating in the language exchange. I believe that learning about other country’s beliefs and cultures could be the key to more productive relations. How have your attitudes and beliefs about your own country changed? I have learned I need to be more open to criticism. It has caused me to question why I believe the things I do. I am aware that our access to technology is incredible in our country and we place a lot of emphasis on using it in our everyday lives. Americans tend to focus a lot of their attention on having a plan and living to fulfill that plan. How have your attitudes and beliefs about your own country changed? I was embarrassed because my partner knew so much more about the American culture than I did about theirs I realized how arrogant Americans are because my partner asked me what I thought of there country and to be honest I really hadn’t thought about it before. How could the program improve the experience for you? Discuss current events and global issues that affect the U.S. and our partner’s country. Having more time to talk with our partners. Possibly write letters or e-mails before talking with your partner so it is less awkward and less stressful when meeting them for the first time over Skype. More emphasis placed on exchanges such as having more of them or making them more of a component of the course. How could the program improve the experience for you? Making sure each person had their own partner because I felt that I was not learning/participating as much as I could have if I had my own partner. Researching if there are any native speakers that are students at Marquette that would be willingly to meet/talk to us. I really liked when we made voice-threads and our partners made power-points and we shared them with each other. This greatly facilitated our conversation and mutual understanding. Acknowledgements •Collaborating Faculty for Virtual Exchange Program at MU •Co-coordinators: Dr. Omega Burckhardt & Dr. Sally Gendron •Participating Faculty Fall 2010: Spanish: Dr. Barry Velleman , Dr. German Carrillo, Ms. Jessica Marten, Ms. Consuelo Carrillo, Dr. Omega Burckhardt, Colleen Coffey Arabic: Dr. Enaya Othman Italian: Ms. Giordana Kaftan, Ms. Claudia Passerelli French: Dr. Sarah Gendron Student Lab Assistants: Affnan Mohommad, James Bauer, Jamie Burns, Christina Ficcochi, Dan Torme Acknowledgements Benjamin Stewart: Universidad Autonoma Aguascalientes Sept. 24, 2010 AUSJAL Webinar ACTFL Foreign Language Standards 1999 ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview Standards 1996 Michael Byram’s ICC: European Framework 1996 Steven Downs, December 3rd, 2008 Thank you for your attention! Colleen Coffey ccoffey@wi.rr.com