Virtual Exchange
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor
*
Euromed
*
Ecole de Management
Marseille
**
Can you hear me now?
Est-ce que vous m’entendez?
Student perception of learning
from virtual Skype exchange
Background Information
Euromed Ecole de Management,
Marseille
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
•One hour/week Skype voice chat
•Structured tasks
•30 min English - 30 min French
•Pairs or small groups
voice/video chat
list contacts
send file
text chat
conference call
Student
Profiles
• International Management
Bachelor, CESEMED
• Planning study in USA
• Enrolled Civilization and
Culture - Business English
class
• Volunteers
• 2nd year
• Undergraduates Ross
School of Business BBA
• Liberal Arts Bachelor
• Half studied abroad
• Some planning
international internship
• Enrolled Business French
• Mix 2nd 3rd 4th year
Exposure Native Speakers
• MICHIGAN: classes in French, weekly
conversation group, work/study abroad,
tourism.
• EUROMED: Classes in English,
work/study abroad, tourism.
International school with strong English
language component. Frequent contact
with anglophones.
Project Goals
• Enhance target language skills
• Increase cultural awareness target
culture
• Familiarity with business practices
• EUROMED: Increased familiarity
American campus life, university system
Structured Activities
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ice breaker
Comparison education systems, college life
CV and cover letter peer critiques
Current event discussions (elections)
Daily life and customs
Cross-cultural advertising
Survey:
What did we want to learn?
• Culture and language: What do the
students think they learned?
• What are student attitudes?
• Feelings on collaborative learning?
• Impact of group dynamics?
• Motivation for contact outside class?
Online Survey
• Students from 3 semesters
• Responses 18/28 Michigan (64%)
17/35 Euromed (48%)
• Majority open-ended questions
• Also: focus group and personal
communication
Attitudes: 5 adjectives
comprehensive
ennuyeux
innovant
partage
marrant
apprentissage
curieuse
ludique
reticente
amicale
tolerant
ouvert d’esprit
fatigué
genial
tardif
contraignant
sympatique
dubitative
Positive
Negative
motivation
inutile
dissipé
convivialité
Attitudes: 5 adjectives
Positive
Negative
enriching
interactive
enjoyable
frustrating
confusing
exciting
interesting
riveting
awkward
informative
realistic
educational
boring
curious
engaged
modern
entertaining
disappointed
nervous
cautious
positive
enticing
fun
mellow
Attitudes: 5 adjectives
Positive 53 (76%)
Negative 16 (23%)
68 (83%)
14 (17%)
Recurrent Themes
Postive: enjoyment (25), meaningful (17),
engagement (15), relaxing environment (5),
newness (5)
Negative: discomfort-risk (6),
disengagement/dissatisfaction (4)
Positive: relationship (13),
engagement (12) , enjoyment (7),
newness (3)
Negative: logistics (5), dissatisfaction
Commitment / Engagement
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Envie de partager
Intéressé
Motivation
Ouvert d’esprit
Tolérante
Enthousiasmée
Découverte
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Interested
Interactive
Riveting
Engaged
Curious
Enticing
Exploratory
Enjoyment - Pleasure
•
•
•
•
•
•
Agréable
Cool
Divertissant
Genial
Ludique
Marrant
•
•
•
•
•
Fun
Excited, exciting
Cool
Enjoyable
Entertaining
Meaningful
Relationship
•
•
•
•
•
•
Amical
Convivialité
Gentille
Sympathique
Patiente
Content de
pratiquer la langue
de manière plus
utile qu'avec un
francophone
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Educational
Informative
Cultural
Enriching
Beneficial
Helpful
Superb
Useful
Worthwhile
Logistics
•
•
•
•
Contraignant
Dissipé
Tardif
Fatigué
Discomfort
Risk
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cautious
Awkward
Frustrating
Nervous
Nerve-wracking
Confusing
Q: What did you learn?
• Business content; educational
system, “tidbits”, very general “topic”
• Language expressions, language skill
• Cultural value observation,
perspective
• Don’t remember, rien
• Communication skills, intercultural
communication (elsewhere)
• Découverte d’une personne
(elsewhere)
5
12
0
10
2
5
1
2
0
0 (3)
2
0
Q: Target language improve?
•
•
•
•
Yes
12
3
Yes/No
1
2
No
2
4
Actual French people
Comfortable speaking, conversation, improvisation
Constructive criticism encouraging partners (overt)
Listen, compare accent, identify gaps (noticing)
• Technical problems, frequent contact anglophones
Best aspects
•
•
•
•
Speaking (conversation) native student
Making connections, friends
Intercultural communication (2)
What international employers want (1)
•
•
•
•
•
Vie de campus, système univérsitaire
Casser des stéréotypes
Apprentissage de la langue
Echange de culture
Interactivité
Least useful aspect
•
•
•
•
Fewer French than American students (pairs)
Not same person every week
Worksheets (structured activities)
Staying on task
• Questions obligatoires, planning de discussion
(everyone)
Learning from peers
Positive 7
Pos/Neg 4
5
2
• POSITIVE: general language, more
professional, sound more French, better
position myself in market, on apprend sans
s’en rendre compte,
charmante-brillante,
bénéfique dans les deux sens
• DUBIOUS: too general,
accuracy?
Learning from peers
“ Ils ont une manière de nous parler qui
fait que nous comprenons mieux, car ils
ont notre âge, on sait ce qu’ils vivent
comme nous.”
“ You learn an actual French opinion and
reaction through interacting with them
which is impossible to learn through a
lecture…”
Group Dynamics
PAIRS
Time getting to know new
partner takes time away
from task.
Large group videoconference
might make first meeting
less akward
•build relationship
•des affinités se sont créés
•more speaking time,
• focus on task,
•typical internet chat
New partner
Large group
Q: Videoconferencing?
Video
body language, gestures
nice to see them, plus aisé
ça nous force à être concentré
distraction
Audio
hone comprehension
less anxiety, nervous
less worried appearance
Yes
Maybe
No
He’s cute!
2
3
6
3
4
Teacher’s perception
• Trust (teacher vs peer)
• Authentic hands on, almost like being
there
• We’re not so different
• Timid student can participate
• Keen to come, disappointed to finish
• Organization (come prepared)
Teacher’s perception
• Ease, confidence of communication w
native speaker
• Vocab and cultural info
• Bureaucratic side French business
(vs ‘Nike Cowboy’)
• ‘Just like us’ - age, similar experiences
• Authentic transfer, corroboration knowledge
(practice vs theory)
Contact outside class
Once or twice (16), regularly (3)
via email and Skype
with the same person
for classwork
and general conversation
Contact outside class
Once or twice (16), regularly (3)
via email and Skype
with the same person
TIDBITS:
for classwork
One pair
holiday gifts
and •general
conversation
•
•
•
•
Two meet up in France
Romance
Continue contact
Summer in Marseille
And beyond …
What are students telling us?
• Worksheet/guides too constraining, not
conducive to communication
• Communicate and focus better in pairs relationship is important, same age
• Enjoyable overall experience
• Positive cultural exchange information
• Videoconferencing not important
Contact Info
Terri Jordan
Terri.Jordan@euromed-marseille.com
Rachael Criso
rcriso@umich.edu
Philomena Meechan
phili@umich.edu
Novelty - Newness
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•
•
•
Curieuse
Découverte
Innovant
Intéressant
•
•
•
•
•
•
Curious
Cool
Enticing
Exploratory
Modern
Surprised