Telecollaboration as a Cultural Ice Breaker: Investigating Undergraduate Students’ Perspectives of Combining Face-to-Face with Computer-Mediated Interactions

Purpose / Background Computer-Mediated Communication to investigate: –The value of telecollaboration in foreign language education (Germany) –The value of telecollaboration in preparing to teach diverse populations (US) –The pre-service teacher’s understanding of the importance of diversity in Education (Germany and US)

Method Pre-service Teacher Participants: –Germany: 26 (Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg [PH]) –US: 10 (Penn State University [PSU], Pennsylvania) Telecollaboration Project Description –PH Course / PSU Course / Trip Data Collection Methods –Journals –Pre / Post Surveys –Reflections

Results PH –Professional development PSU –Cultural Diversity became more important Both PH and PSU –Personal development –Reduced discomfort meeting diverse populations –Desired more contact –Value in building relationships with diverse populations –Articulation of value of technology to join cultures

Practical Implications: Value of Telecollaboration Internationalizing the Curriculum: To help dispel cultural misconceptions Promote cultural sensitivity given classroom student diversity Enrich Teacher Education Programs: Enable future educators to experience telecollaboration with potential project partners for long-term connections. Note: How can we facilitate change of roles from participant to teacher?

Future Research Considerations Project development: Task: Contact time, length and type of task. Assessment: Process outcomes consider student work along global dimensions & consider comparative perspectives. How can we assess these long-term goals? Link with university coursework & field experiences Challenges of international partnerships across institutions due to: Time zones and academic calendars Language barriers …

Discussion / Questions Thank You