Intercultural Communication as a By-product of the Globally
Networked Learning Process Mira Bergelson, HSE, Moscow, Russia
[email protected] Meredith Harrigan, SUNY, Geneseo, NY, USA
Craig Little, SUNY, Cortland, NY, USA Intercultural Communication
as a By-product of the Globally Networked Learning Process
Slide 2
Our goal in this paper Rethinking the experience OR a typology
of studying intercultural communication in vivo Comparing three
approaches with focus on: the content of the subject field
participation in a real process of peer-to-peer intercultural
communication joint multi-sided discussions of the topical issues
of social life in various cultures. Each approach has its potential
benefits and pitfalls
Slide 3
First case: Social Control Course on social control by Prof.
Craig little SUNY Learning Network Asynchronous web-based platform
1. 2002 7 SUNY students; 5 ESL students 2. 2004 10+1
English-native; 7+3 ESL Russian-native students 3. 2013 20+
English-native (US+Australia); 7 ESL Russian-native Little, Craig.
B., Titarenko, Larissa, Bergelson, Mira. Creating a successful
international distance-learning classroom. Teaching Sociology,
vol.33, 2005 (October: 355-370). Little, Craig B., Titarenko, L.,
Bergelson, M. The Role of Democratic Dialogue in Collaborative
International Distance Education. AUDEM: International Journal of
Higher Education and Democracy, 2012, Vol.3.
Slide 4
Course structure The Modules Included the Following Assignments
and Activities Mini-Lectures (prepared by the professors) Reading
from the assigned books Reading Questions to be answered on the
assigned books Examinationsone for each of the three core modules
Web-Based Assignments Student-Led Discussions Demonstrated Benefits
Intensive writing English language enhancement practice Other
?
Slide 5
The international on-line classroom provides an effective forum
for democratic dialogue A democratic dialogue: An exchange of
information and opinions on public issues in an open forum
potentially either a boring or a threatening communication event
Boring - if opinions to be exchanged are more or less similar
Threatening to the social face of the participants - if they are
opposite or adverse If there is no exchange of opinions, but of
information only it is unlikely to happen
Slide 6
Advantages of SLD A cross-cultural dialogue is generally more
revealing in terms of information obtained and more threatening
vast proportion of the opinions is based on cultural (national)
stereotypes The SLD is an excellent vehicle to promote a democratic
dialogue more efficient, more educating, less threatening allowing
to make most out of its cross- culturally
Slide 7
SLD allows: a free but still structured format; an explicit
demand for exchange of information; students choose what input to
respond to; a postponed, not face-to-face response to a comment;
competitive attitude based on how many people respond to a given
post and how they evaluate it; a multi-linear dialogue (polylogue);
because of the prolonged period for the SLD (a module is about
three weeks) there is a certain time line for developing of each
topic.
Slide 8
Some quotes I think that it was very educationally rewarding. I
learned a lot about social control in different countries. I
learned from their questions more about the United States, and I
felt comfortable posting mine. It was definitely rewarding learning
about their feelings towards social control, and it helped that not
everyone was the same age or from the same background because you
learned so many different perspectives. (American) This course
showed that interaction of people from different countries and
cultures can not only be interesting but rather profitable for
everybody. (Belarusian) It was interesting to learn opinions of
students from other countries. Some points of view appeared to be
really unexpected. (Russian)
Slide 9
Second case: Intercultural Communication in the Global
Classroom The study of intercultural communication begins as a
journey into another culture and reality and ends as a journey into
ones own culture ~Peter Adler
Slide 10
The Partnership SUNY Geneseo Department of Communication Moscow
State University Department of Foreign Languages and
Literatures
Slide 11
The Goal To bring intercultural communication theory to
practice and create a transformational learning experience for
students.
Slide 12
The Strategy To create an eight week team project in order for
students to learn through doing Specific Project Task Each team
will create a social advertisement for their partnering
culture
Slide 13
The Process Students complete 5 online modules Each module
required three activities: 1. Main Project Activity 2. Relationship
Building Activity 3. Reflective Activity Learning Management
System: Moodle
Slide 14
Main Project Activities 1. Make Key Decisions 2. Collect Data
3. Create a Draft Ad 4. Seek Feedback 5. Finalize the Ad Goal #1:
Practice intercultural communication Goal #2: Use culture as a lens
as they create ads
Slide 15
Geneseo students product
Slide 16
MSU students product
Slide 17
Relationship-Building Activities Creating slide shows using
Animoto Creating metaphorical backpacks of culture Engaging in the
DIVE exercise via VoiceThread Engaging in team conferences via
Skype Reflection Exercises Online discussion posts Class-to-class
videoconferences
Retrospective Sense- Making What We Know Now That We Didnt
Expect Then
Slide 21
Unanticipated Benefits of Planning Decisions Evaluate our own
students work Teach content through process Have a primary LMS
organizer Meet prior to each class-to-class videoconference
Structure each class-to-class meeting consistently
Slide 22
Unanticipated Glitches: Technological Management Collect
hyperlinks rather than videos files Beware of browser differences
Collect savable pictures rather than links Consider the impact of
system upgrades Have support staff or user-friendly technology Stay
aware of the new digital divide
Slide 23
Unanticipated Questions: Intercultural Management Are our
differences culture or personal? How do we differ in our time
orientation? How do we differ in our semantic rules? How do we
differ in task and relational orientations?
Slide 24
Unanticipated discoveries Time matters Geneseo MSU US Russia
Creating a product requires creation of interculture Technology
divides (?) When intercultural becomes interpersonal Creativity
Motivation
Slide 25
Unanticipated Discoveries: Embracing Teachable Moments Learning
Activities Often Yielded Unanticipated Opportunities for
Learning
Slide 26
DIVE Exercise Anticipated Goals: To make students aware of the
powerful role culture plays in our perceptual process. To encourage
perception-checking. Unanticipated Outcome: Increased intercultural
and co- cultural knowledge.
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Third Case : Global Understanding courses Project started by
East Carolina University in 2003 42 Universities from 28 countries
FFL MSU students have participated since 2005 Project Leader Prof.
Alla Nazarenko Videoconferences and chat between students for four
weeks Three partners per semester
Slide 31
Global Understanding Topics Education Family and Traditions
Meaning of Life Stereotypes and Prejudice English as lingua franca
http://www.ecu.edu/cs- acad/globalinitiatives/course.cfm
Slide 32
In Search of Typology Focus on language skills ~ on subject
field ~ on technology Methods of interaction between course
participants One-on-one interactions ~ team work ~ class-to-class
interactions Number of participating parties Role of SLD or other
forums
Slide 33
Course essentials Groundwork: the conditions for success
Motivation: for professors, for students Relationships
Institutional accounting Building the course Selecting the topic
Keeping it simple: chunking, scheduling Opportunities for online
interaction Coordinating frequent written assignments with the
readings
Slide 34
The study of intercultural communication begins as a journey
into another culture and reality and ends as a journey into ones
own culture ~ Peter Adler