Pedagogical Pathways
Innovative and Engaged Online Language Courses View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Joseph Fees
Asynchronous, online courses and programs have been increasing dramatically in enrollment in recent years. Traditional, face-to-face, language courses have been the standard for immersing students in a foreign language and improving their language proficiency through abundance practice and language samples. This paper addresses innovative pedagogies and technology to engage students in the asynchronous language classroom and simulates the experience of an in-person classroom by advancing skills in speaker, listening, reading, and writing. New technologies have transformed the online learning experience by providing students with new opportunities to increase presence---interactions with the course materials, the instructor and fellow students. This paper focuses on online Spanish courses and strategies to increase engagement and enhance course design. The introduction of technologies including Duolingo, Kaltura Video Quizzes, Quizlet, and other programs have increased active learning and language practice. Finally, the study explores ways to enhance technology and engagement, including VR, gamification, and AI, in future language courses as further opportunities for simulations and enhanced active learning.
The Evolution of Experiential Learning: Simulation Development from Live-actor to Asynchronous Online View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Catherine Jenkins
Simulations have multiple uses in training and education as intensive forms of role-play. As models analogous to real-world situations, simulations offer students opportunities to learn challenging skills in lower-stakes environments. Building on a background of live-actor simulation for medical education, the researcher created an online simulation that evolved from in-class, to hybrid, to fully online asynchronous use for students in a Risk and Crisis Communication course. This simulation acts as a capstone, testing students’ abilities to rapidly apply course theory, including concepts of stakeholder audiences, confidentiality, ethics, and transparency. Based on a credible fictional scenario, the simulation assumes the students have been hired as crisis communication consultants by a restaurant chain experiencing health and safety concerns, and a subsequent public relations crisis. The scenario evolves in real-time over 30-minutes with students receiving messages from various stakeholders, sometimes with competing interests. At the end of the simulation, students write a news release applying course concepts and based on information from the simulation. Students are also debriefed, either verbally or in a reflective memo. Students report finding the simulation daunting, but also fun and exciting. They test and apply their knowledge, improving their confidence before graduating into professional communication careers. Such simulations can be adopted for use in any language and in a variety of courses and disciplines (e.g., business, medicine, law, engineering, design, etc.). In addition to the paper, an opportunity to run a portion of the digital simulation is presented.
Virtual Exchange to Prepare Teachers as Advocates for Inclusion
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Maria Marino, Nadera Alborno
This study explored teachers’ understanding and experience of disability and their viewpoints about inclusion as a result of participating in a virtual exchange experience. In-service and pre-service (n=12) teachers, who are enrolled in a Master of Education teacher preparation program, took part in 8 weeks virtual exchange experience that aimed at challenging their understandings and typical beliefs about disability and inclusion. The purpose of this study was to examine how working virtually in global teams influenced teachers’ understanding of disability and their viewpoints about inclusion.
