BEGIN: A Virtual Exchange Project around Entrepreneurship

 

Section 1:
A Virtual Exchange Project around Entrepreneurship: BEGIN

Section overview:

In this section you will receive the instructions needed to complete the first steps of the BEGIN project. First of all, you will complete different in-formation exchange and comparison and analysis pre- tasks to get started and come to know your foreign counterparts in the project. Then, you will move on to complete the main telecollaborative tasks: creating a new product/service/app and presenting it in the form of a digital story and an oral presentation. Finally, you will complete different post-tasks aimed at concluding the project and fostering the assessment and reflection about the project.

The BEGIN project at glance:

BEGIN Business English Intercultural Project 15 weeks, 2 weekly sessions
Project’s

acronym

 Project’s name Duration
Objectives Development of students’ intercultural communicative competence and 21st Century skills; enhancement of students’ motivation to learn English at tertiary level
Language configuration Monolingual – one language is used: English as a Lingua Franca
Target group First-year ESP students at UV Spain and CUT Cyprus

Sample size: Approximately 80 students

Degrees: International Business, Management and Economics
Linguistic level B1-B2 of the CEFR
Duration 15 weeks
Communication mode Synchronous and asynchronous in a blended learning environment, online and offline work, in-class, out-of-class, and between classes work
Main communication and task completion tools Google+ Communities, Google+ hangouts, Google Drive (docs, slides), video-editing software (Movie Maker, iMovie), presenting software (Prezi, PPT)
Pedagogical implications Creation of a friendly, non-threatening atmosphere, enhancement of motivation, development of online navigation skills, development of students’ understanding of the role of different contexts, authenticity, student-centred learning, collaborative learning, ownership and responsibility, enrichment of ESP curriculum with 21st century learning themes and competences.

 
Study type and goals Design-based research with experimental design (pre- and post-intervention) aimed to explore the unique affordances of technologies in the framework of telecollaborative ESP learning to support the development of university students’ intercultural communicative competence and 21st century skills with an emphasis on global awareness.
Dominant language production Reading & writing, listening & speaking, grammar and vocabulary, ESP lexis
Target competences Intercultural communicative competence, language competence, 21st Century skills
Task types Sequence of pedagogic tasks, conversational topics, Project-based learning (PBL), problem-solving, collaborative tasks (co-construction), reflection
Stages of the Telecollaborative Project Stage 1: Getting started: Becoming familiar with the Virtual Exchange project and with the technologies to be used:

1.1) Pre-intervention questionnaire

1.2)Diagnostic test

1.3) Digital profile on Google+ Community

1.4) Ice-breaking questions.

 

Stage 2: Online Socialisation: Building the Online Community:

2.1) Group formation

2.2) Responses to ice-breaking

2.3) Introductory videos on Google+

2. 4) 1st synchronous meeting

2.5) Written reflective essay about 1st synchronous meeting.

 

Stage 3: Information Exchange: Exploring and sharing cultural and linguistic knowledge:

3.1) Language memory

3.2) DNA video questions and answers

3.3) DNA video feedback exchange.

 

Stage 4.1: Knowledge Construction: Cross-cultural business problem-solving:

4.1.1) Reading and choosing problem-solving cross-cultural business scenarios

4.1.2) Cross-cultural business scenarios problem-solving.

4.1.3) “Issues about Virtual Exchange” reflection forms completion.

 

Stage 4.2: International entrepreneurship main task 1: Creating a new product, service or app and presenting it as a digital story:

4.2.1) Script of digital story

4.2.1) Digital story editing

4.2.3) Uploading & sharing digital story on Google+ Community

4.2.4) Assessing digital stories.

 

Stage 4.3: International entrepreneurship main task 2: Presenting the new product, service or app as an oral presentation:

4.3.1) Preparing oral presentations

4.3.2) Delivering oral presentations

4.3.3) Participating in Business Fair.

 

Stage 5.1: Development: Reflections and evaluation:

5.1.1) Feedback exchange on digital stories

5.1.2) Peer assessment sheets

5.1.3) Voting poll

5.1.4) Post-intervention questionnaire

5.1.5) Awards

5.1.6) Focus-group interviews.

 

Stage 5.2: Wrapping-up: Making and exchanging farewell videos:

5.2.1) Farewell video exchange.

5.2.2) Farewell video session.
Suggestions for assessment Assessment of individual outputs:

These outputs can be assessed individually:

– Digital profile (output of Stage 1: Getting started)

– Introductory videos (output of Stage 2: Building up the Community)

– Individual follow-up written reflective essays (output of the synchronous oral exchanges)

– Individual contributions in the forum discussions

Assessment of telecollaborative artefacts:

These artefacts might be assessed as a group:

– Digital stories about the new product/service/app (Output of Stage 4.1: Creating a new product, service or app and a digital story)

– Oral Presentations (Output of Stage 4.2: Preparing and Delivering Oral Presentations)

Assessment of work processes, teamwork and participation:

Procedural assessment is a valuable form of evaluation, as it enhances the students’ personal development. Students can provide feedback and exchange experiences continuously throughout the whole project. Moreover, students should write a follow-up self-reflective essay at the end of each task as well as one final one sharing theirs reflections on the whole process, their own roles in their team and how they managed the different tasks, what problems they encountered and how they dealt with them, and the overall learning experience.

 

Students’ working hours
Stage 1: Getting started (50’+50′)
1.1 Pre-intervention questionnaire In class 20′
1.2 Diagnostic test In class 50′
1.3 Digital profile on Google+ Community In class 15′
1.4 Ice-breaking questions In class 15′
Stage 2: Building the Online Community (50’+50‘)
2.1 Group formation In class 10′
2.2 Responses to ice-breaking In class 20′
2.3 Kahoot! game In class 20′
2.4 Introductory videos on Google+ HW – individ. 20′
2. 5 First synchronous meeting HW – telec. 20′
2.6 Written reflective essay about 1st synchronous meeting HW – indiv. 30′
Stage 3: Information Exchange: Exploring and sharing cultural and linguistic knowledge (50’)
3. 1 Language memory

 

 In class 20′
3.2 DNA video questions and answers In class 15′
3.3 DNA video feedback exchange. In class 15′
Stage 4.1: Knowledge Construction: Cross-cultural business problem-solving (50’+50’)
4.1.1 Reading and choosing problem-solving cross-cultural business scenarios In class 15′
4.1.2 Cross-cultural business scenarios problem-solving: 2nd synchronous meeting HW –

telec.

 50′
4.1.3 “Issues about Virtual Exchange” reflection forms completion. In class 5′
4.1.4 Written Reflective essay about 1st synchronous meeting In class 30′
Stage 4.2: A digital story about a new product/service/app (50’+50’+50’+50’+10’)
4.2.1 Script of digital story In class 40′
4.2.2 Digital stories script correction & video editing In class 50’+50’+50′
4.2.3 Uploading & sharing digital stories on Google+ HW 10’
4.2.4 Assessing digital stories In class 10’
Stage 4.3: An oral presentation about a new product/service/app (50’+50’+50’+50′)
4.3.1 Preparing oral presentations In class 50′
4.3.2 Delivering presentations In class 50’+50′
4.3.3 Participating in Business Fair In class 50′
Stage 5.1: Development: Reflections and evaluation (50’+50′)
5.1.1 Feedback exchange on digital stories In class 20’
5.1.2 Peer assessment sheets In class 20’
5.1.3 Voting poll In class 10’
5.1.4 Post-intervention questionnaire In class 20’
5.1.5 Awards In class 10’
5.1.6 Focus-group interviews In class 20’
Stage 5.2: Wrapping-up: Making and exchanging farewell videos (50’)
5.2.1 Farewell video making and exchange In class 30’
5.2.2 Farewell video session In class 20’