Drake University’s Virtual Language Studies (VLS)
The past two years have been full of language learning fun and adventures in the Virtual Language Studies Program for students (and faculty) of Chinese and Russian. Sadly, this grant program will come to an end in September 2011.
Russian and Chinese will be taught in the 2011-2012 academic year the same way the other five languages are taught at Drake with on the ground, face to face classes with native speakers in small class sizes.
Below is information on the grant project which ran in the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 academic years.
Under the direction of Dr. Jan Marston, is developing an approach to culture and language learning that supports real-time Internet-based study of less commonly taught languages – Russian and Chinese.
Innovative approach
VLS had a different from traditional pedagogical approach. Virtual language students practiced speaking skills with native speakers and studied the language in its cultural context with faculty members in small groups (up to four people in a group) five days each week via real time video conferences and lectures in a virtual classroom.
Digital identity
The VLS focused on the use of digital tools and communications to develop student skills as active, critical consumers of language in the 21st Century. Special emphasis was placed on Internet sources, tools, and electronic spaces. VLS students developed advanced skills in maintaining a personal blog through submission of assignmnets and posting reflections on the VLS website. The learners developed strong self-study skills for both short- and long-term language study, consuming authentic target-language Internet materials to develop connected, critical thinking abilities.
History
Learning in a virtual environment proved to be highly effective. Both learners and faculty expressed surprise at the warm, personal atmosphere in the virtual classroom. There was a focus and an intensity about this interactive online work that nobody had expected. And assessment of student portfolios and oral interviews showed students exceeded expectations.
Virtual Language Studies eceived $1.58 million in federal funds to develop this interactive, online approach to language learning, to address the nation's critical need for fluent speakers of less-commonly taught languages. VLS students from five diffferent participating institutions learned Russian and Mandarin Chinese.
In its first year, the Drake University VLS demonstrated a proof of concept – that interactive online language and culture courses can be highly effective. We are encouraged that VLS is a significant step in the right direction—toward a learning environment that effectively addresses student learning goals, and that has the capability to produce communicative competence in a broad range of languages with an effective use of institutional resources.
For more information please read the complete news release.
Find out more about the staff of the Virtual Language Studies Program here.
