Projektleitung: Prof. Dr. Heiner Barz, Abteilung für Bildungsforschung und Bildungsmanagement, Philosophische Fakultät, HHU
Projektteam: Anja Kirberg, M.A., Abteilung für Bildungsforschung und Bildungsmanagement HHU, Melanie Brock und Angelika Reinhardt (Studentische Mitarbeiterinnen)
Finanzierung: Lehrförderungsfonds für das Wintersemester 09/10 und das Sommersemester 2010
Laufzeit: Oktober 2009 – Oktober 2010
Intention und Konzept:
„Going global“ in higher education means usually that students and academics experience higher education abroad to expand their knowledge of other cultures, languages and scientific discourses, and to better equip themselves in an increasingly globalized labour market.
But what if studying abroad is not a compulsory part of students? studies? How can international mobility be included into the curriculum to prepare and motivate students to go abroad despite key barriers like lack of information, languages, cultural and financial issues? Our teaching project ?Sociology of Education Intercultural? demonstrates how a blended learning class can lead undergraduate students to intercultural learning experience and encourage them to study abroad. Due to excellent evaluation results our teaching project will last until summer 2010. The blended learning class is embedded in ILIAS a German virtual learning environment with forums and learning modules. To communicate with international partners we use a virtual classroom and Skype.
In the course „Bildungssoziologie online international“ in winter 08/09 and summer 09 our students had the chance to discuss the similarities and differences of the German and American educational system as well as the issues of first generation students with our American cooperation partners Ellen Eckman and Heidi Schweizer (Marquette University/Milwaukee) and David John Frank (University of California/Irvine).
In the following winter term, our students did their own qualitative research project. They interviewed foreign students via Skype about conditions of study and living. The interview outcomes results were analysed and presented on their own ePortfolios (Mahara). During the whole class our students were encouraged to practice peer-review techniques.