Cross Cultural Communication: Global Understanding Project [跨文化溝通：國際連線專題]
2 credits
Dr. Yu-Chih Doris Shih (dshih@mail.fju.edu.tw) For Juniors above
Class Limit: 28 Course description:
This course provides a format for students to learn about other cultures without traveling. This is part of the Global Academic Outreach Project directed by East Carolina University (ECU), USA. In this semester, we will connect with ECU as well as students in ONE other country (a total of two countries) through live video and chat technology. Discussion topics ranging from college life, family structure, the meaning of life, health care, food and nutrition, to stereotypes and prejudices. Class sessions include discussion in both small groups and one-to-one text-chat with
reflective journaling/papers and/or oral presentations afterwards. Besides international connecting sessions, local sessions (which mean only local class session without videoconferencing) are also held to integrate and synthesize information gained in the global sessions. Participating students from different cultures also read each other’s newspapers to learn what is current, timely, and to get real exposure to what is going on in their partners’ cultures. We will be using small-group videoconferencing and the text-chat software mIRC for connection. Instruction will be given in class with the assistance of a technical assistant. The assignments include writing of journals, papers, and in-class presentations.
Since we will be connecting with other countries via videoconferencing, class will be in SF 901, the distance learning classroom.
About class hours:
When there’s the international connection, the course is on Tuesday and Thursday EARLY MORNING time (3 hours in total -- probably from 8AM to 9:15AM on each day, 75 minutes/session – this include time to deal with technology). For local weeks, we can decide to meet and complete the course (2 hours) just one time on Tuesdays (from 8:10AM to 10:00AM). On certain weeks, we won’t have class at all since this is a 2-credit course. The final schedule will be provided near the beginning of the semester Spring 2012:
*The week of 2/ 13 / 12 is a local session. (2/14/2012 Tuesday)
** The first videoconference session is 2/21/2012 Tuesday.
*** Daylight saving time starts in USA on 3/11/2012.
**** This year’s country 1 is Universidad Regiomontana, Mexico (UR PM);
Country 2 is East Carolina University, USA.
***** It would be great if you could bring your own laptop for mIRC text chat sessions.
