Mini Proyecto Yo - A Tribute

Vinodh Venkatesh

The proposed project will be administered in a SPW 6902 course titled “Don Quijote”. It will run concurrently with a similar project, also described here, in the undergraduate section of this course intended for majors in the language. The course at the graduate level consists of a generalized readings of both tomes of the book, followed by a semester-end research paper as well as one in-class presentation on a selected chapter. Students are encouraged to read with a particular theory or framework in mind, preferably in a field that they are themselves interested in. In addition to the already mentioned forms of assessment, graduate students are asked to teach a chapter of the book to the undergraduate section. This second class undertakes during the semester a much lighter reading of the novel, focusing succinctly on specific chapters, with an emphasis on the “material Quijote”. The aim of this pedagogical assignment is twofold: to provide experience of the teaching of literature to graduate students; and to increase the communication between undergraduates and graduates.

The following project expands on the second purpose of this assignment. While most graduate students in the graduate section are native or near-native speakers of Spanish, the majority of undergraduate students are still working on their L2 skills. They are equipped to speak to the language but sometimes lack the grammatical structures and vocabulary to effectively tackle literature – hence the lighter reading load for their course.

The project will employ asynchronous and synchronous CMC as a forum of communication between the two sections. It is geared to allow students to cultivate their language and cultural skills in realtime and on their own – the theories to be developed here are the constructionist theory, interactionist theory, sociocultural theory, as well as the technology-acceptance model. While the theoretical basis of this project seems to be an amalgam of ideas, the variety can be explained by the different forms of CMC used by learners in the project.

THEORY

The Quijote Project (QP) has as its base Collentine's constructionist theory (which allows for other theoretical pillars to be erected). Students become agents of learning, as opposed to passive learners. They assume the bulk of the responsibility and learning explicit in SLA, with the instructor serving as a mere guide till the final assessment of the project. This framework then allows for the above-mentioned theories to be put in place.

In synchronous communication (SCMC), the students will be interacting with members of the opposite section via a text chat. Due to the nature of realtime communication, learners will be forced to negotiate meaning in their text chats. As there should be a mixture of native (or near-native) and intermediate/advanced students, it is hoped that Gass' ideas of the benefits of interactionist theory may be evidenced: negotiation of meaning, obtaining enhanced input, and direction attention to linguistic forms. This last facet is important, as studies amongst same-level learners have shown that that students tend to only form lexical negotiations as opposed to grammar form modifications.

The asynchronous communicative (ACMC) component of the QP will involve undergraduate students reflecting and developing ideas and input in their own time. They will glean from weekly readings and in-class discussions, personal perspectives and interpretations of the novel. As their focus is on the materialist aspects of the novel, they will have to research the cultural and historical setting of the novel to familiarize themselves with the context. This idea of learning the language and about the language outside of the normal podium, involves sociocultural theory (SCT). Students are encouraged to acquire the L2 in the zone of proximal development. Also, their exposure to the graduate students should provide them with new linguistic and cultural nuances of the target language.

The final theory in the framework for the proposed project is the technology-acceptance model (TAM). The system submits that users are more apt and willing to use technology that they are already familiar with. As this theory belongs to the information systems field, it has pedagogical implications in the administering of CMC to both student groups. Learners are more likely to use technology efficiently when they already know the technology – therefore there is no learning curve or waste of time as students first familiarize themselves with the interface. This theory is important in the implementation of the QP as for the project to work amongst students already undertaking a larger course load, the methodology must be as streamlined as possible.

Lastly, as mentioned above, students in both sections will be required to use ACMC and SCMC. The justification for this lies within the established theoretical framework. To create a fertile environment for SLA, the project will not restrict itself to one modus of communication or one single facet of language learning. ACMC is hoped to enhance grammatical form and attention to detail in written production, whereas SCMC (explained by interactionist theory) can be linked to gains in oral proficiency. Both CMCs will work concurrently with TAM.

It is hoped that students will develop not only their vocabulary but also grammatical forms in their interactions with the graduate students. This will ideally occur through negotiation and/or observation of native speaker output.

METHODOLOGY

The QP is a semester-long project between an undergraduate and graduate class. The former is normally composed of about 25 students whereas enrollment in the latter is normally capped at 9-12 students (both at the Masters and Doctorate level). As enrollment is higher in the undergraduate section, it is hoped that the instructor can create groups, assigning 2 or more undergraduates to a graduate student 'mentor'. All communication will be conducted in the target language.

Undergraduate students (US) will be divided into groups and paired off with graduate students (GS). The main topic to be dealt with will be the chapter selected by the GS at the beginning of the semester. This chapter will become the GS' area of expertise and will also contribute to their in-class presentation of an assigned chapter. This will constitute the main concentration of their interaction. The secondary concentration shall be the weekly readings assigned by the instructor (as designated by the syllabus. US read chapter selections from a specific part of the text whereas GS undertake all chapters).

SCMC will be used on a weekly basis with each group setting up a virtual meeting classroom (at an individually pre-agreed time). Students will use AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) as their communicative tool. AIM is the most widely used messenger service in the United States and is relatively simple to use (TAM). Students are encouraged to use extant chat usernames/profiles to further integrate QP into their daily experience with technology. GS are responsible for initiating, moderating and documenting SCMC sessions. Each week, there will be a discussion of the readings. Students will discuss questions prepared by GS. Questions should focus on language in the novel, cultural elements, and general comprehension of the text. GS are encouraged to help US in not only negotiating lexical meaning but also grammatical form (example: suggesting appropriate verbal tenses for discussing “en aquel entonces”).

ACMC will comprise the majority of the main concentration of QP. GS will be responsible for a Wiki page on their chapter. The instructor initially will setup a QP Wiki with individual pages for assigned chapters. GS will manage, design, and provide content for each assigned page. The US in each group (same as those in the SCMC) will also provide content, research and discussion on the chapter in question. GS will add weekly discussion questions to the Wiki forum of their respective chapters, which US are expected to provide researched and intelligent comments, answers and questions to. A Wiki will be used for ACMC for two reasons. First, they are intuitive, with an editing interface the resembles popular productivity software suites. Second, Wikis are gaining popularity and this project will equip students with new skills (GS should have an exposure to Wikis after completing the Teaching Methodologies class either prior to or concurrently with the Quijote class).

Evaluations will consist of a weekly review of the Wiki page as well as forum on the part of the instructor. He/She will also evaluate the text chats. Evaluation of SCMC and ACMC will only be limited to content as the course is not a language or SLA course. GS will be assessed on their preparation of questions and moderation of SCMC whereas US will be graded on their input. Similar criteria shall be employed for ACMC.

At the end of the semester, students will write a short reflection paper (4-5 pages) on their experience with CALL in the QP. They will identify benefits and hinderances of the project and suggest changes in the methodology, which the instructor can carry out at their own discretion. Students will also assess their experiences with ACMC and SCMC, identifying gains (if any) they have noted in their communications in the target language. The final QP Wiki will also be posted and archived as a resource for future students. It is hoped that the instructor will select different Wiki chapters for discussion if he/she choses to carry out the project in further semesters.

FOR THE STUDENTS

Durante el semestre, mantendrán una comunicación extendida con un estudiante matriculado en la sección graduada de este curso. Éste servirá como guía en sus lecturas semanales de la novela (en concordancia con el programa de lectura publicada en el sitio web de este curso). Hay dos componentes en esta comunicación:

1. Cada semana, asistirán a una charla virtual con los estudiantes en su grupo. Aquí, tendrán la oportunidad de desarrollar sus ideas acerca del libro y hacer preguntas y comentarios a sus compañeros. El estudiante graduado también proporcionará preguntas relevantes a la lectura de la semana.

2. Durante el progreso del semestre, en sus grupos asignados, prepararán un proyecto Wiki como producto final en su análisis de un capítulo de la novela. Tendrán a un estudiante graduado como moderador y jefe. Aquí se incluirá información bibliográfica, crítica, enlaces interesantes, y recursos de tipo multimedia. También existirá un foro de discusión, donde se discutirá preguntas y problemas en el texto.

Se calificará su contribución a ambos componentes de una manera holística, en donde se tomará en cuenta no sólo el contenido de sus mensajes sino también la frecuencia de su contribución a la discusión académica.

FOR THE INSTRUCTOR

Create a Wiki page for this project at Wikispaces.com. In addition to posting clear instructions on the main page, create separate pages for each group. Remember to create navigational links on the main page, as well as on each group page.

On the main page, make sure to highlight the group assignments as well as provide email addresses to facilitate student communication; especially at the beginning of the semester when they need to setup their weekly chat schedule.

Each week: remind students to work on their Wiki page. Instruct graduate students to email all saved chat transcripts by Sunday of the week. Also have them think of the next week's discussion questions ahead of time, and to bring them to class to discuss with the graduate section of the course.

Additionally, the instructor has the option of seeking institutional approval to collect data from this project. This would be useful as this is a new field and there isn't much research on advanced/intermediate language learners.

GRADING

SCMC Chat (GS). Scale of 3. [3-complete, 2-partially complete, 1-incomplete]

Student provided good discussion questions. Created an environment conducive to learning. Invited, saved and submitted all chat transcripts on time.

SCMC Chat (US). Scale of 3. [3-complete, 2-partially complete, 1-incomplete]

Student attended all chat sessions. Prepared readings so as to be able to answer GS questions. Asked questions, provided answers, and made insightful comments on the text, reflective of having read the assignments.

ACMC Wiki (GS). Scale of 3. [3-complete, 2-partially complete, 1-incomplete]

Created content, managed information, updated questions and readings. Created an academically conducive environment in the digital forum.

ACMC Wiki (US). Scale of 3. [3-complete, 2-partially complete, 1-incomplete]

Contributed on a weekly basis to the Wiki. Provided content and relevant information to the page. Took part in academic debate in the digital forum on a weekly basis.