Design and implementation of a telecollaboration project for primary school students to trigger intercultural understanding

• Published in: Intercultural education (London, England) Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. 377 - 389
• Main Author: Okumura, Shinji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 03.07.2020
• Subjects: Computer Mediated Communication; Cultural Awareness; Curriculum Development; Curriculum Implementation; Edmodo; Educational Technology; Elementary School Students; Foreign Countries; foreign language learning; intercultural understanding; Learner Engagement; Learning Activities; Partnerships in Education; Second Languages; Social Media; social network sites; Student Attitudes; Telecollaboration; Australia; Japan
• ISSN: 1467-5986; 1469-8439
• DOI: 10.1080/14675986.2020.1752546

Telecollaboration involving children around the world allows them to develop international understanding (IU). This paper reports on the design and implementation of a telecollaboration project between Japanese and Australian primary school students. The main purpose of the project, which integrates the contents of Social Studies and foreign language (FL) education, is to promote student interest in learning their own and a foreign language, as well as a foreign culture, using an educational social network site (SNS), in this case Edmodo. This study focused on Japanese students in particular. The exchange of cultural information online became a meaningful and authentic activity for communication in FL. Additionally, the evaluation showed that the Japanese students became more motivated to learn English and initiate IU. A curriculum-based telecollaboration project involving a long-term plan - instead of a one-off activity - is recommended in order to develop young students' IU in FL education.