Scaling Up Sustainably Affordances and Challenges of Shared Language Courses

• Published in: Sharing Less Commonly Taught Languages in Higher Education Vol. 1; pp. 27 - 38
• Main Authors: Rosen, Lauren, Swinehart, Nicholas, Treat, Stephanie, Li, Mia
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 2024
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: language pedagogy; Collaborative Language Program; BTAA CourseShare; sustainability
• ISBN: 103239420X; 103239417X; 9781032394206; 9781032394176
• DOI: 10.4324/9781003349631-4

Despite differences in institution size, mission, and location, consortia have common needs when it comes to course sharing. As with all pedagogical approaches, less commonly taught language (LCTL) course sharing has evolved due to a variety of affordances such as improved technology and an increase in authentic materials available through digital means. In all cases, there has been significant growth in the number and variety of courses shared, the number of campuses participating, and the number of students involved in these courses, yet minimal change in the number of staff that provide support. This growth was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid spread of remote and blended teaching. This chapter addresses the challenges and growing pains of sharing LCTL courses from numerous perspectives including administrative, pedagogical, and technological support, as well as student learning, all of which lead to recommendations for scaling up in a sustainable way. The chapter begins with a long-term vision and commitment to course sharing, then addresses the allocation of resources, the pedagogical priorities for successful courses, and the importance of flexibility in developing course sharing programs that are sustainable.