Synchronous (Onsite) Horizontal Collaboration: Intra-departmental Integration as a Bedrock for SLA more

Sun, Apr 30, 10:30-10:55 Asia/Seoul

Horizontal integration across university curricula is an oft cited ambition but one which frequently falls foul of instructor individualism, on the ground realities, and communication shortfalls. We put to the test the theory that inter-syllabi coordination could prove beneficial for second language acquisition. In one class, students worked on cooperative projects, including making a short movie. In another, they studied creative writing, producing their own poems, stories and scripts. In a third, they were learning academic writing with a particular emphasis on peer review skills. However there was no specific integration between these three syllabi. When it was discovered that nine students were enrolled in all three courses, it presented an ideal opportunity to test horizontal integration in a controlled real-world context. This research report will explore the theories behind horizontal integration before explaining the methodology of the experiment, the results and the lessons learned for the future.