How ICT tools support a course centered on international collaboration classes.

Abstract

Here we describe a course centered on three international online collaboration classes. The participants were students at Japanese and Malaysian universities and the course used Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools to contribute to university students’ language ability, willingness to study, and knowledge about their own cultures and those of their interlocutors. Various communication tools were used to support and monitor the project. The use of these ICT tools, including a newly developed application program (Dialogbook), will be presented. We describe how Dialogbook was used to set up small-group discussions, exchange comments, provide feedback between the instructor and students, and enable students’ reviewing of their performance via rubric questions. The availability of such a one-stop support tool for students in the collaboration classes reduced the burden on teachers. The data collected with this application is closely examined both quantitatively and qualitatively, and the results show that the course successfully facilitated students’ engagement in the project, with high motivation levels.