Abstract
In this telecollaboration project, engineering students enrolled in a semester-long multicultural education course at a higher education institution in Qatar engaged online with pre-service teachers simultaneously enrolled in the same course in the USA. Learning community dyads including students from both institutions were formed. Cross-cultural competencies were developed as issues related to cultural values, race, diversity, gender, pedagogy and intercultural communication were explored through reflective journals written and responded to by the students. Qualitative methodology leveraged thematic analysis to find convergence and divergence of student voices. The authors conclude the chapter with lessons learned for implementing a post-secondary telecollaborative curriculum that fosters intercultural communication skills and cross-cultural competence among engineering students in the Middle East.
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Notes
- 1.
STEM is an interdisciplinary curriculum approach that utilizes high engagement and application of knowledge. Rather than teach the four disciplines as separate and discrete subjects, STEM integrates them into a cohesive learning paradigm based on real-world applications.
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Eslami, Z.R., Hill-Jackson, V., Kurteš, S., Asadi, L. (2019). Telecollaboration Among Qatari and US Undergraduates in a Multicultural Course: Opportunities and Obstacles. In: Reinders, H., Coombe, C., Littlejohn, A., Tafazoli, D. (eds) Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching. New Language Learning and Teaching Environments. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13413-6_13
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