On blended learning: Japanese and Romanian telecollaboration - positives and negatives

• Author: Andreea Nechifor
• Position: Faculty of Letters, Transilvania University of Brasov
• Pages: 43-50

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law • Vol. 8 (57) No. 2 - 2015

ON BLENDED LEARNING: JAPANESE AND

ROMANIAN TELECOLLABORATION –

POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES

Andreea NECHIFOR1

Abstract: The aim of the present paper is to analyse the outcomes of a project

based on telecollaboration, as the basic teaching tool, belonging to a blended

learning approach to teaching, in terms of student satisfaction against the

degree of novelty that such a method entangles. The research is based on the

opinions expressed by the direct participants in the exchange, students in the

second year of study from the previous academic year, and represents part of

a greater analysis considering that the project is still unfolding and that a

new series of students, whose opinions are yet to be measured, have

meanwhile participated in it. The conclusions of the study can be summoned

under the positive side and reflect the opinion of the majority of the subjects

interrogated proving once again the appreciation that modern teaching

methods and techniques enjoy nowadays among students.

Key words: blended learning, telecollaboration, joint curricula, students,

outcomes.

1 Faculty of Letters, Transilvania University of Braşov

1. Introduction

The project that this paper is based on

started last year, in 2014, as a result of a

fruitful collaboration, in terms of

conference bonding and professional

sympathy, between Transilvania

University of Braşov, Faculty of Letters,

and Otaru University of Commerce in

Japan, represented, at the time of the 12th

proceedings of the Conference on British

and American Studies, by Ph.D. Daniela

Caluianu. Reference to this project was

made in Transilvania University’s

Newsletter, June 2014 issue [13] and

interest was manifested in it immediately

after its release, by members of the

teaching staff belonging to both

universities.

It all began from the desire to develop a

joint audacious project which would offer

students a new perspective over the

teaching process and which would open

not only minds, but also hearts. Eventually,

the team welcomed more members, as

professor John Thurman the leader of

Otaru University’s blended learning

project suggested including the

telecollaboration idea into the wider frame

of the project managed by him in order for

the participants to be able to benefit from

all the aspects that a blended learning

concept entangles: technical equipment, a

team of professional technicians providing

support and assistance whenever the face-

to-face interactions would take place (and

thus Tomoe Horii joined the team as well,

mastering the whole process of live