Virtual collaboration, ‘perezhivanie’ and teacher learning: A socio-cultural-historical perspective

Victoria Antoniadou

doi:10.5565/rev/jtl3.424

Abstract

This article discusses specific examples of virtually mediated interactions involving two transatlantic groups of student-teachers who engaged in a task-based telecollaborative project for the purposes of a teacher education course. The Vygotskyan framework of learning and development and particularly the construct of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) in a collaborative frame serve as the theoretical basis of this study. This article aims to: (1) analyze the essentially language-mediated interactions to trace instantiations of virtual collaboration developmentally (2) discuss teacher learning outcomes of the (tele)collaborative activity, and (3) examine learning as expansion of what was explicitly proposed as objectives of the course, resulting from reasoned action i.e., reflection on the process and outcomes of the activity. The findings suggest that the effective integration of telecollaborative activities in pre-service teacher education programmes can enhance teacher learning in significant ways.

Highlights

New world, new tools, new practices: In the era of globalization and digitalization, education is confronted with the challenge –and often accused of not being able to adequately respond– to transform existing teaching and learning practices in order to embrace the new international character of the world; a world where borders between nations have been abolished, and the globe is viewed as one big nation due to the increasing dependence on computer technologies and social networking tools
The findings suggest that the effective integration of telecollaborative activities in pre-service teacher education programmes can enhance teacher learning in significant ways
There is a substantial discussion about what is nowadays called Teacher 2.0 (Dooly, 2010), a term used to define and describe the new roles, requirements, and competencies that teachers in this new era need to fulfil. In this ‘new world’ the European guidelines for student-teachers of languages, (European Portfolio for Student-Teachers of Languages: EPOSTL) highlight the competence to integrate network-based activities to organize project-based learning for the Antoniadou promotion of language learning and intercultural communicative competence, and puts forward its implications for independent, lifelong learning

Summary

Introduction

New tools, new practices: In the era of globalization and digitalization, education is confronted with the challenge –and often accused of not being able to adequately respond– to transform existing teaching and learning practices in order to embrace the new international character of the world; a world where borders between nations have been abolished, and the globe is viewed as one big nation due to the increasing dependence on computer technologies and social networking tools. There is a substantial discussion about what is nowadays called Teacher 2.0 (Dooly, 2010), a term used to define and describe the new roles, requirements, and competencies that teachers in this new era need to fulfil. In this ‘new world’ the European guidelines for student-teachers of languages,. According to the EPOSTL, future teachers should be able to effectively integrate technology in their teaching practices, create online learning environments and activities to engage students in interaction with a worldwide community in order to facilitate authentic foreign language learning through group work and joint construction of knowledge

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion