How to Improve Studentsf Group Skills for Better Communication.

 

Nihon Fukushi University

Makoto Kageto

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We really appreciate what Taiwanese friends taking care of our students, especially offering them a nice learning environment. Overall, Students and teachers were quite satisfied with the ASEP2010 which was carried by Kaohsiung steering Committee.

We could learn a lot from the perspectives of experiential learning. Every event such as farewell party or the presentation was thoroughly carried out.


1 ICE Breaking activity
  My students looked so happy to have dinner, Christmas parry, with I-Shou university students. They are kindly accompanied with them to Sightseeing spot preparing their collaborative presentation.
The more they had time, the more their relationship improved, I believe.

2 Collaborative work toward the designated day, Presentation day.
They tried so hard to complete their presentation despite the fact that time was quite limited. They shared the contents into two parts, International Collaboration and personal support with warmhearted attitudes.
Compared to the high school Student Presentation , their presentation was not so good from the view point of the criteria suggested by the forerunners. As you know the asep and wym has been carried out over the decade. The forerunners contributed to the building up what is important matters when creating presentation.
They should have learnt how to make an effective presentation form the viewpoint developed over the WYM and ASEP events,
As for the newcomers joining the event as a first time, teachers should have strongly suggested them showing them the role model , good presentation using video clips.
It was so pity we could not have time to arrange for that.

ASEP, WYM already became widely known, we began to consider the Joint presentation the result of Group skills. Group Skills comprises leadership, note taking , data analysis and time management. These are call 21th century skill with higher order thinking.

When we consider authenticity of learning, ASEP and WYM are based of real world context rather than passively receiving the knowledge. JP students are expected to overcome the differences and conflicts caused by cultural background and the differences of the revel of English communication.

Home-stay program or party are very useful to get to know each other and enhance the mutual understandings. The engaging preparation, generous sharing and insightful discussions had been very meaningful, fruitful and inspiring for all of them. It was truly an eye-opener to see how to reach the goal of Presentation on the designated day. We should now for teachers that constructivist theory such as the way to construct their meaning by doing and challenging the issues.

 

Issues to be solved.

The process of ASEP should be divided into 3 parts. The preparations phase, Face to Face meeting, the post event phase.

 

The preparations phase.. Student are supposed to try to set up their presentation organization according to the criteria pointed out by forerunners. At this stage they are strongly suggested to build up interrelation using Face book which work well for daily exchange.

 

Face to Face meeting

Before the designated day, student should be instructed by teachers what they acquire the group skills to incorporate different opinion into one.

Workshop are needed to break through the wall of mind barriers.

 

Role of teachers as facilitators.

Teacher training is needed to design based on constructivism theory.

They should know how to use higher order thinking :Wikispaces, Mind mapping took., face book, web2.0 etc.

Clarifying the sequence of learning , teachers should lead the participants to act and play the member who had the competencies of group workers.