ANU Language Teaching Forum

Wednesday 21 May 2014, 4.15 – 5.15 pm

Portuguese Online – a complex enterprise between Indiana and ANU
Dr Vânia Castro, Indiana University, USA and Dr. Carlos Pio, SLLL, ANU

ANU’s recent decision to start offering Portuguese as an elective course in collaboration with Indiana University (USA) proved very successful, but quite challenging. Delivered online and in real time by a course convener (Dr. Castro) based in the US mid-west to students in Australia, the course planning and delivery required profound coordination of a significant time difference between Bloomington and Canberra, the choice of a software fully compatible with both universities’ IT systems and logistics, in-class monitoring and tutoring as well as adjustments in calendars and marking frameworks between ANU and IU. It has also required a great deal of flexibility and agile improvising to handle last minute IT instability or failures.


Wednesday 4 June 2014, 4.15 – 5.15 pm
The Off-line Revolution?! – Using ePubs for content delivery
Dr McComas Taylor, College of Asia & the Pacific, ANU

Teaching on-line has certainly revolutionised content delivery, opening up many wonderful possibilities. It enables course conveners to be more flexible, expand their student bases, increase enrolments and bring delight to Deans and Directors. Online is definitely the flavour of the month and many parts of the university are under pressure to expand their programs in this direction. But how far can we push it? After five years of intensive online development, I hit five seemingly insurmountable barriers. As a result, with the collaboration of Grazia Scotellaro, I have now moved all my content off-line into an electronic publication entitled, ‘The Joy of Sanskrit’, freely available through ANU ePress,thereby solving my five big problems. I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with you

Both the above talks will be held in Room W3.03, Level 3, Baldessin Precinct Building #110, ANU

The ANU Language Teaching Forum is forum is jointly coordinated by the College of Arts & Social Sciences (the School of Literature, Languages & Linguistics and the Centre for Arab & Islamic Studies) and the College of Asia & the Pacific (the School of Culture, History & Language). To join emailing list, contact  Duck.Lee@anu.edu.au