In 2011 I gave an online workshop on tele-translation, or online freelancing, for ATIDA (the Arabic Translation and Intercultural Dialogue Association). Forty-eight participants, one facilitator, no moderator: it taught me more about online teaching than any lecture could.
The preliminary syllabus is here: http://atida.info/training/course_details.php?course_id=66 (the presentation was given in Arabic).
What Happened
The workshop ran in Arabic and English, with some colloquial Arabic where the informal nature of the session allowed it. ATIDA offered the course free of charge for promotional reasons, and around 48 participants joined online. Managing the facilitation was a challenge because of the sheer flow of questions. A moderator, with whom I should have agreed the activities beforehand, was not available, so I had to pick out only the relevant questions on the spot. There was no way to answer every query in an hour and a half.
On the other hand, that flow showed how interactive and dynamic the audience was. Some participants were answering their classmates' questions in the chat box, which I greatly admired: interaction took place not only between me and them but also among students who did not know each other. This is the kind of collaboration that translation pedagogues such as Kiraly (2000, 2003) have written about, though not in a technology-enhanced, online or distance-learning space. These Arabic-speaking students came from many different countries, including Spain, Germany and France.
What I Learnt
I learnt a few things I will avoid next time I run the same workshop, whether online or face-to-face. Online facilitation differs from the classroom in its learning design, in the teacher's role and in the physical environment: bricks and mortar against an online platform or learning management system (LMS). Instructors who want to take on such initiatives need training for it.
A PowerPoint version of the course is available on request: contact me at fouadelkarnichi@gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment