Integrating Research Experiences into German 1002 Grant uri icon

abstract

  • This proposal seeks funding to design and embed undergraduate-research project modules into German 1002, a second-semester introductory language and culture course that enrolls between 50-60 students per year. Course participants will be required to complete a research-informed project, in English, in teams of two to three students on a topic of deeper societal importance pertinent to the course material. Students will present their projects to their peers as part of the course assignments, and the highest achievers would be invited to expand their work under faculty guidance for presentation during Research and Creative Achievement Week here on campus. The best research will be archived and presented online, preferably as a Digital Humanities project that can be used to advance undergraduate learning on campus, or submitted to an undergraduate journal for publication consideration.
    In German 1002, students learn to discuss and negotiate their daily routine in German, an important task for anyone living and working in a foreign culture. As bland as a daily routine may sound, cultural assumptions and convictions inform societal notions of when and for how long a person should work, take vacation, or spend with family or for personal betterment. Though the resulting cultural differences may seem benign, they often lead to real problems in communication, both in professional and daily life. Consequently, students will be required to research course-related topics critical for developing their cross-cultural analysis skills and understanding such as: German societal views on work/life balance, including the significance of legally protected vacation time, holidays, and even Sunday as a day of rest and personal/family focus; notions of societal and individual productivity; related philosophies and systems of education, including the often touted apprenticeship system; and the country's federal republic structure, which grants states flexibility in all of the above-mentioned topics (which then leads to and reflects cultural variance). Course-based assessments indicate that such cross-cultural projects improve student satisfaction, the achievement of learning outcomes, and retention.
    Impact: The student research experiences envisioned by this proposal will benefit undergraduate education in three main ways:
    Students will develop their ability to make meaningful cross-cultural comparisons as they study German society more in depth and compare its underlying cultural beliefs to their own.
    Students will develop skills critical for their academic and professional success in the 21st century, most notably the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with others, as well as to evaluate information and media critically (information literacy).
    Students will be encouraged to continue their studies other cultures and to share their knowledge with others, adding to the internationalization of the undergraduate educational experience for themselves and their peers.
    Scalability: The research modules will become part of the course when this investigator teaches the class in fall 2019 and they will be incorporated by colleagues in subsequent semesters. The modules can be adapted also for use in the preceding course around the topic of how Germans live, with related topics such as urban planning, sustainability, etc. Though designed with German culture in mind, the modules focus on cultural topics of universal importance. Consequently, the modules will be shared with colleagues in other language sections (French, Spanish, Russian) for adaptation for use in their seminars, should they so desire.

date/time interval

  • January 2018 - February 2018