INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN PREPARING AND DELIVERING STUDENT ORAL PRESENTATIONS IN A UNIVERSITY BUSINESS ENGLISH COURSE; A CASE STUDY

This case study presents findings from an advanced Business English course attended by 3rd year European and International Relations students at the University of Cyprus. Students were asked to work collaboratively in groups of between 2-4 in order to prepare and deliver an informative oral presentation, integrating technology – preferably a Web 2.0 collaborative one – in some capacity. The paper looks into observational data obtained during presentations and data gathered via follow-up interviews with students. Discussion focuses on student perceptions and beliefs toward collaborative learning, toward Web 2.0 collaborative technologies and toward instructional technology in general. Useful insight is provided with regard to (a) collaborative presentations among university students and (b) the mechanisms behind technology integration in such tasks. A number of implications for instructors, students, and the HE ESP curriculum are addressed. Findings are currently used to assess and revise the course syllabus.