Abstract:

Background:
The Center for Distributed Learning at the University of Central Florida (UCF) has provided instructional design, video, and photographic support to two recent Fulbright Hays grants that funded Group Projects Abroad (GPA): one in Argentina (2022) and the other in Russia (2018). Both projects, “Building Bridges with Language and Culture in Russia” and “A Woman’s Place: Language and Culture Alive in Argentina,” focused on curriculum development for UCF faculty and local K-12 teachers in the areas of language, culture, and history. For both projects, Wendy Howard, Director of the Pegasus Innovation Lab, served as the documentarian, and Shelly Wyatt, Associate Instructional Designer, served as the digital archivist for the Argentina project. Examples of photographs include fine art, architecture, street scenes, libraries and bookstores, restaurants, famous landmarks, and sports venues; videos include guest lectures and tours. The photographs and videos for both projects have been made available to educators as open educational resources (OER) through digital repositories on the UCF STARS website (https://stars.library.ucf.edu). These digital artifacts feature a Creative Commons license that allows educators to use these materials for educational purposes, including for use in online courses.

Impact of Culturally Rich OER:
There are many types of courses that can benefit from the use of the digital content created as part of the Fulbright Hays GPA in Russia and Argentina. For example, one of the challenges associated with learning a second language (L2) in high school or higher education settings is limited cultural context; this challenge can be even more pronounced in online courses. Cultural knowledge of the target language, along with exposure to authentic digital artifacts, can promote student persistence and motivation. [1, 2] Sample digital artifacts that can enhance L2 courses include images of cuisine, architecture, art (fine art and public), and entertainment venues. Also, courses that focus on cultural and economic history can also be enhanced by incorporating these OER made available on the UCF STARS website; these digital artifacts include images and videos of shops, government buildings, monuments, and other historical landmarks.

Focus of the Study:
In this research, the authors will introduce the digital repositories for the Fulbright Hays projects, along with best practices for incorporating them into online course environments. These best practices include:
- Selecting digital content that supports course objectives
- Scaffolding online course content using digital photos and videos
- Strategies for integrating videos into online text-based lectures

References:
[1] R. Clément, S. C. Baker, and P. MacIntyre, “Willingness to communicate in a second language: The effects of context, norms, and vitality.” Journal of Language and Social Psychology, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 190-209, 2003.
[2] M. K. Kaliban, N. Ahmad, & M. J. Z. Abidin, M. J., “Facebook: An online environment for learning of English in institutions of higher education?” Internet and Higher Education, vol. 13. no. 4, pp. 179-187, 2010.

Keywords:

Open educational resources, international, repository, content development.