Teaching Asia in Europe (online). Reflections on the E-School in Korean Studies

• In Event: TLC at APSA: Utilizing Technology to Enhance Participation

Abstract

Advances in information and communication technology offer tremendous opportunities for enhancing international collaboration around innovative projects in teaching and learning. In this article we use a case study of the Global E-School in Eurasia project, an online learning platform we established at Central European University in Budapest to offer courses on Asia, to discuss opportunities and challenges arising from the expansion of digital education. As it intervenes in debates on active teaching and learning in international studies, the article’s purpose is three-fold. First, we are interested in understanding how the use of video-conferencing tools and specific tools in virtual learning environments affected student learning. Next, we explore the extent to which digital education offers efficient and effective platforms for international collaboration. Thirdly, we discuss how cultural diversity plays out in large international projects. For each of these three themes we review the opportunities offered by the project and the challenges we were confronted with. Based on our reflections on this five-year project and the course evaluations we conclude that advances in digital education, most notably the application of a blended model to teaching and learning, allows for effective learning and deeper collaboration, institutionally and cross-culturally.

Authors

• Youngmi Kim, University of Edinburgh

• Matteo Fumagalli, University of St Andrews