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Teaching Pashto by Distance Education November 11, 2008 San Diego, California. Indiana University Received Funding for SLCP in Spring 2007 Paul Foster – PI Henry Cooper – PI LTC Eric D. Arnold, CM USA ROTC LTC John D. Golden, CM AF ROTC Blake Puckett, Director IU SLCP.
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Teaching Pashto by Distance Education November 11, 2008 San Diego, California
Indiana University Received Funding for SLCP in Spring 2007 • Paul Foster – PI • Henry Cooper – PI • LTC Eric D. Arnold, CM USA ROTC • LTC John D. Golden, CM AF ROTC • Blake Puckett, Director IU SLCP
IU SLCP Program Outline • Summer Intensive: Bloomington, Indiana • Academic Year: 10 months follow on study at cadet’s home institution
Summer Intensive – 8-9 Weeks Summer Workshop on Slavic, East European and Central Asian Languages 9 Strategic Languages Offered Regularly Arabic Azerbaijani Russian Kazakh Pashto Turkmen Tajiki Uzbek Uyghur
Academic Year Cadets return to their home institution for intermediate or advanced language studies If home university does not offer required language, then…
Distance Education – Language Study • CeLCAR has 5+ years teaching Central Asian/Afghan languages by DE (NSEP grants) • Partners • Department of Central Eurasian Studies at IU • College of Arts and Sciences/Indiana University (IT) • Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) • Big Ten + Chicago – CourseShare
Key Components • Unified Administration – Registration, Tuition and Credit Transfer • Technology -- Polycom videoconference, but many other affordable technologies • Pedagogy – mixed classes – multiple remote sites • Materials – CeLCAR has developed multimedia and web-based resources • Assessment – Proficiency Standards and Exams for Pashto
Success Story: 2 ROTC Cadets at IU in the Advanced Pashto Course 1st Cohort of SLCP in 2007/2008 Juniors in 2008/2009 What next for these two cadets?
SWOT Analysis • Strengths: extends opportunities nationwide; unlimited future use of technology and DE; Pashto interest continues to grow. • Weaknesses: DE can never replace “bricks and mortars” especially for an undergraduate experience in a communicative classroom; drop out rate higher than expected. • Opportunities: build partnerships, extend to other languages. • Threats: beyond 3rd year? Summer programs? Funding?
Question 1: what would the militaries need to do to make distance learning sustainable? • Question 2: how to get a significant overseas Pashto language program experience for our cadets? PRTs, Pakistan? • Question 3: how to better integrate our programs? • Question 4: how to tie into other NSLI programs (STARTALK, Flagship, Title VI,etc.)?