2022-12-01 –, Virtual Stage, BBAW
Students learning in an international digital space can experience tension and even panic. Leaning on the conceptual framework of Barlow’s (2007) Third Space which is characterized as a precondition for the articulation of cultural differences, a space of strangeness. With an adaptation of the Third Space to International digital learning, students were able to reflect on their feelings, thoughts and re- examine beliefs and original perceptions .
Students learning in an international digital space can experience tension and even panic due to: Difficulties in communicating in the English language, differences in culture, sense of instability, alienation and distance. Leaning on the conceptual framework of Barlow’s (2007) Third Space which is characterized as a precondition for the articulation of cultural differences, a space of strangeness. Four mutual international digital courses were taught (from 2019 till 2021) by the Social work schools of the Protestant University of Applied Sciences Dresden and Sapir college in Israel. With an adaptation of the Third Space to International digital learning, students were able to reflect on their feelings, thoughts and re- examine beliefs and original perceptions of the "other".
In these courses Israeli and German students reflected on their anxiety of being misunderstood and their frustration of not being able to articulate their words. Mutual history of German and Israel was reflected upon with fear of hurting /harming and turning the space into a conflict zone. German students were afraid to bring up the pro-Nazi/politically right- wing demonstrations taking place in their area and Israeli students refrained from presenting the complexity taking place in their country around the issues of refuges / asylum seekers and the Israeli /Palestine conflict.
In the future we hope to conduct a research on reflection , at this point after teaching four mutual international online courses, it is our assumption that if students are exposed to the third space concept in the beginning of online courses it can enable students to professionally reflect.
Planned structure of the presentation:
- What has been done? Issues of the course and circumstances
- introduction “third space”- construct/idea/theory
- description of students’ reflection
- conclusion (e.g. What does the “space “ online/Zoom has to do with it? Is it a “booster” or “reducer” of these effects?)
Franziska Wächter, (PhD), female, is Professor of Sociology and Empirical Research Methods at Protestant University of Applied Sciences in Dresden/Germany. She studied sociology, economics and organisational psychology at the University of Munich. From 2000 to 2010, she was scientific researcher at the German Youth Institute in Munich. From 2006 to 2010, she was Professor of Sociology at the University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. Her main research interest is on youth and politics/ political participation and orientation, with a focus on disadvantaged young people, migrants, young people in poor neighbourhoods (social space/network analysis), media use and international relations in teaching and research at higher education institutions.
Dr. Rebecca Ranz (PhD.). She is a Senior Lecturer at the Sapir Academic College in Israel. Dr. Ranz completed her first, second and third degrees in social work at The School of Social Work at Bar- Ilana University, Israel. She is the International Programs Coordinator for the School of Social Work at the Sapir Academic College. Her main areas of research are: International Social Work and Religion, Spirituality & Social Work . She has developed both classroom and virtual courses focused international social work