Intercultural project-based learning and multiliteracy : an ethnography study on Finnish-Chinese PLATINUM project

Abstract

Here are growing numbers of exchanges and cooperation projects among universities around world. Most of these projects are interdisciplinary and intercultural. Participants’ different cultural and disciplines background requires participants to have many abilities to work with others. Although considerable researches have been devoted to personal competences in intercultural project based learning, rather less attention has been paid to how multiliteracy and intercultural group work as project based learning affect the outcome of the project. This present thesis focuses on dialogue between multiliteracy and intercultural project based learning in intercultural university projects. The aim of the study is exploring how intercultural group work as project based learning and students’ multiliteracy in dialogue with each others and affect the outcome of the project. The main question is how intercultural project-based learning contributes to participants’ multiliteracy and the outcome of designing a virtual reality game. The goals of this thesis are pursued by utilizing the method of ethnography. From observation and interview, the study finds that intercultural group work has a positive influence on students’ multiliteracy through collaborations with other members and works on media products. Instruction, restriction, grouping, courses and schedule are key factors for promoting efficiency of intercultural project based learning. This study supports an earlier intercultural fieldwork research about factors fostering intercultural competence on personal level. This study extends an earlier research about the progress of university students’ multiliteracy. The study finds that students like to put elements from other culture to the final artifacts. This study gives some empirical experience on how to promote efficiency in intercultural project based learning and the significance of multiliteracy in intercultural project based learning. More virtual reality gamed related intercultural projects could be set for promoting teachers and students’ multiliteracy. Empirical driving questions and curriculum schedule should be taken into account before projects start in designing intercultural group work.