Action Research on Asynchronous Inter-Cultural Communication Video Exchanges

Japanese university students studying the sciences often lack opportunities to communicate globally with other students in English. In order to offer opportunities to such students, an asynchronous inter-cultural communication video exchange (ICVE) was included as a classroom activity as a part of the syllabus in the authors? classroom. The aim was to open the way for students to deepen inter-cultural understanding while practicing their English language skills. Students were put into groups, and during the semester each group recorded 4 videos. The videos were exchanged with a university in Finland and a high school in France. At the end of the semester in the first year of the ICVE, a questionnaire was distributed to uncover the students? perspectives about the ICVE. The results showed about 70 % of students felt that 4 videos during one 15-week-semester was too many. Nevertheless, all of the students said they would recommend the ICVE to a friend. The results also indicated the following three points, 1. more time is needed to practice before shooting videos, 2. the students enjoyed themselves, and 3. group members should have been changed for each video recording. From the results the following year?s ICVE was planned resulting two main changes: the number of videos being reduced from four to three, and, the members of each group being different for each video recording. At the end of the semester a similar questionnaire was distributed. This research shares the results from the second year of the ICVE and discusses how the ICVE can be conducted concurrent with other activities in the syllabus. Also a comparison of the results of the two years of questionnaires feedback will also be highlighted.