Problem
Due to the fact that some IE instructors will need to continue teaching online—and the hi-flex mode of teaching may decrease time spent in class—IE students may have insufficient opportunities to interact with their teachers and peers through English in a F2F context. The university’s Chat Room is likely to remain unstaffed, or understaffed, this year because of the paucity of international students caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Therefore, we will be unable to depend on the Chat Room to fulfill this function.
Proposal
We will arrange to have IE teachers available to speak with, advise, or organize activities for IE students who desire additional F2F contact with teachers and peers.
Location
To be decided. Since the Chat Room may be underutilized, or not used at all, it might be available for use. A conference room in the main library is also a possibility.
Days and times sessions offered
Ten times per month; on the days when IE classes are held: Tuesday-Friday (twice on each day)
When might sessions begin
From May 11; the week after Golden Week
Possible days & times sessions may be held…
– Tuesday:
May 11 & 25 (12:35 – 13:05 & 17:00 – 17:30)
June 8 & 22 (12:35 – 13:05 & 17:00 – 17:30)
July 6 (12:35 – 13:05 & 17:00 – 17:30)
– Wednesday:
May 12 & 26 (12:35 – 13:05 & 17:00 – 17:30)
June 9 & 23 (12:35 – 13:05 & 17:00 – 17:30)
July 7 (12:35 – 13:05 & 17:00 – 17:30)
– Thursday:
May 13 & 27 (12:35 – 13:05 & 17:00 – 17:30)
June 10 & 24 (12:35 – 13:05 & 17:00 – 17:30)
July 8 (12:35 – 13:05 & 17:00 – 17:30)
– Friday:
May 14 & 28 (12:35 – 13:05 & 17:00 – 17:30)
June 11 & 25 (12:35 – 13:05 & 17:00 – 17:30)
July 9 (12:35 – 13:05 & 17:00 – 17:30)
Potentially, 40 sessions in total.
Personnel
Teachers will be recruited from among our current IE teachers already teaching on the days that the sessions are offered.
How students can participate in a controlled fashion to maintain social distancing
There would be a limit of 10 students per session. Initially, we might offer the service on a “first come, first served” basis. Depending on demand, we may introduce a system in which students sign up for sessions through a Google Form or some sort of scheduling app.
Role of the “Instructor at large”
– Teachers may…
* advise students about their IE classes
* offer assistance with the writing of IE book reports or essays
* conduct specialized sessions on particular themes, with the students being informed in advance about the “theme of the day.”
* help students prepare for, or practice, Media Discussions, Active Listening “Interactions,” or other presentations.
Note that the university has an Academic Writing Center (AWC) which offers general advice on the writing of reports, theses, scripts for presentations, and even documents related to job applications. They will also provide guidance to students who are having difficulty completing (or knowing how to start) specific writing tasks they were assigned. Students may be referred to this center as appropriate by the “instructor at large.”
AWC Home Page: https://www.agulin.aoyama.ac.jp/en/writingcenter/greeting/.
As some writing assignments are peculiar to the IE Program—such as the writing of book reports by addressing the literary concepts or preparing documents for the Media discussions—it would be appropriate for the “Instructor at large” to offer assistance with those tasks IE-specific tasks.
Caution:
We do not want the instructor at large to undermine a student’s IE teacher(s), so care should be taken not to make any implicit or explicit criticisms of the way teachers might be accomplishing IE Program objectives.
