Lawrence Journal World, KS
Oct 12 2004
Technology bridges international classes
New program links KU students with worldly peers
By Terry Rombeck, Journal-World
Lee Grignon was trying to write a collaborative essay examining
theories of democracy.
But all his partner on the project wanted to talk about was President
Bush.
“I think he is not smart enough,” said the partner, Zumrud
Mammadzade.
The conversation might not seem out of the ordinary for a Kansas
University class, considering the U.S. presidential election is less
than a month away.
What made the exchange unusual was the geography.
Grignon was in a Wescoe Hall classroom, and Mammadzade was in a
classroom at Western University in Bacu, Azerbaijan.
The students are part of a State Department-sponsored pilot program
that connects U.S. college students with students at universities
around the world using video phones and Internet chat rooms. KU is
one of 12 U.S. universities participating.
“We need to build global understanding, whether it’s for exercising
U.S. foreign policy interests or simply building peace and prosperity
in the world,” said Erik Herron, assistant professor of political
science who is teaching the KU class. “I think that’s why the State
Department is so interested in the program. It’s not designed to help
people like Americans, it’s designed for world citizens to understand
the U.S.”
Tech troubles
Dubbed the Virtual Classroom Project, the program debuted last year
at East Carolina University.
At KU, 15 students in Herron’s introduction to comparative politics
honors class spent a month working with students at Western
University and recently switched to working with students at Osh
State University in Kyrgyzstan. They’ll also collaborate with
students at Mongolian National University.
At 8 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, Herron dials into a
computer network that brings up a video connection to classrooms in
the other countries, including Kyrgyzstan where it is 7 p.m. What
appears looks something like the video phone footage sent back by
news correspondents in Iraq.
Students and professors take turns talking in slow, deliberate
speech. Each side has a red flag to wave if it can’t understand the
audio.
Classes are divided between a lecture by Herron and student
discussions, both with the video connection and in chat rooms.
“Unfortunately, because of the technology, it’s difficult to engage
in full dialogue,” Herron said. “Despite all the complications and
problems, it’s worth it.”
Political talk
That’s because students are being introduced to cultures few knew
much — if anything — about.
“I didn’t know Azerbaijan even existed before this class,” said
Grignon, a Brookfield, Wis., freshman.
Meanwhile, students in Azerbaijan have been following developments in
the United States closely.
“A great amount of students oppose the Iraq policy of George Bush but
significantly support George Bush on his struggle against terrorism,”
said Elvin Majidov, one of the Western University students. “That’s
because we have seen what the terror is.”
Azerbaijan has been in a sometimes-bloody conflict with Armenia over
the Nagorno-Karabakh territory for 15 years.
“It was a pity to learn my partner (in the KU class) didn’t support
the Azeri side in Karabakh conflict,” said Nana Atakishiyeva, another
Western University student. “I cannot say that he supported the
Armenian side — he had a neutral position.”
In fact, KU student Nina Mosallaei said, none of the KU students was
familiar with the conflict.
“Apparently they’ve been fighting for many years,” said Mosallaei, an
Overland Park sophomore. “I had no idea.”
‘Direct experience’
Mosallaei said she hoped the class would be a model for more
international courses.
“I think it’s a really good experience to have, especially nowadays,”
she said. “We’re always in our little bubbles, and we think we’re
always right. I think it’s a fantastic idea, to talk to people around
the world. If we did more of that, maybe we wouldn’t fight as much
and we’d get along better.”
Herron, the KU professor, said he planned to teach the course again
next fall.
Adam Meier, a spokesman for the State Department, said the government
planned to add more universities to the program.
“These are the future leaders in their countries,” Meier said of the
international participants. “Time and time again, we hear of people
rising to power who have had a direct experience that led to a better
understanding of American cultures.
“I think everyone would agree it’s in our best interest to have
(foreign) leaders with a better understanding of who we are, rather
than potentially relying on skewed media in other parts of the world.
You’d rather have that direct experience.”