| Course goals | Course management | Course requirements |
| Course materials | Course assignments | Course evaluation |
On January 1999, the European Union started the implementation of a common European currency, the Euro. This process will result in the elimination of the national currencies of the participating countries by the year 2002. The changes that made the Euro possible have been slowly unfolding since the end of World War II. European Union policies have shaped national policies, directly impacting on national landscapes and daily lives. Indeed, one cannot fully understand today's France without taking in consideration the European Union. But the European Union global presence is also felt in the United States, also influencing daily lives , e.g., the intellectual property regulations.
For many, the European Union is an unknown entity. This course will take a multi disciplinary perspective (e.g., History, Political Sciences, Economics, French Studies, Environmental Studies..) and develop a multiplicity of points of view from very diverse key players/ factors to understand and evaluate the global implications of such a major economic force. The course will focus on France but will do so from an intercultural perspective.
All investigated topics will be synthesized then compared with US's own stands on these topics. This intercultural approach is consistent with the MLL program at UMBC, both at the Undergraduate and Graduate levels.
This course will be conducted in both English (at the undergraduate level) and French (at the graduate level). French Majors (Junior and Senior ranking) will be given permission to enroll in the French section as undergraduates with special permission. Check the course requirements to see if your level of proficiency will allow you to do so. If so, contact your instructor immediately.
This is an online course. Most class materials are contained in this European Union learning site. To access them, you need to go back to the prior page (eu.introenglish.html), click on the Next red arrow and enter the course password that has been e-mailed and mailed to you.
Your virtual classroom is contained in WebCT (the blue button called WebCT). As you enter WebCT, you will be asked to log on. Your WebCT password will have been e-mailed and mailed to you. Prior entering WebCT, check out the WebCT tutorial to familiarize yourself with your classroom environment.
Computer environment (hardware/software)
PowerMac or PC (Pentium or similar 32 bit operating system)
24 Meg of RAM
Printer/ Color VGA
CD-ROM drive
28.8K Modem (minimum! 56K better!)
PPP/SLIP/AOL (access to graphical Web browsing)
Netscape or Explorer (latest versions possible)
Word processor
Acrobat exchange
Quicktime 3.0 or better
E-mail address is a must!
Computer skills
Learners should have:
1. basic word processing skills ( including editing, saving, etc.).
2. Basic navigation skills in a Window environment : access to the Web, mouse handling and Web navigation (including searches)
Language skills
Students who wish to take the French version of the course should have the following proficiency levels (ACTFL guidelines):
Reading: Advanced-plus
Writing: Advanced plus/ superior
Listening: Advanced
Speaking: Advanced
All class materials are provided in your EU learning Web site.
In WebCT, the weekly assignments will be directly linked to appropriate Web addresses whenever they are called for.
The main European Union servers are also listed in the home base page, where you will be able to access all topics, course map and other course tools.
All assignments will be posted in WebCT. Your first assignment will be to familiarize yourself with your learning environment and post your bio. If you are a newcomer to WebCT, please, check the WebCT tutorial first (located in your Home base page).
The class is organized around 14 modules. Starting module 2, all assignments will follow this structure:
1. Observation and contextualization:learners will read various intros, short presentations and statements on a given theme in their learning web site. Historical background, past and present issues will be presented from several points of view.
Click on the given theme, then on the Intro button to learn about the domain.
Contextualization: learners will access background and contextual materials which will help in interpretation and argumentation. The Path button will give direct access to multiple resources and the “Guided Path” button will provide a guided, proposed itinerary.
IN WEBCT
2. Assignment
Learners will go to Homework in WebCT and will read and answer the posted questions by WebCT e-mail. These questions will help you process necessary verbal information and develop some of the analytical skills you will need for your forum discussions.
3. Collaboration/ TEAMWORK: students will work in small (2-3 team members) teams within a private Forum to start interpreting and construct arguments on the given topic.
Problem solving questions will be presented and the team will propose solutions which will be posted in the topic weekly Main Forum.
4.Collaboration/ discussion in main topic Forum
In module 2, the instructor will moderate an online discussion on the topic, thus providing a working model. Various guidelines articles on moderating online will be available in WebCT.
Starting module 3, a selected team will be moderating online discussion. The leading moderating team
will start the discussion by taking in consideration the work of private forums.The moderating team will focus on the creation of:
Multiple interpretations
The moderating team of the topic will provide brief statements on the developing situation (within the E.U.) and class discussion reflections. They will make sure that the salient features have been taken into account and that various points of view will be represented.
They will see how the ongoing agenda addresses or not identified needs or interests. They will compare and contrast different positions and have participants take positions or offer solutions on issues.
Whenever possible (totally dependent on the E.U agenda), participants will access ongoing discussions from the E.U. Representatives on the given topic.
Assignment
Class discussion participation. Two major interventions minimum are expected for each module.
Multiple manifestations
Learners will gain transferability by looking at the problems from an intercultural perspective. How are these problems looked at in the US? What are the differences? The policies? What can be learned from that?
The moderating team will conclude...
NOTE:
English speaking participants are welcome lurkers/ participants in the French section and the French into the English section. Click on the Web trans (lator) button to find out what to do to translate class discussions.When entering the French classroom or English classroom, log on as you usually do. You will be registered for both sections.
Upon completion of the module, the learner will write a brief summary of what he/she has learned from course materials, team work and class discussion from an affective and cognitive point of view. Students will assess their own performance in data interpretation, goal setting for the case-studies, teamwork, problems encountered and strategies chosen to overcome the difficulties.
The moderating team of the week will write a detailed report on the Forum: issues at stake, discussion orientation, unresolved questions, proposed solutions, general assessment of the whole classwork.
At the end of the semester, students will write a short paper (3 pages) on what trends they can see develop for the EU in the year 2000 (documented research).
Graduate level: the paper should be more substantial (5-8 pages).
Class grade:
Assignments/team work assignments: 30%
End of module assessment: 20%
Online moderating: 20%
Class participation: 15%
Short paper: 15%
