Title: Learning European history and geography in a multicultural and ICT perspective

Authors: Francisco J. Garcia-Penalvo, Valentina Zangrando, Antonio M. Seoane Pardo, Alicia Garcia Holgado, Evaristo Ovide

Addresses: Computer Science Department/Research Institute of Educational Sciences/GRIAL Research Group, Faculty of Sciences, University of Salamanca, Plaza de los Caidos, S/N, 37008, Salamanca, Spain. ' GRIAL Research Group, Research Institute of Educational Sciences, University of Salamanca Paseo de Canalejas, 169, 37008, Salamanca, Spain. ' GRIAL Research Group, Research Institute of Educational Sciences, University of Salamanca Paseo de Canalejas, 169, 37008, Salamanca, Spain. ' GRIAL Research Group, Research Institute of Educational Sciences, University of Salamanca Paseo de Canalejas, 169, 37008, Salamanca, Spain. ' GRIAL Research Group, Research Institute of Educational Sciences, University of Salamanca Paseo de Canalejas, 169, 37008, Salamanca, Spain

Abstract: Despite official educational guidelines, improved linguistic skills have been limited in all partner countries due to cuts in their national budgets. As a consequence, fewer CLIL experiences have been supported, to the benefit of those involving English. Another reason for this project resides in the difficulty in modifying the guidelines of national programmes, which are often short-sighted as far as other cultures are concerned. Finally, all European reports point out the shortage of materials and ICT-based contents suitable for interdisciplinary and multicultural education at school. The Multicultural Interdisciplinary Handbook (MIH) project meets these needs by providing new tools that will help teachers and pupils to plunge deeper into the culture and the language of another nation via its history and its landscape/geography. Moreover, it intends to promote a common European identity, as it introduces a European perspective in the schools| History and Geography syllabuses, which are usually limited to national borders.

Keywords: syllabuses; CLIL; educational content; language teaching; integrated learning; foreign languages; European Commission; EC; multilingualism; Europe; ICT; information technology; communications technology; learning objects; multicultural perspectives; eLearning; electronic learning; European history; European geography; official guidelines; educational guidelines; linguistic skills; partner countries; budget cuts; national budgets; English language; guideline modification; national programmes; educational materials; material shortages; schools; Multicultural Interdisciplinary Handbook; teachers; pupils; landscape; common identities; European identity; European perspectives; national borders; MIH; University of Salamanca; Spain; education; technology enhanced learning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTEL.2011.041278

International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 2011 Vol.3 No.4, pp.343 - 354

Published online: 26 Feb 2015 *

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