Vidensbaser til e-learningsbaserede undervisningsaktiviteter i Erhvervskommunikation på tysk

Abstract

This paper presents a project carried through in the BA-course in international business communication at the Department of Business Communication and Information Science in Kolding, Denmark in 2007 and 2008. The background of the project has been that language classes apart from English classes have become so small that traditional teaching cannot be carried through on a financially sound basis. Thus the possibilities of e-learning can be utilized for an interactive build-up of praxis-relevant knowledge of students so that they unaidedly learn to use and further develop the possibilities offered by language technology. The paper describes the work of developing interactive methods for acquiring, maintaining, reusing and sharing new knowledge in German business communication. The methods motivate students to actively participate in an e-learning process. In other words, a database of knowledge has been built up with students as active players. A search in the base offering the correct solution in the first attempt is experienced as much more positive learning than traditional correction of errors. The possibility of maintaining and reusing own work results already in the exam situation has encouraged student activity. Interaction between teacher and students and among students has clearly improved commonly achieved results. Finally, students see much motivation in it that, after passing the BAexam, they can write in their CVs that they have and can use a database in Danish and German in their jobs.