Innovation in Language Learning

This paper discusses an online platform for Swedish studies in higher education in Finland. The platform is being designed in a team with lecturers at three universities, and is part of a national, government funded project called DIGIJOUJOU that aims at digitalizing higher education studies of Finnish and Swedish as second languages. The secondary focus is on a pilot course given in spring 2018 to test the concept. In the 21^st century we the third industrial revolution where artificial intelligence, virtual reality, robotics and automation surround us. Educators need to take advantage of new technologies and rethink their curricula. Technology needs to be implemented in teaching and learning as it enables personalized curricula, flexible learning, and cooperation across disciplines and faculties. This platform caters for multi-disciplinary studies of Swedish with task-based, flipped and blended learning as underlying pedagogical principles. The learning activities are designed under t thematic topics with work-related communication tasks where students practice reading, writing, listening, speaking, interaction and mediation. First, students register to the platform, and select topics and activities. Second, they enroll with their language instructor and start to study on their own, in pairs and teams submitting, presenting and discussing their work online or in class. They give and receive peer feedback. Instructors take enrolments and form teams, they create course environments for submissions and discussions, choose on-line meeting tools, create schedules and online discussion; give feedback, assess and evaluate. As students work they use various language learning and communication applications and meet online in virtual meetings, webinars and discussions. The buffet concept was piloted with a group of seven students in spring 2018. The experiences are positive as the students liked the concept, and found it motivating. Suggested improvements were fixed groups, clearer instructions and criteria. They enjoyed the flexibility and freedom completing the course to 100%. To conclude, the pilot course gave positive feedback and ideas for further development. It encouraged the team to seek more user feedback and to create a static platform for the activities. This platform would be combined with evolving institutional learning environments.