Pixel International Conferences

Learning experiences adapted to the objectives and needs of learners in higher education and linked to the complexity of the real world allow for a better approach to professional reality and ensure higher success rates thanks to a greater motivation of students [1]. Learning and teaching a foreign language (FL), in particular with target groups enrolled in courses other than the study of FL [2], has shown to be consistent with the aforementioned line of reasoning. JASM project (Janela aberta sobre o mundo: línguas estrangeiras, criatividade multimodal e inovação pedagógica no ensino superior) consists of an experience of active pedagogy (plural and creative approaches to diversity) with students of the undergraduate course in Media Studies of the Escola Superior de Educação of Viseu (Portugal). The main objective of JASM is to promote the acquisition of multilingual and multicultural skills and to generate multilingual awareness. In addition to the cognitive dimension, students explore the aesthetic and emotional dimension of language. Experiences of artistic creativity (media arts, multimedia art, among others) enable multimodal communication in English and in French, starting off with information gathering pertaining to the cultural and linguistic diversity of Viseu. After doing research about the countries of origin of the chosen nationalities as well as the underlying cultures, the students, working in groups, found out about the life stories of migrants on the basis of interviews. Experiences of artistic creativity made it possible to exercise multimodal communication. An object or a tradition mentioned in the stories told by migrants allowed them to build a fictional story around the said object or tradition. Photos were taken at all stages of this work. A storyboard of each fictional story was developed. The Korsakow system made it possible to create dynamic documentaries. All productions were written in English and in French and the disclosure of this learning experience is made public on the project site. The students’ productions will also become an e-book. The students' language level (written and oral comprehension and expression) was assessed at the start of the project, using tests. The intermediate evaluation is of a qualitative type. With the COVID-19 crisis, the final evaluation was also qualitative (interview type, carried out with students and teachers). The progress of the learning process, as well as the involvement of the teachers could thus be documented.

Keywords: Project-based learning, higher education, foreign languages, intercultural, digital art.