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Global Partners in Education Journal                                                                                            April 2011, Vol.1 No.1, pp. 30-36 

 

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Integrating ICT for the Global Understanding Program 
 

Maliha Meziane  
 

Hadjira Kara Terki 
 

Abou Bekr Belkaid University of Tlemcen, Algeria 
 

Abstract 
 

Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon (as cited in Bransford, Brown, & 
Cocking, 2000) noted that there is a change in the definition of 
“knowing” which is shifting to the ability to find and understand 
information. In this sense, technology allows us to retrieve information 
and treat it in a different way which is the reason why teaching with the 
integration of new tools has been of special interest to many 
researchers. Moreover, Information and Communication Technologies 
(ICT) receive particular attention when adapted to education. In this 
article, we will shed light on the way the Global Understanding (GU) 
course has been adapted by Abou Bekr Belkaid University of Tlemcen, 
and describe the tools that have been added. We will also provide a 
student review of the pros and cons of ICT in the classroom. 

 
Introduction 

 
The Global Understanding course is a cross-cultural program launched by East 
Carolina University (ECU) for promoting peace and understanding in different parts 
of the world. Since 2005, Abou Bekr Belkaid University of Tlemcen (UABT) has 
participated as a partner country. Each semester, many students subscribe mainly to 
enhance their learning of the English language, but also to get to know other peoples 
throughout the world.  
 
In order to respond to the growing number of students interested in joining the Global 
Understanding course, students must pass a computerized test adapted from 
English as a Second Language (ESL) Textbooks (Intermediate level), followed by an 
interview. The test encompasses twenty-one multiple choice questions associated 
with a small text for reading comprehension, as well as other questions related to 
vocabulary and grammar (see Figure 1).  
 
Once they score 50% or above, the students are directed to the teacher in charge of 
the GU courses for an interview. During this meeting, the teacher analyses the oral 
skill of the students as well as other traits, like personality (introvert, extrovert), 
leadership, open-mindedness and the ability to accept contact with a person from 
another culture (another race, gender, religion; …etc).  The selection is balanced as 
an equal number of boys and girls are preferred with a total of fourteen students. 
 



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 Figure1: Computerized test of English intermediate level in UABT elearn platform. 
 
Before the courses start, the students are required to attend a local meeting where 
they have enough time to introduce themselves and become familiarized with the 
videoconferencing system. The majority have never had class in a virtual 
environment, so they are generally nervous when initially hearing their voices or 
seeing their faces on the camera. Since the local students don’t know each other, a 
camera is given to them in order to take group photos. This has a helpful effect on 
the students’ behavior, as they respond positively while they get acquainted, 
exchange, share and comment on the photos in the secure environment of the 
elearn platform.  

 
Next, the UABT technical team gives the selected students a login and a password 
to access UABT’s elearn platform (http://elearn.univ-tlemcen.dz). This platform is a 
Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) (also called a Learning Management System), a 
powerful addition to any distance learning classroom. In the VLE, the teacher 
integrates some web 2.0 tools like chat, forum, blog, wiki, e-portfolio, podcast, a 
space to upload files, etc. which increase literacy skills. Like a social network, it 
enables the students to be in contact with each other as well as the teacher who 
responds to their questions. O’Reilly (2005) described Web 2.0 as an essential shift 
in the Internet tools available and the way these tools are being used. He claims that 
web 2.0 tools are more collaborative and have a shorter learning curve than original 
Internet tools, essentially lowering the threshold for participation. 
  

The Learning Process 
 
Fitzgerald (2004) believes that ICT in the classroom offers opportunities for new 
types of learning and cognitive approaches (see also Dede, 2009). Clearly, using 
distance learning opens many pedagogical possibilities for students. One of the aims 
of The Distance Learning Centre (Centre de Télé-Enseignement, http://cte.univ-
tlemcen.dz/), where UABT students attend the virtual links, is to use technology to 
improve the quality of learning and contribute towards increasing effectiveness and 



Global Partners in Education Journal                                                                                            April 2011, Vol.1 No.1, pp. 30-36 

 

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efficiency of the educational process. We notice that technology increases the 
learners’ autonomy as well as motivation, being a “brand new” environment to them.  
 
Nikolov and Nikolova (2008) note that technology is “rewiring” the students’ brains. 
Further, Prensky (2001a,b) describes young learners who have grown up with 
technology as “digital natives” who are keen on collaborative learning and all that 
maintains digital connections with others. This is as compared to the “digital 
immigrants” who did not grow up with technology and, even if adopted, will always 
have the “accent” of an immigrant.  
 
Prior to each link, the teacher launches a forum on the UABT elearn platform, where 
the students discuss their own culture and identify the most important points. This 
enables them to be aware of their own culture, and also get ready to debate the 
questions with their partners from other countries. 
 
Subsequently, the GU course exposes students to another learning environment as 
they meet the teacher twice to discuss and clarify the mistakes they made in the 
forum and blog posts in the elearn platform as well asthe online interaction with the 
partner students in the distant country. After one week, the students express 
readiness, motivation and willingness to work in this virtual environment. 
Consequently, we introduce a podcast activity as a tool to improve their English.  

 
Making a Cross-Cultural Podcast 

 
The use of podcasts has been extended to a considerable number of fields, such as, 
tourism, entertainment, advertising, library research and education (Lakhal, 
Khechine, & Pascot, 2007). While podcast content can include audio, video and 
image materials (Rossell-Aguilar, 2007), it may sometimes be used only with audio 
material and other times with video and media content as sometimes labeled 
“videocast”.  
 
When applied to education, psycholinguists have found that unlike reading and 
writing, listening is instinctual (Clark & Walsh, 2004). Brief podcasts can be useful for 
preparing students for class by addressing their preconceptions about the material 
(Chan & Lee, 2005). Chan, Lee, and McLoughlin (2006) have suggested best 
practice recommendations for podcasts: consider an initial purpose; make a short 
lively podcast composed of many voices rather than one monologue; and originality. 
While according to Peter Rawsthorne (2009) ”…computers and computing offer 
profound opportunities to learn new things, old things in new ways and construct 
knowledge in ways that would be inaccessible without access to technology.”  
 
Throughout the GU courses, different topics are discussed like college life, family, 
traditions, meaning of life, stereotypes and prejudices. At the end, the students are 
required to submit a cross-cultural report about what they learned from the different 
countries they ‘met’ through the videoconference links. The aim of this activity is to 
engage all the students in an organized work group where they share and exchange 
ideas, be involved during the links, and have fun, because we believe that 
edutainment (education with entertainment) is very motivating. Therefore, submitting 
their report as a podcast appeared to be a little demanding but very appropriate, as 



Global Partners in Education Journal                                                                                            April 2011, Vol.1 No.1, pp. 30-36 

 

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Stager (2005) suggests that knowledge is better constructed if shared by participants 
in a social context.  
 
To ensure the success of this activity, the teacher introduces the basic ways of 
making podcasts in the UABT elearn platform by uploading different slide shows, 
videos and tutorials. The first step is to write an outline, then each student should 
record his part and then include representative photos. The teacher advises using 
Audacity; an open source tool to record speech, and windows movie maker; a built-in 
software in computers using Microsoft Windows to edit photos and make short 
movies. Upon request, the UABT tech team is also helpful for guiding students. 
 
Students prepared a lot of questions that they asked during the links or by emailing 
their international friends, and then collected pictures from the internet. After that, 
they arranged the photos according to the script they wrote following a logical 
chronology where each student recorded his or her speech. 
 

A Review of ICT in the GU Course 
 
The final podcast submitted in the UABT elearn platform was well made technically 
with an instructive content. All students participated in this activity, and the content 
met the topic needs (comparing cultures). All of the students agreed that it was: “fun, 
creative, artistic, original, and personal.” 
 
Unexpectedly, the podcast also included some recorded voices of their international 
friends and the students used other professional tools than the ones suggested by 
the teacher (like Photoshop). They also added soft music in the background and the 
movie had a lot of artistic effects. This demonstrates their engagement and effort in 
completing this task.   
 
Once the Global Understanding course was over, the teacher asked the students 
individually about their feelings towards this course and the challenges of using ICT 
in the classroom. Note that some students gave general comments while others 
went into details. Hence, the comments listed below have been grouped and 
adapted and do not constitute a complete record of all their statements.  
 individual pace of studying  
 almost direct feedback  
 motivation and high stimulation for studies  
 modern way of teaching  
 education is linked to entertainment  
 excitement to know about another culture 
 as the role of the teacher is transparent during the course, learners’ autonomy 

increases.  
 opportunity to practice the language in-situ with native speakers.  
 more opportunities for discussion (with the different tools, videoconferencing, , 

chat,      forum, blog, social network…etc)  
 A community of learners for innovation and teamwork  
 enjoying the podcast activity 
 some declared to continue making podcasts for other purposes. 
 



Global Partners in Education Journal                                                                                            April 2011, Vol.1 No.1, pp. 30-36 

 

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On the other hand, some disadvantages are unavoidable, like:  
 Technical issues which hinder the natural-like way of talking  
 Lack of personal contact despite the face-to-face interaction.  
 Time consuming and efforts demanding (especially for the podcast).  
 Mixed feelings of anxiety and the curiosity towards the otherness.  
 Topics are limited and repeated with every session. 
 

Conclusion 
 
The number of UABT students interested in participating to the Global 
Understanding Course is ever increasing. This program constitutes a “demystified 
window on the world.” It enables UABT students not only to know about other 
cultures, but also to enhance their knowledge of the English language in natural-like 
situations. 
 
The use of ICT tools in education stands as a “bridge” since most of the students are 
already accustomed to Internet tools. When applied in the classroom, they no longer 
view their learning process as formal and authoritative, but rather view it as following 
an “edutainment” philosophy. Thus, they make friends and keep in contact with them 
even when the GU courses are over, whatever the time and geographic location they 
are in. Yet, it also proves that when the course is over, students continue to learn 
even without a teacher or any course requirements. They also become motivated to 
communicate in English with friends, and they are engaging in meaningful 
exchanges of information outside of the classroom. 
 
 

References 
   
Bransford, J., Brown, A., & Cocking, R. (Eds.). (2000). How people learn: Brain, 

mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.  
 
Chan, A., & Lee, M. J. W. (2005). An MP3 a day keeps the worries away: Exploring 

the use of podcasting to address preconceptions and alleviate pre-class 
anxiety amongst undergraduate information technology students. In D. H. R 
Spennemann & L. Burr (Eds.), Good practice in practice: Proceedings of the 
Student Experience Conference (pp. 58-71). Wagga Wagga NSW, Australia: 
Charles Sturt University. Retrieved from 
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.115.1023  

 
Chan, A., Lee, M., & McLoughlin, C. (2006). Everyone's learning with podcasting: A 

Charles Sturt University experience. In L. Markauskaite, P. Goodyear, & P. 
Reimann (Eds.), Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Conference of the 
Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education: Who’s 
Learning? Whose Technology? (pp. 111-120). Sydney: Sydney University 
Press. Retrieved from 
http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/sydney06/proceeding/pdf_papers/p171
.pdf 

 
Clark, D., & Walsh, S. (2004). iPod-learning. [Whitepaper]. Brighton, UK: Epic Group.  
 



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Dede, C. (2009). Theoretical perspectives influencing the use of information 
technology in teaching and learning. In J. Voogt and G. Knezek (Eds.), 
International handbook of information technology in primary and secondary 
education: Vol. 20 (pp. 43-62). New York: Springer.  

 
Fitzgerald, R. N. (2004). ICT: Challenges for creative learning. New Horizons in 

Education, 50, 16–23. 
 
Lakhal, S., Khechine, H., & Pascot, D. (2007). Evaluation of the effectiveness of 

podcasting in teaching and learning. In G. Richards (Ed.), Proceedings of 
World Conference on E-learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and 
Higher Education (pp. 6181-6188). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.  

 
Nikolov, R., & Nikolova, I. (2008). Distance education in schools: Perspectives and 

realities. In J. Voogt & G. Knezek (Eds.), International handbook of 
information technology in primary and secondary education. New York: 
Springer.  

 
O’Reilly, T. (2005). What is Web 2.0: Design patterns and business models for the 

next generation of software. Retrieved from O’Reilly Media website at 
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-
20.html?page=1  

 
Prensky, M. (2001a) Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the horizon, 9(5), 1–6. 
 
Prensky, M. (2001b). Digital game-based learning. New York: McGraw-Hill  
 
Rawsthorne, P. (2009). Podcasting and pedagogy. Retrieved from  

http://www.slideshare.net/prawsthorne/podcasting-pedagogy-presentation 
 
Rossell-Aguilar, F. (2007). Top of the pods—In search of a podcasting ‘‘pedagogy’’ 

for language learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 20, 471-492.  
 
Stager, G. (2005). Towards a pedagogy of online constructionist learning. In 

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http://www.stager.org/articles/onlineconstructionism.pdf 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



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About the Authors 
 

Maliha Meziane is an associate teacher of English language at Abou Bekr Belkaid 
University of Tlemcen, Algeria. She received her BA in English language and MA in 
sociolinguistics at Abou Bekr Belkaid University. She also works as a tutor of 
distance learning in the "Centre de Tele-Enseignement" at the same university, 
where the main task is the integration of ICT tools in education. She tries to set up 
virtual classrooms with different universities around the world. She can be reached at 
m_meziane@mail.univ-tlemcen.dz 
 
Hadjira Kara Terki is a teacher of computer sciences in Abou Bekr Belkaid 
University of Tlemcen,  Algeria. She graduated as an engineer in computer science 
“software engineering” from the university of Oran (Algeria) and got her Magister in 
computer science “knowledge and information systems.” She is completing her 
doctorate on “requirement engineering in e-learning.” Hadjira Kara Terki is an 
accomplished researcher in e-learning and has contributed to many scientific 
projects related to Information and Communication Technology in Education.  She is 
the webmaster of the Abou Bekr Belkaid University website and is responsible for 
the distance learning centre “Centre de Télé-Enseignement.”  She can be reached at 
h_karaterki@mail.univ-tlemcen.dz. 

 


