Research and Innovation in Language Learning 4(3) September 2021, pp. 299-303 P- ISSN: 2614-5960 e-ISSN: 2615-4137 http://jurnal.ugj.ac.id/index.php/RILL Copyright 2021@ Iman Santoso 299 Short report HOW DO STUDENTS LEARN GERMAN CULTURAL VALUES THROUGHOUT PODCAST-MEDIATED PROJECT-BASED LEARNING AMIDST COVID-19 PANDEMIC? Iman Santoso iman_santoso@uny.ac.id Germany Education Department of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Indonesia Abstract Kulturkunde, a Germany intercultural class, pivoted to online learning due to Covid-19. Meetings switched from face-to-face to synchronous and asynchronous meetings. During these modes, students struggled learning German cultures throughout the podcast- mediated project-based learning. Accordingly, the paper attempts to describe how Germany-majored students learn German cultures during the online learning. Data were garnered from the Kulturkunde class reflection during podcast-mediated project-based learning in the state university in Yogyakarta. During these online meetings, twelve podcasts containing students’ intercultural projects were published. The findings reveal the students successfully pursued varieties of intercultural awareness. In addition, they also promote their language fluency and accuracy. To end, issues of ICT-based learning is also sought to discuss. Keywords: culture, podcast, Germany, intercultural awareness, Kulturkunde Sari Kulturkunde, pembelajaran budaya Jerman berubah dari tatap mukan menjadi tatap maya. Melalui kanal ini, mahasiswa berusahan keras belajar dan memahami nilai-nilai budaya Jerman secara daring melalui bantuan media podcast. Dari sini, tujuan penulisan artikel untuk mendeskripsikan bagaimana mahasiswa jurusan pendidikan bahasa Jerman berlajar budaya Jerman secara daring. Data riset diperoleh melalui kegiatan refleksi selama pembelajaran yang didokumentasikan selama pembealjaran oleh dosen di sebuah universitas negeri di Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Selama kegiatan pembealjaran daring ini, dua belas proyek podcast berhasil dipublikasikan. Hasil riset menunjukkan tidak hanya masalah perolehan nilai-nilai budaya Jerman yang diperoleh dan dipelajari, namun juga adanya kemampuan berbahasa Jerman yang meningkat. Sebagai tambahan, kemampuan pengguanaan teknologi pendidikan juga menjadi berkembang. Kata Kunci: budaya Jerman, kulturkunde, proyek kelas, Podcast Received 2021-09-28 accepted 2021-09-30 published 2021-09-30 mailto:iman_santoso@uny.ac.id Santoso, I. p-ISSN 2614-5960, e-ISSN 2615-4137 300 APA Citation: Santoso, I. (2021). How do students learn Germany cultural values throughout podcast-mediated project-based learning AMIDST COVID-19 pandemic?. Research and Innovation in Language Learning 4(3), pp. 299-303. http://dx.doi.org/10.33603/rill.v4i3.6769 This study As Covid-19 spreaded out in the country, universities and schools have to run distance learning. This was made as an effort to avoid the virus being spreading out. As a result, face-to-face meeting switched into online classes (Maican & Cocoradă, 2021). Despite of difficulties in the beginning, both students and lecturer gradually moved into new teaching approach. This situation which is not an ease, has provided both students and lecturer skills of ICT-based learning. A numbers of studies have uncovered digital media of instruction have been enacted during the period of Covid-19. From their studies, e.g. Gunawan, Suranti, & Fathoroni (2020) show main instructional media of learning management system and social media in facilitating student engagement of Germany language. Google Classroom, WhatsApp, E- mail, Zoom, and Moodle become trends during this era, especially in the university of the author. Studies investigating podcast-mediated instruction show how it empowers students in learning foreign language during the distance learning (Hall & Jones, 2021; Konig, 2020). Thus, This paper is attempted to describe how Germany-majored students learn Germany cultural events and practices throughout podcasting in their Kulturkunde online class. Methods This is a part of larger studies. Grounded in case study, this research adapted of podcast proposed by Hall & Jones (2021). Data were garnered in classroom reflection made by the instructor. The author himself made his instructional reflection during his teaching Kulturkunde- a German culture. Written reflection was, at the end of the teaching program, analysis and interpreted. Results and Discussion The project was initiated, discussed and negotiated within the classroom members as a solution. During the enactment of podcast-medium project-based learning, three principals http://dx.doi.org/10.33603/rill.v4i3.6769 Research and Innovation in Language Learning 4(3) September 2021 301 p-ISSN 2614-5960, e-ISSN 2615-4137 were negotiated: (1) setting learning objectives, (2) modes of task completion and reports, and (3) authenticity and project-management of assessment and evaluation. At the end of the project, reflection was taken place. At the final round, 12 podcasts were published. For the details, table 1 shows the students’ podcasts. Table 1. Students’ Podcast products No. Themes Links to access 1. Wohnformen in Deutschland http://bit.ly/36xWVjH 2. Müll - Wie kann man daraus Geld machen? https://open.spotify.com/show/2UmvP0rnubZVBkG7g9MCP5 3. Familie in Deutschland http://bit.ly/2YDAUMd 4. Essgewohnheiten http://bit.ly/2YxyCya 5. Freizetiaktivitäten http://bit.ly/2YAtSI2 6. Architecktur in Deutschland http://bit.ly/2YxyCya 7. Öffentliche Verkehrsmittel http://bit.ly/2MnvvGo 8. Parteien in Deutschland http://bit.ly/2NZjqI3 9. Geburt und Tod https://anchor.fm/sandra-kusma/episodes/Geburt-und-Tod-in- Deutschland--Podcast-eot3j5 10. Studium in Deutschland https://soundcloud.com/jihan-afifah-388561723/empodcast- studium-in-deutschland 11. Typisch Deutsch? https://anchor.fm/gruppeelf/episodes/typisch-deutsch-eorsoa 12. Feierlichkeiten in Deutschland https://anchor.fm/dinda-oktavia2 From the implementation of the projects, critical incidents have brought the classroom becoming autonomous and self-directed learners. During the group discussion, for instance, it was found out the students were engaged in critical discussion and become active collaborators and evaluators. Involved in collaborative works, the students navigated German cultures online and searched for values of them. During this time of active learning, German cultures and values shared in cloud systems and reported by the peers were discussed. At the same time, the students show their new experiences of using ICT-based learning system—a podcast. Getting well-informed and finally customized in launching and operating the podcast. educational technology, the students as likely trained for becoming peer teachers who designing, editing, and publishing to cloud system—Internet for public exposure. It also discovered, for the students, these experiences made Germany learning as meaningful and attractive. The reflection goes to the students’ language skills as indirectly adjusted during the group discussion and negotiation. To some students, commenting peers’ group podcast projects is the most interesting learning experience. They argued, not http://bit.ly/2YDAUMd http://bit.ly/2YxyCya http://bit.ly/2YAtSI2 http://bit.ly/2YxyCya http://bit.ly/2MnvvGo http://bit.ly/2NZjqI3 https://anchor.fm/sandra-kusma/episodes/Geburt-und-Tod-in-Deutschland--Podcast-eot3j5 https://anchor.fm/sandra-kusma/episodes/Geburt-und-Tod-in-Deutschland--Podcast-eot3j5 https://soundcloud.com/jihan-afifah-388561723/empodcast-studium-in-deutschland https://soundcloud.com/jihan-afifah-388561723/empodcast-studium-in-deutschland Santoso, I. p-ISSN 2614-5960, e-ISSN 2615-4137 302 only they forced to use Germany, but also self-confidence. ―What a wonderful learning it is!‖, they said. As König (2020) revealed in his study, podcast medium of instruction can be potential for promoting students engagement and empowerment. The students show their eagerness to study German cultures as their opponents of group share their results of the projects. Students were motivated to discuss and, at the same time, they improve their skills of managing the media—podcast (Santoso, 2016). As project-mediated tasks is potential of learning strategy (Gunawan, Suranti, & Fathoroni, 2020), it provides students’ change and opportunities to practice and develop their personal language fluency and accuracy. In addition, the students are also invited to be critical as they read and enjoy their peers’ works. Conclusion and further research recommendation Podcasting provides Germany-majored students learning cultural values. They engaged in self-directed and autonomous project-based learning. They acquired cultures of Germany from their discussion. In addition, this kind of project-based learning is recommended as instructional strategy as it not only gives students autonomous learning but also facilitates improving their Germany language proficiency in online learning. References Gunawan, Suranti, N. M. Y., & Fathoroni. (2020). Variations of Models and Learning Platforms for Prospective Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic Period. Indonesia Journal of Teacher Education, 1(2), 75–94. Hall, N.M., & Jones, J.M. (2021) Student-Produced Podcasts as a Teaching and Learning Tool, American Journal of Distance Education, DOI: 10.1080/08923647.2021.1995256 König, L. (2020): Podcasts in higher education: teacher enthusiasm increases students’ excitement, interest, enjoyment, and learning motivation, Educational Studies, DOI: 10.1080/03055698.2019.1706040 Maican, M.-A., & Cocoradă, E. (2021). Online Foreign Language Learning in Higher Education and Its Correlates during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sustainability, 13(2), 781. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020781 Santoso, I. (2016). Pembelajaran Bahasa Jerman Berbasis Projek. Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Dan Sastra, 12(1), 8312. https://doi.org/10.17509/bs_jpbsp.v12i1.3609 Conflict of Interest No potential conflict of interest is reported. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2021.1995256 Research and Innovation in Language Learning 4(3) September 2021 303 p-ISSN 2614-5960, e-ISSN 2615-4137 About author Iman Santoso is senior lecturer at Germany Education Department of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta. Indonesia. His research interests are among the intercultural communication and teaching Germany as Foreign language. He is available at iman_santoso@uny.ac.id. 6020657 mailto:iman_santoso@uny.ac.id