あちこち町AchiKochiMachi

Welcome to Ideal Town, Achikochimachi. A-chi-ko-chi-ma-chi in Japanese means "the town(machi) that is here and there." What one can see on this website is the tip of the iceberg, the emerging picture of the work going on behind the scenes.�Achikochimachiexists and was developed in cyberspace. When　we　initiated the project in Spring 1997, students fromthe three　schools (Seiryoo Commercial High School, Haverford College and the University of Hawaii)　proposed the town and its first establishments. They formed　teams consisting of members from each school. This required them to　become acquainted with each other, propose and discuss plans and　make final decisions collectivelyin cyberspace, using whatever　technology was　readily available to them: e-mail, e-mail alias lists for　communication　among team members and for the management team, chat　roomsfor team online　meetings and for the final "roll-out" of their individual　projects,　CU-SeeMe video for occasional live visual communication,　CoolTalk for　"internet phone" voice communication (between two sites　only), which had　the "benefit" that those who used the "phone" had to　communicate to the　other team members by email the content of the discussions.　Web pages are　used for static communication and, more recently, for posting　essays,questionnaires and reports, using WebX software. Participants were thus able to communicate both　synchronously　and asynchronously. Their use of language covers a wide range　of functions--- socializing, making self introductions, proposing ideas,　interviewing,debating, making collective decisions, transacting "business"　when they　visitthe other teams' establishments. The production of　"output," i.e.producing language in various forms for various purposes, and　voluminous"input," i.e. receiving many messages all focused on various　tasks and　functions, served to enrich the language learning experience　through　intense language use, with native speakers and with peer　learners.　Instead of the more conventional use of "role play" cardsandother instructional material, the students became engaged　in a variety　of communicative roles using the above functions. Occasionallythey also　had to digest and summarize information for team mates, and　to create　formal articles and written and oral reports for their　respective courses.　In the classroom, procedures have varied at each institution,　although the goals of the project for the non-Japanese　participants havebeen the development of advanced oral and written　communication skills in　Japanese.In Japan the objectives for the high school students　have been　twofold: the cultivation of a sense of international citizenship　through　international communication, and developing the realization　through　communication with foreigners in their own language at a　sophisticated　level,that they, too, couldlearn foreign languages.Each semester, the project has varied in content and tasks.　While Spring97 and 98 were devoted to creating businesses, the Fall　focused on　creative writing for the Choobarabarazine webzine. In Fall1998, students　are working on proposals for an "ideal school," which requires　themto　conduct extensive research of Japanese websites and　newsgroups for　information on the issues weighing most onthe Japanese　citizen in　education.　The Japanese language classes have devoted time to　periodically analyzing andcritiquing thestudents'　communications.　Cyber-tutors from Nanzan University have volunteered their　timetowork　with the Haverford students. Performance based assessment　has been used to　evaluate thestudents formal communication requirements(written reports　and oral presentations) at Haverford. The performance　assessment team also works in cyberspace and includes one evaluator from Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand.At the University of Hawaii, portfolio assessments are being used for evaluation.(written by David Ashworth,the University of Hawaii)