The Module 2 of the Alumni Academy of University of Siegen, Germany on Digitalisation 20+ and Sustainability: Blended Education commenced with the participation of alumni from across the world on 4th September 2022. The first Module on Digital teaching concepts for an international network was conducted online from May to November 2021 which included students of German Studies from University of Kelaniya in a project on cultural exchange across continents.
The second module focuses on 4 projects on Analogue Teaching and Learning which will be converted to Digital Teaching and Learning Projects at the end of the programme. The preparatory work commenced on 31st of May 2022. Four projects were selected for Analogue Teaching:
Group 1: Engineering Sciences
Group 2: Language and Communication
Group 3: Environmental Education
Group 4: Economy & Society
Senior Professor Neelakshi C. Premawardhena and the members of Group 2 selected the theme Folklore - The Global Aspects which was presented on 8th September as a hybrid event via LEARN ZOOM and onsite at the University of Siegen. Over 170 partcipants from University of Kelaniya including staff and students of German and other Modern Languages as well as other disciplines including Linguistics and students of German from Silpakorn University, Thailand, joined the session live via Zoom.
The project aimed to focus on socio-cultural sustainability, tracing back to the oral traditions that made a society adhere to different norms and traditions. In most countries oral tradition including folk tales, folk songs and ballads appear to fade away due to the advancement of technology and shift of interest, thus creating a void in the values and ones own heritage to pass down to the future generations.
Selected folk tales from different countries including Thailand, Philippines, Sri Lanka, North Macedonia, Cameroon, Iraq, Kenya, Germany were perfomed during the session onsite and the students of German from University of Kelaniya presented the folk tale on "How Andare ate sugar" as an online dramatisation. The significance of folk tales as cultural heritage, their common and unique features across cultures were discussed during the final session.
The team members of Group 2:
Prof. Dr. Korakoch Attaviriyanupap, Silpakorn University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
Prof. Dr. Vera Ebot Boulleys, Grace International Bilingual Educational Complex, Technical Commercial and General Education, Douala, Cameroon
Prof. Dr. Neelakshi C. Premawardhena, Department of Modern Languages & Centre for International Affairs, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
Prof. Dr. Agron Kurtishi, Department of Media Studies & Intercultural Communication, University Mother Teresa, Skopje, North Macedonia
Arnaldo Baltazar S. Diez, Language Institute Cebu, Cebu City, Philippines
Dr. Messan Mawugbe, University of Professional Studies (UPSA) and Centre for Media Analysis (CMA), Accra, Ghana
Introduction
North Macedonia
Group work onsite and online
Dramatic adaptation of folk tales in groups
Online presentation by students of German, University of Kelaniya
Feedback and Discussion
Preparation since May 2022
