scieee AI-readable full text Open interactive document viewer

Hard and Soft Sciences in Contrast: ESP Mediated by Collaborative Learning (CL) and Communication Technologies (CT)

Castro Chao, Noelia; Bouso, Tamara

Abstract

The study assessed students’ perceptions and interests in collaborative learning (CL) mediated by communication technologies (CT) in the Degrees of Chemical Engineering (CE) and English Language and Literature (ELL) at the University of Santiago de Compostela. Data were collected through questionnaires following several Office 365-mediated collaborative activities. Results revealed high levels of satisfaction and interest in this methodology (RQ1 and RQ2), with CE students (hard science) reporting significantly higher ratings than ELL students (soft science) (RQ4). This contrasts with previous studies, where soft science disciplines often received more favorable evaluations. No significant gender differences were found in overall satisfaction, although minor variations appeared in specific items, such as men rating teamwork preferences higher. CE students consistently rated specific skills (SS) related to CL more favorably, whereas ELL students expressed a stronger preference for autonomous learning (RQ3). To enhance ELL students’ experience with CL, targeted activities were suggested, such as videoconferences simulating teaching coordination and collaborative translation projects using Office 365 tools. A key limitation of the study was the small sample size, which constrains the ability to draw broader conclusions. Future research should aim to include a larger sample and a wider range of degrees and universities. Additionally, incorporating collaborative skills into ELL students’ professional profiles, especially in fields like teaching and translation, could foster their engagement and preparedness for teamwork-oriented tasks.

Full text

Nuevos avances en educación: metodologías didácticas para la enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras y educación física Coords. Maria Valero Redondo Cesar Méndez Domínguez Marina Díaz Rodríguez NUEVOS AVANCES EN EDUCACIÓN: METODOLOGÍAS DIDÁCTICAS PARA LA ENSEÑANZA DE LENGUAS EXTRANJERAS Y EDUCACIÓN FÍSICA _______________ NUEVOS AVANCES EN EDUCACIÓN: METODOLOGÍAS DIDÁCTICAS PARA LA ENSEÑANZA DE LENGUAS EXTRANJERAS Y EDUCACIÓN FÍSICA _______________ Coords. MARIA VALERO REDONDO CÉSAR MÉNDEZ DOMÍNGUEZ MARINA DÍAZ RODRÍGUEZ 2024 Esta obra se distribuye bajo licencia Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial 4.0 Internacional (CC BY-NC 4.0) La Editorial Dykinson autoriza a incluir esta obra en repositorios institucionales de acceso abierto para facilitar su difusión. Al tratarse de una obra colectiva, cada autor únicamente podrá incluir el o los capítulos de su autoría. NUEVOS AVANCES EN EDUCACIÓN: METODOLOGÍAS DIDÁCTICAS PARA LA ENSEÑANZA DE LENGUAS EXTRANJERAS Y EDUCACIÓN FÍSICA Diseño de cubierta: Rafa Ramiro Maquetación: Francisco Anaya Benítez © de los textos: los autores © de la presente edición: Dykinson S.L. Madrid - 2024 N.º 223 de la colección Conocimiento Contemporáneo 1ª edición, 2024 ISBN: 978-84-1170-332-2 NOTA EDITORIAL: Los puntos de vista, opiniones y contenidos expresados en esta obra son de exclusiva responsabilidad de sus respectivos autores. Dichas posturas y contenidos no reflejan necesariamente los puntos de vista de Dykinson S.L, ni de los editores o coordinadores de la obra. Los autores asumen la responsabilidad total y absoluta de garantizar que todo el contenido que aportan a la obra es original, no ha sido plagiado y no infringe los derechos de autor de terceros. Es responsabilidad de los autores obtener los permisos adecuados para incluir material previamente publicado en otro lugar. Dykinson S.L no asume ninguna responsabilidad por posibles infracciones a los derechos de autor, actos de plagio u otras formas de responsabilidad relacionadas con los contenidos de la obra. En caso de disputas legales que surjan debido a dichas infracciones, los autores serán los únicos responsables. INDICE INTRODUCCIÓN. FUSIONANDO TEORÍA Y PRÁCTICA: NUEVAS METODOLOGÍAS DIDÁCTICAS EN LA ENSEÑANZA DE LENGUAS EXTRANJERAS Y EDUCACIÓN FÍSICA PARA PROFESORES DE SECUNDARIA Y EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR .................................................. 11 MARÍA VALERO-REDONDO CÉSAR MÉNDEZ DOMÍNGUEZ MARINA DÍAZ-RODRÍGUEZ CAPÍTULO 1. EL STORYTELLING PARA LA MEJORA DE LAS DESTREZAS ORALES EN INGLÉS ....................................................... 24 ANTONIA BUENDÍA ALCARAZ CAPÍTULO 2. ¿PUEDEN LOS ADOLESCENTES DEL SIGLO XXI APRENDER GRIEGO ANTIGUO DE UNA MANERA DIVERTIDA? ......... 45 PATRICIA GARCÍA ZAMORA CAPÍTULO 3. MÚSICA E INNOVACIÓN DOCENTE PARA APRENDER ÁRABE DE FORMA NATURAL: ¿HACEMOS UN MUÑECO DE NIEVE? .. 58 SALUD ADELAIDA FLORES BORJABAD CAPÍTULO 4. INNOVACIÓN DOCENTE APLICADA AL ESTUDIO DE LA LENGUA ÁRABE: DÉJATE LLEVAR A UN MUNDO IDEAL ............. 74 SALUD ADELAIDA FLORES BORJABAD CAPÍTULO 5. EXPLORANDO NUEVOS HORIZONTES PARA EL DESARROLLO DE LA COMPETENCIA LINGÜÍSTICA EN LA ENSEÑANZA DE LENGUAS EXTRANJERAS ............................................. 87 ROSA ISABEL ABAD CASTRO CAPÍTULO 6. LA METÁFORA COMO RECURSO EN LA DIDÁCTICA DE UNA LE: UNA PROPUESTA PARA LA CLASE DE E/LE ................... 106 VALENTINA PALEARI CAPÍTULO 7. LA POESIA COMO RECURSO DIDACTICO EN LA ENSENANZA DE PORTUGUES COMO LENGUA EXTRANJERA .......... 122 KEILA COELHO BARBOSA CAPÍTULO 8. AS EXPRESSÕES IDIOMÁTICAS COMO RECURSOS DIDÁTICOS NAS AULAS DE PORTUGUÊS COMO LÍNGUA ESTRANGEIRA: UMA PROPOSTA PEDAGÓGICA .................................. 134 KEILA COELHO BARBOSA CAPÍTULO 9. LA METODOLOGÍA DE LA DISPONIBILIDAD LÉXICA COMO RECURSO DIDÁCTICO ................................................................... 149 SARAI DE REGLA CRUZ VENTURA CAPÍTULO 10. EL AUTOANÁLISIS DE LA PROPIA PRODUCCIÓN SIGNADA: UNA HERRAMIENTA PEDAGÓGICA PARA CONCIENCIAR SOBRE LOS MECANISMOS DE COHESIÓN DEL DISCURSO .................. 169 STÉPHANIE PAPIN CAPÍTULO 11. EL USO DE REDES NEURONALES AL SERVICIO DEL APRENDIZAJE DEL ÁRABE: UNA PROPUESTA DE INNOVACIÓN DOCENTE PARA INICIARSE EN EL ESTUDIO DE LA LENGUA ............. 185 SALUD ADELAIDA FLORES BORJABAD CAPÍTULO 12. CHATGPT FOR AUTONOMOUS L2 PRONUNCIATION WORK ............................................................................... 197 JOSÉ ANTONIO MOMPEÁN GONZÁLEZ ALBA HERNÁNDEZ GONZÁLEZ CAPÍTULO 13. FORMATIVE FEEDBACK. AN UPDATED STUDY AT SECONDARY LEVEL ............................................................................. 220 ISABEL SANCHA PIÑEIRO SORONDO CAPÍTULO 14. FROM CLASSROOM TO REAL WORLD: ROLE-PLAY SCENARIOS FOR IMPROVING ENGLISH AT C1 LEVEL IN HIGHER EDUCATION .................................................... 234 MARÍA VALERO-REDONDO CAPÍTULO 15. ESPLORANDO IL MALL E LA GAMIFICATION: VANTAGGI, SFIDE E PROSPETTIVE FUTURE NELL’INSEGNAMENTO DELLE LINGUE STRANIERE ........................... 256 ANNAMARIA MARTIGNETTI FRANCISCO JOSÉ RODRÍGUEZ-MESA CAPÍTULO 16. THE IMPACT OF GAME-BASED LEARNING INSTRUCTION ON IMPROVING DISCOURSE ANALYSIS PROFICIENCY IN EFL EDUCATION ......... 275 PAOLA CABRERA – SOLANO LUZ CASTILLO - CUESTA CAPÍTULO 17. HARD AND SOFT SCIENCES IN CONTRAST: ESP MEDIATED BY COLLABORATIVE LEARNING (CL) AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (CT) ................................................ 292 NOELIA CASTRO CHAO TAMARA BOUSO RIVAS CAPÍTULO 18. APRENDIZAJE BASADO EN JUEGOS (ABJ) EN EL AULA DE LITERATURA ........................................................................ 324 LAURA HERNÁNDEZ GONZÁLEZ CAPÍTULO 19. THE IMPACT OF GAMIFICATION ON STUDENT´S MOTIVATION IN HIGHER BILINGUAL EDUCATIONAL CONTEXTS: A CASE STUDY OF AFFECTIVE AND COGNITIVE RESPONSES ......... 339 MARIBEL RODRÍGUEZ ZAPATERO LEONOR M. PÉREZ NARANJO CRISTINA MORILLA GARCÍA ROCÍO MUÑOZ BENITO CAPÍTULO 20. GAMIFICACIÓN MÓVIL EN EL AULA: EL CASO DE UN TALLER DE LENGUA Y CULTURA PARA ADOLESCENTES ......... 361 ÁNGEL PEINADO JARO CAPÍTULO 21. UNA PROPUESTA PARA EL DESARROLLO DE LA COMPRENSIÓN LECTORA CRÍTICA DE TEXTOS MULTIMODALES EN INGLÉS COMO LENGUA EXTRANJERA ............................................ 379 BENJAMÍN CARCAMO BERNARDO PINO ROJAS CAPÍTULO 22. IMPACTO DE LAS LECCIONES PRAGMÁTICAS EN LA RESPUESTA A CUMPLIDOS EN ESTUDIANTES DE ESPAÑOL COMO LENGUA EXTRANJERA: UN ESTUDIO EXPERIMENTAL ........ 393 JEREMY W. BACHELOR CAPÍTULO 23. HACIA UNA AUTOEVALUACIÓN DE LA REDACCIÓN PROFESIONAL EN SEGUNDAS LENGUAS: EL CASO DEL BUSINESS ENGLISH COMO LENGUA FRANCA ........... 409 LETICIA MORENO-PÉREZ CAPÍTULO 24. ABORDAGEM MULTICULTURAL NO ENSINO DA LÍNGUA PORTUGUESA: UMA PROPOSTA PEDAGÓGICA ................... 420 KEILA COELHO BARBOSA CAPÍTULO 25. CONNECTING IN-CLASS AND OUT-OF-CLASS EXPOSURE TO ENGLISH: A SOCIAL NETWORK APPROACH FOR ENHANCING SOFT SKILLS AND FOSTERING PRODUCTIVE SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN THE ENGLISH FOR TOURISM (EFT) CLASSROOM ............................................... 435 YOLANDA JOY CALVO BENZIES NAARA QUEIRUGA DOMÍNGUEZ CAPÍTULO 26. LA COMPETENCIA TRADUCTORA BÁSICA EN EL AULA: DEBATES HACIA LA INNOVACIÓN DOCENTE EN UNA ERA DIGITALIZADA ............................................................................... 461 IRENE RODRÍGUEZ ARCOS CAPÍTULO 27. SEXUAL HEALTH AND ESP FOR NURSING UNDERGRADUATES ................................................................................... 477 RAQUEL GARCÍA-CUEVAS GARCÍA CAPÍTULO 28. ENSEÑANZA Y APRENDIZAJE DE UNA MATERIA DE LEXICOGRAFÍA ..................................................................................... 492 XOSÉ SOTO ANDIÓN CAPÍTULO 29. DICCIONARIOS ACADÉMICOS EN LÍNEA: HERRAMIENTAS PARA EL APRENDIZAJE FILOLÓGICO EN EL GRADO EN FILOLOGÍA HISPÁNICA. APUNTES PARA UNA PROPUESTA DE ENSEÑANZA ................................................................ 511 RAÚL DÍAZ ROSALES CAPÍTULO 30. INTEGRATING MICRO-CREDENTIAL TRAINING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A PROPOSAL FOR BA DISSERTATION SUPPORT ........................................................... 529 MARTA MARTÍN GILETE CRISTINA BLANCO GARCÍA CAPÍTULO 31. CONTENIDOS CULTURALES/INTERCULTURALES EN LOS MANUALES DE LOS LIBROS DE CHINO PARA LOS NEGOCIOS ... 545 TZU-YIU CHEN CAPÍTULO 32. TEACHING SEMANTICS AND PRAGMATICS THROUGH THE ESA APPROACH IN AN EFL CONTEXT ....................... 556 LUZ CASTILLO - CUESTA PAOLA CABRERA – SOLANO CAPÍTULO 33. LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST AND ITS SOURCES: CURRICULUM INNOVATION AND THE TEACHING OF SHAKESPEARE ... 574 LUIS J. CONEJERO-MAGRO CAPÍTULO 34. ENSEÑAR LITERATURA EN EQUIPO: UNA EXPERIENCIA DE CO-TEACHING EN EL AULA UNIVERSITARIA ...... 589 CRISTINA SANZ RUIZ SERGIO SANTIAGO ROMERO CAPÍTULO 35. FOOTBALL + EN LAS ESCUELAS: UNA MANERA INNOVADORA DE IMPLEMENTAR EL FÚTBOL EN LOS COLEGIOS .. 604 FRANCESC SOLANELLAS DONATO JOSHUA MUÑOZ FRANCESC GENOVARD SUREDA MIQUEL GOMIS SINTES CAPÍTULO 36. RELACIÓN ENTRE LA PRÁCTICA DE ACTIVIDAD FÍSICA PROPUESTA POR LA OMS, LA INTELIGENCIA EMOCIONAL Y EL SÍNDROME DE BURNOUT EN EL DOCENTE DE EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR ..... 621 PILAR PUERTAS-MOLERO GRACIA CRISTINA VILLODRÉS RAFAEL FRANCISCO CARACUEL-CÁLIZ CAPÍTULO 37. EL DEPORTE DE LA ORIENTACIÓN EN LA ETAPA DE TRANSICIÓN A LA VIDA ADULTA (TVA) EN EDUCACIÓN ESPECIAL .... 639 VIRGINIA GÓMEZ BARRIOS LÁZARO MEDIAVILLA SALDAÑA CAPÍTULO 38. ¿CÓMO SE MUEVEN LOS ESCOLARES CON TRASTORNO POR DÉFICIT DE ATENCIÓN / HIPERACTIVIDAD (TDAH) EN EL AULA DE EDUCACIÓN FÍSICA EN LA NATURALEZA, Y QUÉ OPINAN SUS PROFESORES SOBRE ELLO? ................................. 661 MIGUEL VILLA-DE GREGORIO CÉSAR MÉNDEZ DOMÍNGUEZ PATRICIA ROCU GÓMEZ IRENE RAMÓN-OTERO CAPÍTULO 39. EL IMPACTO DE LOS PARES EN LA PARTICIPACIÓN EN ACTIVIDADES FÍSICAS Y DEPORTIVAS ENTRE ESTUDIANTES ..... 680 RAFAEL FRANCISCO CARACUEL-CÁLIZ JOSÉ MANUEL ALONSO-VARGAS EDUARDO MELGUIZO IBÁÑEZ CAPÍTULO 40. DESVELANDO LA INFLUENCIA DEL GÉNERO Y EL CONTEXTO FAMILIAR EN LA ACTIVIDAD FÍSICA INFANTIL ..... 691 DAVID ÁLVAREZ-IBÁÑEZ CAPÍTULO 41. LOS DESCANSOS ACTIVOS COMO RECURSO DOCENTE PARA LA MEJORA DE LAS FUNCIONES EJECUTIVAS EN EL ENTORNO EDUCATIVO ................................................................................ 707 EDUARDO MELGUIZO IBÁÑEZ GABRIEL GONZÁLEZ VALERO MANUEL ANTONIO ORTIZ FRANCO JOSÉ LUIS UBAGO JIMÉNEZ CAPÍTULO 42. IMPORTANCIA DE LA PRÁCTICA DE ACTIVIDAD FÍSICA EN PERSONAS CON DISCAPACIDAD INTELECTUAL. ESTADO ACTUAL DE LA CUESTIÓN ...................................................................... 723 GABRIEL GONZÁLEZ-VALERO GRACIA CRISTINA VILLODRES DANIEL SANZ MARTÍN MANUEL ANTONIO ORTIZ FRANCO CAPÍTULO 43. PROYECTO DE INNOVACIÓN DOCENTE PLANTA: UNA GUÍA DIDÁCTICA CON PERSPECTIVA DE GÉNERO PARA LA IMPLEMENTACIÓN DE EDUCACIÓN FÍSICA EN EL AULA HOSPITALARIA ................................................................................ 750 MIRIAM PALOMO NIETO ELENA RAMÍREZ RICO JORGE AGUSTÍN ZAPATERO AYUSO PATRICIA ROCU GÓMEZ CAPÍTULO 44. INNOVACIÓN DOCENTE EN LAS AULAS UNIVERSITARIAS. SATISFACCIÓN E IMPLICACIÓN DE LOS UNIVERSITARIOS DE MAGISTERIO ................................................. 770 MIRIAM PALOMO NIETO IRENE RAMÓN OTERO CARLOS AVILÉS VILLAROEL MIGUEL VILLA DE GREGORIO CAPÍTULO 45. ESTILOS DE APRENDIZAJE PREFERENTES EN ALUMNOS DEL GRADO EN CIENCIAS DE LA ACTIVIDAD FÍSICA Y DEL DEPORTE. PROYECTO AI-A ................................................................ 782 EVA GESTEIRO ALEJOS MIGUEL ÁNGEL ROJO TIRADO ‒ 297 ‒ overall assessment is positive in all degrees, students’ responses in Mechanical Engineering (hard science) and Business Administration and Management (mixed science) differ significantly from those of students in Primary School Education (soft science). Unlike the study by Ibarra Sáiz and Rodríguez Gómez (2007, pp.364-367) just mentioned, in this case it is Primary School Education students who provide the highest ratings, while Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration and Management students offer the lowest ones (Cabañete et al., 2020, pp.9-13, 14-15). The students of the remaining two disciplines (i.e. Chemistry and Environmental Sciences) occupy a more intermediate position. 2.3. GENDER VARIATION IN STUDENTS' PERCEPTION OF CL The literature offers mixed results regarding gender variation in students' perceptions of CL. Some studies indicate absence of gender differences (Cabero Almenara et al., 2016), while others report significant differences between men and women (Cabero Almenara et al., 2019; Kleynhans et al., 2021; see further Prinsen et al., 2007). This section reviews the results obtained in three of these studies showing opposing views. Cabero Almenara et al. (2016) investigate the relationship between CL, the use of social media and CT tools and variables such as gender, age and participants' country of study. Data were obtained from universities in Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Spain and Venezuela. Their study reveals no statistically significant differences between men’s and women’s preference to work collaboratively or individually. Men, however, report higher scores of their technical skills and experience with social media and CT tools. Following a similar approach, the second study, i.e. the one by Cabero Almenara et al. (2019, p.47), examines the perception students have of CL and of the didactic usage of social media. The data utilised encompass multiple engineering programmes in Chile. In this case, the findings reveal statistically significant differences between men and women regarding their learning preferences, with men providing again the highest ratings. The third and last study we will review here is the one by Kleynhans et al. (2021, pp.44-45). It ‒ 298 ‒ focuses on the differences between men's and women's experiences with CL based on data collected among Hospitality Financial Management students in South Africa. Results show that, while both men and women are generally satisfied with the experience, there are once again statistically significant differences in the evaluation of specific statements such as "Collaborative learning activities made an important contribution to my learning", and with which men tend to agree more than women (p.45). 3. DESCRIPTION AND PROCEDURE OF THE PEDAGOGICAL PROGRAMME 3.1. CONTEXT OF THE STUDY As previously noted, the present innovative teaching project was implemented in the Degrees in Chemical Engineering (CE) and English Language and Literature (ELL) from the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) where several Office 365-mediated collaborative activities were carried out in two ESP degree courses: Technical English (CE) and English Language III (ELL). Technical English and English Language III are both compulsory courses offered in the first semester of the first and second years of study of the CE and ELL degrees, respectively. 16 The main aim of Technical English is to help students develop oral and written comprehension and expression skills with a focus on topics related to the field of CE. The course contents and materials correspond to the B1.2 (i.e. B1+) level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR, Council of Europe, 2020). English Language III aims to help students develop oral and written comprehension and expression skills, focusing on texts in the formal register and academic context. The contents and materials for this course correspond to the B2.2 (i.e. B2+) level of the CEFR. 16 The official teaching guides of Technical English and English Language III can respectively be consulted at < https://tinyurl.com/3vv7yj4n > and <https://tinyurl.com/yw4pevt7>. ‒ 299 ‒ 3.2. THE DESIGN OF OFFICE 365-MEDIATED COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES The Office 365-mediated collaborative activities were conducted in groups of four to five participants. In line with a vision of collaborative work that aims to reduce students' dependence on the instructor as the sole authority in knowledge transmission and group coordination (Bruffee, 1995, cited in Barkley et al., 2007, p.19), group members were responsible for forming teams and distributing roles and responsibilities. The title of the collaborative task implemented in CE is "Presentation of a Failure Analysis via Videoconference" (see Appendix I). It involves creating a description of the potential causes for the failure of a boiler water-wall tube at a fossil fuel-based power station, based on a real case analysed by Liu et al. (2017) (Castro Chao, 2023, pp.127-128, 148-149). Initially, students were provided with a selection of bibliographic resources via MS OneDrive, and from reference studies, they identified the concepts and processes involved in the boiler failure. After systematically organising the information asynchronously using MS Word (shared document), sketching the nature of the problem and providing a structure for the project, the teams received preliminary feedback. Subsequently, they conducted a supervised synchronous meeting via MS Teams, where the students assumed the role of engineers and discussed the problem, the possible causes of failure and the proposed solutions. The significance of integrating a videoconferencing task in activity design goes beyond the demands of this specific communicative event. According to Kassim and Ali (2010, p.177), teleconferencing is the communicative event in which oral communication skills are most needed for engineers (also Spence & Liu, 2013, p.102-103). 17 In addition, Bourgault and Lagacea (2002) note that, within the realm of engineering, videoconferencing serves as a tool for project management and 17 The term 'teleconference' is closely connected to 'videoconference' as it involves "[a] meeting or conference at which people in different locations participate by means of telecommunications technology, such as telephones or (in later use usually) videoconferencing equipment or software" (Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. teleconference, NOUN). ‒ 300 ‒ teamwork coordination. Thus, videoconferencing aligns with two pivotal skills in engineering practice, which are inherently collaborative: project management and team building. 18 As Nicholas (2004) points out, project management is an ever-increasing need in the field of engineering and it involves a social side that is often overlooked: project leadership, team building, conflict and stress management (see further De los Ríos-Carmenado et al., 2015, p.186). Likewise, the relevance of project management in CE student training is highlighted in the Degree Report for CE (Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, 2015, p.6). This states that students must have the knowledge and skills to organise and manage projects and understand the organisational structure and functions of a project office (CI12; see also CG1, p.5). 19 The collaborative task implemented in ELL, titled "Development of a Brief Research Project Involving Data Collection Through Questionnaires" (see Appendix II), required students to engage in both written and oral academic discourse following the scientific method within the field of English Studies. Initially, the groups asynchronously selected a topic within their area of expertise, formulated their own hypotheses and/or research questions and searched for relevant information. Synchronously, under the supervision of the lecturer, they quantitatively and qualitatively analysed the data collected via MS Forms. Following this, students asynchronously wrote a collaborative text of 2,000-2,500 words using MS Word (shared document), making use of MS OneDrive for information sharing among group members. Finally, they prepared a 15-minute oral presentation, with each member speaking for three minutes, to be debated synchronously in the classroom. Feedback was provided for both parts of the task (the written and the oral one) by the instructor for each student individually in the rubrics included in the Virtual Campus. 18 In engineering, business and technology, 'project management' involves coordinating and integrating the interests, resources and efforts of various stakeholders, along with planning, scheduling and budgeting, to achieve the project's overall objectives (Nicholas & Steyn, 2020). 19 The Degree Report for the Degree in CE at the USC can be accessed at <https://tinyurl.com/ycxcv4xf>. ‒ 301 ‒ The reasoning behind incorporating research-based collaborative activities into the ELL degree program is manifold. First, research is a key ability that ELL students need to develop over the course of their degree studies; as noted in the Degree Report for ELL (Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, 2018, p.5), students are expected to develop competences in gathering and interpreting relevant data within their area of study in order to draw conclusions which reflect on relevant issues in society, science or ethics (CB3). 20 Second, undergraduate education in Spain involves the obligatory completion of a Final Year Project (Spanish 'Trabajo Fin de Grado'), and, at a postgraduate level, students may go on to complete a Master's and/or PhD dissertation. Third, research abilities are essential for ELL students not only for academic purposes at an under- and postgraduate level but also for professional integration into research units at public and private institutions, and research centres requiring experimental and data management skills. In spite of this, however, research skills do not always receive enough attention in ESP courses in ELL, which, even if their focus is on formal and academic contexts, they tend to overlook issues of data analysis and scientific inquiry. 4. ASSESSING CL MEDIATED BY CT 4.1. PARTICIPANTS In this section, we describe the sociolinguistic profile of the sample. The type of sampling used is non-probability convenience sampling, a procedure based on the selection of individuals who are easily accessible (Sabariego Puig, 2009, p.148). The participants were 88 learners of English enrolled in the Degrees in CE (67 students; academic years 2021-2022 and 2023-2024) and ELL (21 students; academic year 2023- 2024). Among the respondents, 47.73% (raw frequency, henceforth rf=42/88) were men and 52.27% (rf=46/88) were women. Concerning their age, 20 The Degree Report for the Degree in ELL at the USC can be accessed at <https://tinyurl.com/yckt5nc5>. ‒ 302 ‒ 85.23% (rf=75/88) were aged 17-19, 13.64% (rf=12/88) fell into the 20-23 group and one person was aged 30 (1.14%; rf=1/88). In terms of origin, 95.45% (rf=84/88) are of Spanish nationality—two with dual nationality in the United States and Venezuela (2.27%, rf=2/88)—and 4.55% (rf=4/88) are of French, Italian, Nepali and Portuguese nationalities. Their mother tongue is Spanish in 65.91% (rf=58/88) of cases, 9.09% (rf=8/88) speak both Spanish and Galician, 29.55% only Galician (rf=26/88) and the remaining 4.55% (rf=4/88) have French, Italian, Nepali or Portuguese as their native languages. Last, 92.05% (rf=81/88) indicate that they know English as a foreign language, and 62.5% (rf=55/88) declared to have some type of English language proficiency certificate (level not specified). 4.2. MEASURING TOOLS AND DATA ANALYSIS The methodology of data collection draws on an adapted version of the original questionnaire designed by Anderson et al. (2010)—Social software survey used with unpaced undergrad—used to determine expertise and interest in social software use in unpaced forms of distance education. An adapted version of the questionnaire has been utilised in CL contexts by Cabero Almenara and Marín Díaz (2014), Cabero Almenara et al. (2016) and Castro Chao (2023), among others. It includes a total of 91 items distributed in seven blocks: 1) 'Identification'; 2) 'Learning Preferences'; 3) 'Technical Skills'; 4) 'Social Software Experience'; 5) 'Social Software for Learning'; 6) 'Confidence in Distance Education Abilities'; and 7) 'Wrap Up'. For the purposes of the present research, we only used a selection of SS from block 2 ('Learning Preferences'). The selection comprises a total of 15 SS contrasting positive aspects of CL and AL (see our RQ3). The 15 SS selected were then organised into four thematic blocks (see Tables 1 and 2) dealing with (i) the role of the instructor in organising collaborative work (SS 1 and 10), (ii) the effectiveness and quality of collaborative work (SS 2-5 and 11-12), (iii) the students' preference to work collaboratively (SS 6 and 13-14), and (iv) the students’ willingness to interact with peers (SS 7-9 and 15). ‒ 303 ‒ To the 15 items originally included in block 2, two more items were added inquiring about students' overall level of satisfaction with and interest in the Office 365-mediated activities implemented in Technical English and English Language III (RQs 1 and 2). The total of 17 items were rated on a five-point Likert scale (1='Very low'; 2='Low'; 3='Moderate'; 4='High'; 5='Very high'; cf. Table 1). Responses were collated and subjected to statistical analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics (version 28.0.1.1 (14)). The first step was to assess the normality of the data with the Shapiro-Wilk test. Since the data were not normally distributed, we used, first, the Mann-Whitney U test to determine whether the distributions of scores from two independent groups differed significantly (RQ4), and second, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to assess the significance of differences in the distribution of scores between two related data sets. Our significance level was set at p=.05. 5. RESULTS 5.1. STUDENTS' OVERALL LEVEL OF SATISFACTION WITH AND INTEREST IN CL MEDIATED BY CT In this section, we first provide an account of students' overall level of satisfaction with the collaborative methodology mediated by Office 365 (Figures 1 and 2; RQ1) and of the interest students express in lecturers implementing a collaborative methodology in future courses (Figures 3 and 4; RQ2). As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the overall level of satisfaction with the collaborative methodology implemented in the degrees in CE (Figure 1) and ELL (Figure 2) is considerably high: 86.57% (rf=58/67) of CE students and 61.91% (rf=13/21) of ELL students rate their overall level of satisfaction as 'High' or 'Very high' on a five-point Likert scale (see Cabero Almenara et al., 2019, p.42). The 'Low' and 'Moderate' levels are selected only by 11.94% (rf=8/67) and 38.10% (rf=8/21) of participants, respectively. The results obtained concur with the findings expounded in previous studies which indicate that CL mediated by CT is well-received among Higher Education students (Ibarra Sáiz & Rodríguez Gómez, 2007, pp.364, 369, 374; García-Valcárcel et al., 2012, ‒ 304 ‒ pp.170-172; Ku, Tseng & Akarasriworn, 2013, p.925; Rodrigo Cano, 2016, pp.157, 205; cf. Álvarez Olivas, 2015, pp.260-261). Even though collaborative work is well-received by students of both degrees, CE students are significantly more satisfied with this methodology than ELL students. This conclusion is supported by the results of the Mann-Whitney U test. The mean satisfaction levels, presented here for descriptive purposes, are 4.02/5 (median: 4.00) for CE students and 3.52/5 (median: 4.00) for ELL students. The Mann-Whitney U test, which compares the ranks of the responses, revealed a statistically significant difference in satisfaction distributions between the groups (U=520.50; p=.038) (RQ4). With respect to gender, no significant differences have been observed between men (mean: 3.86/5; median: 4.00) and women (mean: 3.93/5; median: 4.00) (U=909.50; p=.585). This is in agreement with the results presented in Cabero Almenara et al. (2016, pp.13-14, 18), which similarly found no differences between men’s and women’s preferences to work collaboratively or individually (cf. Cabero Almenara et al., 2019, p.47; Kleynhans et al., 2021, pp.44- 45; section 2.3). FIGURE 1. Overall level of satisfaction with the Office 365-mediated collaborative methodology implemented in the Degree in CE (percentages and rf) Source: Authors ‒ 305 ‒ FIGURE 2. Overall level of satisfaction with the Office 365-mediated collaborative methodology implemented in the Degree in ELL (percentages and rf) Source: Authors Figures 3 and 4 display the results on the interest students express in lecturers implementing a collaborative methodology in future courses in CE (Figure 3) and ELL (Figure 4). The percentage of students expressing 'High' or 'Very high' levels of interest is 86.57% (rf=58/67) in CE and 28.57% (rf=6/21) in ELL. The 'Low' and 'Moderate' levels are selected by 11.94% (rf=8/67) and 57.14% (rf=12/21) of participants, respectively. The results align with those presented in Figures 1 and 2 in that, again, the mean for CE students is higher (4.04/5; median: 4.00) than the one obtained for ELL students (2.81/5; median: 3.00); the test applied to identify differences between groups shows that the difference is statistically significant (U=262.50; p<.001). With regard to gender, once again, no significant differences have been observed here between men (mean: 3.93/5; median: 4.00) and women (mean: 3.59/5; median: 4.00) (U=760.00; p=.060). It is also worth noting that ELL students' mean score for interest (i.e. 2.81/5; median: 3.00) is notably lower than the one obtained in Figure 2 for overall satisfaction (3.52/5; median: 4.00). While the means are presented for descriptive purposes, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was ‒ 306 ‒ used to assess the significance of differences in the distributions of these two related sets of scores. The test indicated that the difference is statistically significant (W=73.00; p=.005), suggesting that ELL students' interest scores are significantly lower than their overall satisfaction scores. Thus, while ELL students rate the collaborative experience positively with a mean score that falls in the 'High' level of the scale, their interest to use this method in other courses is more limited, falling in the 'Moderate' level of the scale. This may be interpreted as meaning that ELL students perceive the collaborative methodology to be useful in the framework of the specific ESP course in which it was implemented (i.e. English Language III, section 3.1) though their perception of the potential benefits of collaborative work in the broader context of their degree studies is less favourable. FIGURE 3. CE students' interest in lecturers implementing a collaborative methodology in future courses (percentages and rf) Source: Authors ‒ 313 ‒ mediated by Communication Technologies (CT). After implementing several Office 365-mediated collaborative activities in the Degrees in Chemical Engineering (CE) and English Language and Literature (ELL) at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), students’ perceptions and interest were measured through a questionnaire. Results show that the overall levels of satisfaction with and interest in the collaborative methodology are considerably high (RQ1 and 2). In this regard, the results obtained concur with the findings expounded in previous studies which indicate that CL mediated by CT is well-received among Higher Education students (Ibarra Sáiz & Rodríguez Gómez, 2007, pp.364, 369, 374; García-Valcárcel et al., 2012, pp.170-172; Ku, Tseng & Akarasriworn, 2013, p.925; Rodrigo Cano, 2016, pp.157, 205; cf. Álvarez Olivas, 2015, pp.260-261). However, students' overall satisfaction and interest are both significantly higher for the CE degree (hard science) than for the ELL degree (soft science) (RQ4). The results obtained therefore contrast with those presented in a previous study by Cabañete et al. (2020, pp.9, 14) where differences have been observed in students' assessment of cooperative learning activities implemented in five Higher Education disciplines, with the highest ratings coming from Primary School Education degrees (soft science), while the lowest ones are found in Mechanical Engineering (hard science) and Business Administration and Management (mixed science). With respect to gender, no significant differences have been observed between men's and women's overall satisfaction and interest, just like in Cabero Almenara et al. (2016, pp.13-14, 18), which similarly found no differences between men’s and women’s preferences to work collaboratively or individually (cf. Cabero Almenara et al., 2019, p.47; Kleynhans et al., 2021, pp.44-45). It is to be noted, nonetheless, that gender differences may be somewhat identified in the assessment of specific SS on CL and AL. Differences between men's and women's evaluations have been attested, for instance, in S. 6, "I like to work in teams when taking University courses", which men rate more highly. In this regard, the results accord with those obtained in Kleynhans et al. (2021, pp.44-45). They similarly find that men and women may be ‒ 314 ‒ generally satisfied with the collaborative experience while, at the same time, men may show higher evaluations of specific SS. Given that CE students consistently rate SS on CL more favourably than ELL students, and that ELL students exhibit a stronger preference for AL than CE students (RQ3), ESP instructors could enhance ELL students' experience with CL through targeted activities. This might involve integrating key collaborative skills in the professional profile of ELL students, particularly in fields like teaching and translation and interpreting, in which teamwork may be easily incorporated (see Klimkowski, 2006; De Jong et al., 2022). Examples of Office 365-mediated activities which simulate teaching and translation-related workplace settings are the following: ‒ 1) Conducting a videoconference through MS Teams in which students coordinate teaching activities at a secondary school. ‒ 2) Developing a translation project collaboratively using MS Word. As a limitation of the present investigation, we would like to mention that the overall size of the sample needs to be enlarged. This would allow to provide a more comprehensive picture of students' perceptions and interest in CL mediated by CT, and of the factors involved. Additionally, future work on the topic may also want to expand the range of degrees and/or universities (cf. Ibarra Sáiz & Rodríguez Gómez, 2007, p.370; Mehta et al., 2021, p.16). 7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The research reported on in this article was funded by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) (PID2020-114604GB-100; PIs: María José López-Couso & Belén Méndez-Naya), the Consellería de Cultura, Educación, Formación Profesional e Universidades of the Regional Government of Galicia, Spain (ED431B 2023/03) and the Complutense University of Madrid. ‒ 315 ‒ 8. REFERENCES Álvarez Olivas, V. C. (2015). Aprendizaje colaborativo mediado por TIC en la enseñanza universitaria: un acercamiento a las percepciones y experiencias de profesores y alumnos de la Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua. [Tesis doctoral, Universidad de Salamanca]. Repositorio Institucional Universidad de Salamanca. https://tinyurl.com/t785rvmv Anderson, T., Poellhuber, B., & McKerlich, R. (2009). Social software survey used with unpaced undergrad. https://tinyurl.com/34kuntp8 Anthony, L. (2018). Introducing English for Specific Purposes. Routledge. Barkley, E. F., Cross, K. P., & Major, C. H. (2007). Técnicas de aprendizaje colaborativo. Morata. Bourgault, M., & Lagacea, D. (2002). A seminar for real‐time interactive simulation of engineering projects: an innovative use of videoconferencing and IT‐based educational tools. Journal of Engineering Education, 91(2), 177-183. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168- 9830.2002.tb00690.x Bouso, T., & Arbulu Villanueva, Í. R. A. (2023). Task-based language teaching to the test: A study on students’ competence development in Higher Education. In M. Valero-Redondo & F. J. Rodríguez-Mesa (Eds.), Innovación en la enseñanza de lenguas: mejoras docentes para el aprendizaje del siglo XXI (pp. 902-925). Dykinson. Brodahl, C., Hadjerrouit, S., & Hansen, N. K. (2011). Collaborative writing with web 2.0 technologies: education students’ perceptions. Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice, 10, 73-103. https://tinyurl.com/5c92xx9n Bruffee, K. (1995). Sharing our toys: cooperative learning versus collaborative learning. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 27(1), 12-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.1995.9937722 Cabañete, D., Garcia-Romeu, M. L., Menció, A., Nogué, L., Planas, M., & Solé- Pla, J. (2020). Cross-disciplinary analysis of cooperative learning dimensions based on Higher Education students' perceptions. Sustainability, 12(19), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198156 Cabero Almenara, J., Barroso Osuna, J., Llorente Cejudo, M. del C., & Yanes Cabrera, C. (2016). Redes sociales y Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación en educación: aprendizaje colaborativo, diferencias de género, edad y preferencias. RED: Revista de Educación a Distancia, 51, 1-23. http://dx.doi.org/10.6018/red/51/1 ‒ 316 ‒ Cabero Almenara, J., Del Prete, A., & Arancibia Muñoz, M. L. (2019). Percepciones de estudiantes universitarios chilenos sobre uso de redes sociales y trabajo colaborativo. RIED: Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 22(2), 35-55. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.22.2.22847 Cabero Almenara, J., & Marín Díaz, V. (2014). Posibilidades educativas de las redes sociales y el trabajo en grupo: percepciones de los alumnos universitarios. Comunicar: Revista Científica de Educación y Comunicación, 42, 165-172. https://doi.org/10.3916/C42-2014-16 Carrió Pastor, M. L., & Skorczynska, H. (2015). Collaborative learning and communication technologies in teaching business English. Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences, 178, 32-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.03.142 Castro Chao, N. (2023). El aprendizaje colaborativo mediado por TIC: la percepción de estudiantes de ingeniería química en tiempos de pandemia. Revista Nebrija de Lingüística Aplicada a la Enseñanza de las Lenguas – RNAEL, 17(34), 120-149. https://doi.org/10.26378/rnlael1734510 Cenich, G., & Santos, G. (2005). Propuesta de aprendizaje basado en proyecto y trabajo colaborativo: experiencia de un curso en línea. Revista Electrónica de Investigación Educativa, 7(2), 1-18. https://tinyurl.com/yaae9pzj Chu, S., & Kennedy, D. (2011). Using online collaborative tools for groups to coconstruct knowledge. Online Information Review, 35(4), 581-597. Council of Europe. (2020). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment. https://tinyurl.com/2uw22d3c Cranton, P. (1996). Types of group learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 71, 25-32. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.36719967105 De Jong, L., Meirink, J., & Admiraal, W. (2022). School-based collaboration as a learning context for teachers: a systematic review. International Journal of Educational Research, 112, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2022.101927 De los Ríos-Carmenado, I., Rodríguez López, F., & Pérez García, C. (2015). Promoting professional project management skills in engineering Higher Education: Project-Based Learning (PBL) strategy. International Journal of Engineering Education, 31(1), 184-198. https://tinyurl.com/5baz9r6k Denton, D. W. (2012). Enhancing instruction through constructivism, cooperative learning, and cloud computing. TechTrends, 56(4), 34-41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-012-0585-1 ‒ 317 ‒ Dudley-Evans, T., & St John, M. J. (1998). Developments in ESP: a multidisciplinary approach. Cambridge University Press. García-Valcárcel Muñoz-Repiso, A., Hernández Martín, A., & Recamán Payo, A. (2012). La metodología del aprendizaje colaborativo a través de las TIC: una aproximación a las opiniones de profesores y alumnos. Revista Complutense de Educación, 23(1): 161-188. https://doi.org/10.5209/rev_RCED.2012.v23.n1.39108 Ibarra Sáiz, M. S., & Rodríguez Gómez, G. (2007). El trabajo colaborativo en las aulas universitarias: reflexiones desde la autoevaluación. Revista de Educación, 344, 355-375. https://tinyurl.com/ypts4n62 Kassim, H., & Ali, F. (2010). English communicative events and skills needed at the workplace: feedback from the industry. English for Specific Purposes, 29(3), 168-182. https://tinyurl.com/2t95ewnz Kirschner, P. A., Martens, R. L., & Strijbos, J. W. (2004). CSCL in Higher Education? A framework for designing multiple collaborative environments. En J. W. Strijbos, P. A. Kirschner & R. L. Martens (Eds.), What we know about CSCL and implementing it in Higher Education (pp. 3-30). Kluwer. Kleynhans, C., Roberson, J., Nesamvuni, A., & Masondo, P. (2021). The relationship between gender and the collaborative learning experience of University of Technology students. Africa Education Review, 18(5- 6), 36-54. https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2022.2153067 Klimkowski, K. (2006). Team work as a method in translation. Across Languages and Cultures, 7(1), 93-103. Koschmann, T. (2002). Dewey's contribution to the foundations of CSCL research. En G. Stahl (Ed.), Computer support for collaborative learning: foundations for a CSCL community (pp. 17-22). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. https://tinyurl.com/cdmdsb8w Ku, H.-Y., Tseng, H. W., & Akarasriworn, C. (2013). Collaboration factors, teamwork satisfaction and student attitudes toward online collaborative learning. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(3), 922-929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.12.019 Liu, S. W., Wang, W. Z., & Liu, C. J. (2017). Failure analysis of the boiler water-wall tube. Case Studies in Engineering Failure Analysis, 9, 35- 39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csefa.2017.06.002 Masyhur, M., & Lisia, S. (2024). Empowering EFL education: an empirical study on the utilization of Microsoft 365 Powerpoint. Talenta Conference Series: Local Wisdom, Social, and Arts (LWSA), 7(2). https://tinyurl.com/2s42rb8z ‒ 318 ‒ Mehta, K. J., Miletich, I., & Detyna, M. (2021). Content-specific differences in Padlet perception for collaborative learning amongst undergraduate students. Research in Learning Technology, 29. https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v29.2551 Nicholas, J. M. (2004). Project management for business and engineering (2nd ed.). Routledge. Nicholas, J. M., & Steyn, H. (2020). Project management for engineering, business and technology (6th ed.). Routledge. Noguera, I., & Gros, B. (2009). El rol del profesor en el aprendizaje colaborativo mediado por ordenador. Revista d'Innovació i Recerca en Educació, 2(3), 66-82. https://tinyurl.com/3vk8wsn8 Oxford English Dictionary Online. (2022). https://www.oed.com Panitz, T. (1997). Collaborative vs. cooperative learning: a comparison of the two concepts which will help us understand the underlying nature of interactive learning. Cooperative Learning and College Teaching, 8(2). https://tinyurl.com/55esh5np Prinsen, F. R., Volman, M. L. L., & Terwel, J. (2007). Gender‐related differences in computer‐mediated communication and computersupported collaborative learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 23(5), 393-409. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365- 2729.2007.00224.x Rodrigo Cano, D. (2016). Metodologías colaborativas en la web 2.0 en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje en las universidades andaluzas: Cádiz, Huelva y Sevilla [Tesis doctoral, Universidad de Huelva]. Repositorio Institucional Universidad de Huelva. https://tinyurl.com/ynttrpa9 Sabariego Puig, M. (2009). El proceso de investigación (Part 2). In R. Bisquerra Alzina (Eds.), Metodología de la investigación educativa (2nd ed., pp. 195-230). La Muralla. Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. (2015). Degree Report for the Degree in Chemical Engineering of the University of Santiago de Compostela. Available at https://tinyurl.com/3wnzs3pn (2024, 14 May 2024). Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. (2018). Degree Report for the Degree in English Language and Literature of the University of Santiago de Compostela. Available at https://tinyurl.com/3vjhp9e5 (2024, 14 May). ‒ 319 ‒ Spence, P., & Liu, G.-Z. (2013). Engineering English and the high-tech industry: a case study of an English needs analysis of process integration engineers at a semiconductor manufacturing company in Taiwan. English for Specific Purposes, 32(2), 97-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2012.11.003 Stahl, G., Koschmann, T., & Suthers, D. (2006). Computer-supported collaborative learning: an historical perspective. In R. K Sawyer (Ed.), Cambridge handbook of the learning sciences (pp. 409-426). Cambridge University Press. Swales, J. M. (2000). Language for specific purposes. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 20, 59-76. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190500200044 Yadegaridehkordi, E., Shuib, L., Mehrbakhsh, N., & Asadi, S. (2019). Decision to adopt online collaborative learning tools in higher education: a case of top Malaysian universities. Education and Information Technologies, 24, 79-102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-018-9761-z ‒ 320 ‒ APPENDIX I PRESENTATION OF A FAILURE ANALYSIS VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE (ADAPTED FROM CASTRO CHAO, 2023, P.148-149) The following situation is considered: you form part of a team of engineers working at the company GE Steam Power. As part of this team, you are analysing the potential causes of the failure of a boiler waterwall tube at a fossil fuel-based power station. In groups of four-five students, you should create a collaborative project in a virtual environment following these three steps: 1. Read the article by Liu et al. (2017) (available in MS OneDrive), in which the possible causes for the thinning and subsequent rupture of a boiler water-wall tube are presented.* 2. Elaborate a collaborative document (MS Word) in which you sketch the nature of the problem, the possible causes of failure and the proposed solutions. In this preliminary document, you should also provide a structure for the project. 3. Hold a videoconference call in MS Teams (15-20 minutes, on the time and date scheduled by the lecturer). Based on the collaborative document you have prepared, the purpose of this call is to emulate a real-life meeting where a group of engineers discuss the problem, the possible causes of the failure and the proposed solutions to the failed boiler, with the aim of improving the design and development of boilers at GE Steam Power. The meeting should be coordinated, coherent and structured; to help you organise the videoconference, you are advised to assign a meeting host (i.e. a person who schedules the meeting and is in charge of running it). In order to coordinate the task in a virtual environment, make use of any of the applications available in Microsoft Office 365 (MS Outlook, MS Planner, MS Teams, MS 365 Groups, etc.). * For further information about the possible causes for the failure of boilers, consult the complementary bibliography available in MS OneDrive. ‒ 321 ‒ LIST OF USEFUL EXPRESSIONS WHEN HOSTING A VIDEOCONFERENCE CALL: Thanks for being here on time / Let's get started then / The purpose of today's meeting is.../ I wanted to go over a couple of... / Sorry I'm late. I had a hard time connecting / One second, Maria is having a sound issue / Try adjusting your output settings. It's the gear icon / Nevermind, I got it. I just had to change a few settings / I think it's your mic. Do you have headphones? / I had to download a new version of the platform / You should plan extra time for the updates. There's pretty much one every time / Sounds like someone just joined / We lost Kevin I think / I know some of you have to leave soon / Hang on, I'm gonna join in / What platform are you guys on? (Source: elaborated by the author based on real-life and recorded videoconference calls) APPENDIX II DEVELOPMENT OF A BRIEF RESEARCH PROJECT INVOLVING DATA COLLECTION THROUGH QUESTIONNAIRES During the semester several activities will be conducted in class in order to improve your linguistic and research skills, in addition to promoting your autonomy and critical thinking. Your task is to write about a particular topic complying with the rules of academic discourse and defend that project orally, demonstrating your proficiency in linguistic and research skills, as well as autonomous and critical thinking. The target level, as mentioned in the teaching guide, is a B2.2 level according to the CEFR. FORMAT AND LENGTH Oral presentation in teams of four to five students (15 minutes in total, around three minutes per person) and written version of the project. The article / chapter you will have to write should have an extension of 2,000-2,500 words (500 words per student approximately, i.e. eight pages, using Times New Roman, size 12, double-spaced; references excluded). ‒ 322 ‒ This page (http://wordstopages.com/) can help you calculate the number of pages, depending on the style you use. In the folder where these guidelines are included, you will also find a template (in Spanish) that I created to give you an idea of what I expect from you at this level in terms of style. You can use that template for the written version of your project; it is optional though and remember that the headings should be in English (feel free to translate them and modify the number of headings for the purposes of your own project). Please, include the word count (excluding references). If your project slightly exceeds the word limit, such as by 15% of the total, it is acceptable. PREPARATION FOR THE PROJECT For the collaborative activity, you will have to prepare a written version and deliver a 15-minute presentation on a topic within your field of expertise or personal interest. I suggest you pick one you feel passionate about and that is amenable to be studied empirically (i.e. you can test an idea and assumption by conducting a survey). In class, we will debate or brainstorm different topics to stimulate your critical and creative thinking skills. We will also review aspects concerning the preparation and presentation of reports, as well as the correct use of elements of cohesion and textual organization. I will also help you develop a number of competencies related to research (e.g. gathering information and managing resources, hypothesis formulation, description and interpretation of the results, among other aspects.) Autonomously, you should delimit the research topic you, as a group, have decided to focus on. You should also organise and distribute the tasks, formulate your own hypotheses and/or research questions, search for relevant information, select your materials and analyse YOUR data. As a final step you should also write a SCRIPT that incorporates the results of the investigation, as well as create relevant graphic material (images, videos and figures). To help you prepare for the oral presentation, I have included in this very same folder an example of a script of my own (I used, in fact, this script for a 15/20-minute presentation in an online conference). NOTE, however, that only a layout of the main ideas can be held during your