Summary
Professors of Elementary Spanish (Spanish & Portuguese) developed a shared project-based learning assignment across the 15 Fall sections and 11 Spring sections. In its current iteration, small groups of students visit an NYC restaurant of choice, write a review, and contribute a multimedia post on a blog shared across all sections.
Learning objectives
- Allow for location-based language learning experiences, specifically highlighting the rich locations of New York City
- Increase engagement as students learn requisite grammar
- Facilitate collaboration among students through group work
Professors wanted to create a shared project-based learning experience across all sections, and settled on Comer en Nueva York, where groups visit restaurants and share their reviews with their peers learning beginning Spanish. Directed by language coordinators Professors Roxanna Sooudi and Lorena Hernández, the assignment allows students to utilize linguistic skills in an applied, real-world context – i.e. visiting a restaurant. They collaborate with their peers to complete the review, present orally to their classmates, and share a multimedia-enhanced review across sections.
Student experience
- Engage with classmates outside of class to complete a real-world task in the target language
- Showcase multimedia production and web publishing skills
Technology resources
- NYU Web Publishing (WordPress), to showcase student projects
- Students’ own mobile devices for documenting the location-based assignment
Outcomes
- Students have meaningful opportunities for real-world language use
- Students’ level of collaboration increases
- Students gain skills presenting knowledge with various media and in various modes.
- Future iteration will involve creating a collective travel e-magazine on locations around the city.