Projects & Research

2012-2014
Co-Director MECESUP PROJECT UCO-1120: Implementation of a Laboratory for a 4D Visualization Based Training Program for Fine Motor Skills Development in Dentistry Students.

2011-2014
Co-Director Research Project FONDECYT-1110812: An Intelligent Tutorial System for Focus on Form for Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language.

2009-2010
Director of MECESUP UCO-601 Project:  A Distance Education Program of Advanced Academic English in a b-learning environment.

2001 to date
Director UdeC English Online Program.

2009-2010
Collaborator in the European Union NIFLAR Project: "Network Interaction in Foreign Language Acquisition and Research”, coordinated by Professor Kristi Jauregui, University of Utrecht with the colaboration of eight European Universities and the University of Concepción. The goal is to make foreign language education more authentic using innovative interactive web environments such as Second Life.

2009-2010      
Coordinator TELETANDEM CHILE project. Teletandem Brasil Project coordinated by Dr. Joao Telles: Línguas estrangeiras para todos UNESP -Universidade Estadual Paulista Faculdade de Ciências e Letras de Assis.

2009 to date
Quality Coordinator of the Quality Management System for UdeC English Online Program, certified under ISO 9001:2000 and 2728 Chilean Of. 2003.

2001 -2004
MECESUP UCO-109 Project Coordinator. Center for Innovating Pedagogical Practices Using Technology- UdeC English Online, a b-learning interactive multimedia program for EFL. Universidad de Concepción.

Main activities as UdeC English online Coordinator:

  1. Strategic Needs Analysis.
  2. Setting the theoretical framework and methodologies underlying the Project.
  3. Design of b-learning pedagogical model.
  4. Design of communicative competence assessment model.
  5. Definition of requirements and functionalities for implementing the e-learning UdeC English Online environent for EFL.
  6. Definition of sections of the software UdeC English Online.
  7. Coordination of team of EFL teachers and interdisciplinary team work.
  8. Curriculum, courseware and CALL materials design and development.
  9. Definition of the methodological guidelines for the development and implementation of the b-learning model designed for UdeC English online.
  10. Revision of pedagogical material developed together with the team of EFL teachers.
  11. Revision and correction of the implementation of the CALL  material in the online platform.
  12. Teacher and English native speakers training for developing CALL material.
  13. Supervision of audio recordings and visual material.
  14. Direction of video material production.
  15. Direction of script writing and recording.
  16. Implementation of ICT workshops for learning English with UdeC English Online.
  17. Responsible for Project reports.


Telecollaboration Projects:

2009

English-Spanish Telecollaboration "Chilean-American Interaction Team" to enhance  intercultural communicative competence, between learners of EFL at UdeC English Online Program, Universidad de Concepción, Chile, and learners of Spanish as a foreign language at Oberlin College, Ohio,USA, through Skype, blogs & Facebook . Coordinated by Emerita Bañados and  Barbara Sawhill.

2008
Video-web telecollaboration for enhancing English-Spanish intercultural communicative competence, vía Skype, Adobe Connect, videoconference and Blogs, between EFL students of the UdeC English Online Program, at Universidad de Concepción, Chile, and students of Spanish at Utrecht University, the Netherlands, coordinated by Kristi Jauregi Ondarra and Emerita Bañados.

2009-2010
Outside Europe Partner for the  NIFLAR project (Network Interaction in Foreign Language Acquisition and Research). The aim of NIFLAR is to make foreign language education more authentic and interactive through innovative e-learning environments This European Community Project is coordinated by Kristi Jauregi Ondarra, from The University of Utrecht. She works together with partners at the universities of Granada and Valencia in Spain, the University of Coimbra in Portugal, Palacky in the Czech Republic, Nevsky and Novosibirsk State Technical University in Russia and the University of Concepción in Chile..

2007-2008        

Local Coordinator of a Telecollaboration Project between Universidad de Concepcion, Chile,  and Utrecht University, the Netherlands.  An intercultural video-web interaction project (English-Spanish) via Skype, Adobe Connect, video and blogs.

2006

Intercultural Project to develop communicative competence and to internationalize language learning programs, between undergraduate Chilean students, at Universidad de Concepcion, and graduate students of Spanish as a foreign language, at Utrecht University. The telecollaborative experience was coordinated together with prof. Kristi Jauregi Ondarra, from Utrecht University, the Netherlands, and prof. Omar Salazar, Universidad de Concepción, Chile.

2008
Partner for the Teletandem Brazil Project, coordinated by prof. Joao Telles, from Universidade Estadual Paulista "Julio De Mesquita Filho"–Unesp, Brasil. An agreement is being coordinated to develop common interest academic activities related to the use of video web communication tools for foreign language learning (Portuguese, English, Spanish, Italian, German, and French) and to establish Teletandem Chile.


Other projects:

2008
Implementation of UdeC English Online in  Campus Chillán, Universidad de Concepción: Project design and teacher training.

2008
Implementation of UdeC English Online for the Graduate School, Universidad de Concepción.

2007
Co-Director MECESUP UCO-601 Project. Implementation of a web-based Distance Education Advanced English Program for Academic Purposes Acculturization, in a B-Learning Environment

2006
Proposal for the Chilean Ministry of Education: a program for teaching and learning communicative English with use of ICT.

2006
Proposal for the APEC:  A Capacity Building Project to Empower Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Youth through a Communicative English Program with Use of ICT.

2005
Invited to join the Research Committee for the Institute of APEC Cyber Education.

2004-2007
Co-researcher of Fondecyt-1040500 research project: Effective Corrective-Feedback Strategies  in Second Language Teaching  with  Implications for  Intelligent  Tutorial Systems (ITS) for Second Language Teaching and Learning. Conycyt, Chile.

2006
Grupo de investigación: TICs y ambientes interactivos multimediales para la enseñanza aprendizaje de idiomas extranjeros.

2004-2005
A High school education EFL teacher training Project for the Ministry of Education English Opens Doors Program.

2000-2001
Research assistant for the project:  Qualitative Studies of Innovative Pedagogical Practices Using Technology, SITES (Second Information Technology in Education Studies). Chilean Ministry of Education, sponsored by the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation Achievement).

1999-2000
Responsible for the Project: Center of web Resources For foreign Language learning (English, French and German): http://www2.udec.cl/~creale/

1998- 1999
Co-developer of an English Reading comprehension tutorial module: http://www2.udec.cl/~alualem/

1998
Committee for the investment Project: Implementation of CECELE, a multimedia lab for the Department of Foreign Languages, Universidad de Concepción.