FRIENDS MOOC - Unit 1 - Part 2

Summary

The video introduces the Intercultural Passport program, emphasizing its dual components: an online course on intercultural awareness and a digital story that reflects personal international or intercultural experiences. Upon completing both, participants earn a certificate that offers academic credits. Beyond the formal recognition, the program fosters significant personal growth, enhancing intercultural competence and promoting tolerance, understanding, and compassion. The overall aim is to prepare individuals to navigate a diverse, globalized world, enriching their academic and personal lives.

Takeaways

• 😀 The intercultural passport consists of two main components: a virtual module and a digital story submission.
• 😀 The virtual module focuses on intercultural awareness and cultural diversity.
• 😀 The digital story should reflect an international or intercultural experience that emphasizes the importance of intercultural communication and cultural diversity.
• 😀 You are encouraged to be creative in your digital story, using visual effects and exploring the mechanics of digital storytelling.
• 😀 Completing both the virtual module and the digital story submission will earn you an intercultural passport certificate, worth four European credits (ECTS).
• 😀 These credits will be automatically recognized at your home university as part of your formal curriculum.
• 😀 Beyond academic recognition, completing the intercultural passport enhances your intercultural competence and cross-cultural understanding.
• 😀 Engaging in this journey helps you become more tolerant, compassionate, and understanding towards people from different cultural backgrounds.
• 😀 The intercultural passport aims to help you become a better person, which is a key goal of education and life itself.
• 😀 By sharing your digital story with peers across 12 universities, you contribute to overcoming challenges and support others on their own intercultural journeys.
• 😀 The course and the digital story submission are meant to be an enriching experience, providing both tangible and intangible benefits.

Q & A

What is the intercultural passport term referring to?

The intercultural passport term refers to both the virtual module participants are currently following and the certificate they will receive upon successful completion of the module.

Why are both the journey and the destination important in the context of the intercultural passport?

Both the journey of learning and the destination, which is the intercultural passport certificate, are equally important. The journey involves personal growth and knowledge, while the certificate is a tangible outcome of completing the module.

What are the two main components of the intercultural passport program?

The two main components are the Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) on intercultural awareness and cultural diversity, and the digital story that participants need to create and submit.

What should the digital story focus on?

The digital story should capture an international or intercultural experience that made the participant reflect on the importance of intercultural communication and the benefits of cultural diversity.

What types of experiences can be included in the digital story?

Experiences could include going abroad for the first time, returning home after a long stay abroad, studying with international students, living with people from different countries, or encountering diverse communities in one's neighborhood.

How can participants prepare for creating their digital story?

Participants are encouraged to explore the digital storytelling manual available on the Friends project website to better understand the mechanics of digital storytelling and prepare their own story.

What is the significance of sharing the digital story?

Sharing the digital story helps others by offering insights into overcoming challenges and difficulties, fostering a sense of community and support across the 12 participating universities in the Friends project.

What are the tangible benefits of completing the intercultural passport?

Upon completion of the MOOC and submission of the digital story, participants will receive an intercultural passport certificate, which equals four European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits, automatically recognized at their home university.

What are the intangible benefits of completing the intercultural passport?

Intangible benefits include gaining a deeper understanding of cross-cultural studies, improving intercultural competence, becoming more tolerant, compassionate, and understanding towards people from different cultural backgrounds.

What is the ultimate goal of completing the intercultural passport?

The ultimate goal is to enrich participants' lives, making them more tolerant and compassionate individuals, which aligns with the chief goals of education and life itself.