Instructional Settings

SitchLab is designed to be delivered as a supplement to intensive language study. But it can be used as a standalone tool as well. The material in SitchLab is best delivered to cohorts of students that will be either studying the same language or living at the same site abroad.

SitchLab materials are best supported by roundtable discussions that are moderated by program staff familiar with the host culture and the academic program that students are on. These round table discussions help guide the students through the reflection tasks that are included at the end of each scenario to better understand why scenarios unfolded the way they did and to explore the expert feedback and culture notes that were provided at the completion of the judgment task.

If used in a classroom setting, scenarios or judgment tasks can be assigned as homework. Materials can also be adapted for use in classroom activities based on student level. For example, students at the elementary level can perform the scenario in class in a role-play activity whereas intermediate and advanced level students can write a summary of the assigned scenario and their agreement or disagreement with the experts’ feedback in the target language. Students can discuss the Reflection tasks and Extension tasks in class as well.

Situation Length and Language

Situations are designed to be concise so that students can read a scenario, complete the reflection task, complete the judgment task and prepare notes for a roundtable discussion in one sitting. The scenarios are also developed to be easily accessed by mobile devices for students that prefer that platform.

All of the SitchLab scenarios are presented in English and contain only enough target language vocabulary as is necessary to explain cultural expressions that might be specific to the scenario. This is to allow students of varying levels of language proficiency to contribute to the conversation and benefit from the scenarios. In practice, if there is a large enough cohort of advanced students the recommendation is that they conduct the round table discussions in the target language, whereas novice or intermediate students might benefit from English discussions. 

Extension and Reflection Tasks

Situations are followed by reflection and extension tasks.

The reflection tasks are questions for the students to ponder and prepare responses to share during the roundtable discussion. The reflection task questions are the starting point for a roundtable moderator to walk students through conversations that explore student impressions from the expert feedback and the judgment task.

Conversations in the round table help students talk through their preconceptions of the host culture and further explore how their own perceptions, their beliefs will affect their stay abroad.

Modules

This website and the SitchLab application were developed and are maintained by the Center for Language & Technology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. The views, interpretations, and other content presented on this website or through the SitchLab application are solely those of the authors and contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position, policy, or views of the U.S. Government. Reference to, or support for, this project by any U.S. Government agency does not constitute or imply official endorsement of the content, products, services, or viewpoints presented herein.