Teaching Pashto by Distance EducationNovember 11, 2008

San Diego, California

Indiana University Received Funding for SLCP in Spring 2007

• Paul Foster – PI• Henry Cooper – PI• LTC Eric D. Arnold, CM USA ROTC• LTC John D. Golden, CM AF ROTC• Blake Puckett, Director IU SLCP

• IU SLCP Program Outline

– Summer Intensive: Bloomington, Indiana– Academic Year: 10 months follow on study at

cadet’s home institution

Summer Intensive – 8-9 Weeks

Summer Workshop on Slavic, East European and Central Asian Languages

9 Strategic Languages Offered Regularly

Arabic AzerbaijaniRussian KazakhPashto TurkmenTajiki UzbekUyghur

Academic Year

Cadets return to their home institution for intermediate or advanced language studies

If home university does not offer required language, then…

• Distance Education – Language Study– CeLCAR has 5+ years teaching Central Asian/Afghan

languages by DE (NSEP grants)– Partners

• Department of Central Eurasian Studies at IU• College of Arts and Sciences/Indiana University

(IT)• Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC)

– Big Ten + Chicago – CourseShare

• Key Components – Unified Administration – Registration, Tuition and

Credit Transfer – Technology -- Polycom videoconference, but

many other affordable technologies– Pedagogy – mixed classes – multiple remote sites – Materials – CeLCAR has developed multimedia

and web-based resources – Assessment – Proficiency Standards and Exams

for Pashto

Success Story: 2 ROTC Cadets at IU in the Advanced Pashto Course

1st Cohort of SLCP in 2007/2008

Juniors in 2008/2009

What next for these two cadets?

• SWOT Analysis– Strengths: extends opportunities nationwide;

unlimited future use of technology and DE; Pashto interest continues to grow.

– Weaknesses: DE can never replace “bricks and mortars” especially for an undergraduate experience in a communicative classroom; drop out rate higher than expected.

– Opportunities: build partnerships, extend to other languages.

– Threats: beyond 3rd year? Summer programs? Funding?

• Question 1: what would the militaries need to do to make distance learning sustainable?

• Question 2: how to get a significant overseas Pashto language program experience for our cadets? PRTs, Pakistan?

• Question 3: how to better integrate our programs?

• Question 4: how to tie into other NSLI programs (STARTALK, Flagship, Title VI,etc.)?