Hasko receives Eurasia Foundation grant

Several UGA faculty members, including Victoria Hasko (project director and principal investigator) from the Department of Language and Literacy Education and Nicholas Holt from the Office of Instructional Technology and Department of Counseling and Human Development Services, have been awarded Eurasia Foundation U.S.-Russia University Partnership grants (Contact and Linkage grants). The project, “Partnering for Digital Innovation in Modern Language Education and Cross-Cultural Communication,” will connect UGA researchers with key faculty experts at the Pacific National University (Khabarovsk, Russia) and Moscow State Institute of International Relations (Moscow, Russia) in the fields of second language acquisition, cross cultural communication, and educational technology.

This partnership will enable the participating faculty to:

• Exchange and expand their recognized expertise
• Conduct a series of cutting-edge experimental studies investigating bilingualism and cognition via eye tracking methodology
• Develop and attest the efficacy of web- and mobile app-based teaching materials for second language learners
• Challenge each other to new levels of thinking about internationalizing and modernizing their curricula
• Brainstorm avenues for sustainable partnership and funding sources for continued collaborations

All of the activities will be implemented with a focus on harnessing the potential of digital tools (e.g., telecollaboration, mobile learning solutions, Web 2.0) for innovative breakthroughs in each of the above areas.