International Journal of
Information and Education Technology

Abstract

Native Studies 3130, International Indigenous Literatures, was a blended learning course that ran in the spring of 2012 at the University of Manitoba in Canada. The course, part of an international cooperative venture between the University of Manitoba and the University of San Carlos (Universidade de São Carlos) in Brazil, explored a range of international indigenous literatures. Students from both countries participated in online synchronous lectures and asynchronous discussion forums. This paper focuses on the effectiveness of the synchronous component of NATV 3130, the online lectures. Traditional lectures work in an online context if they are kept to a reasonable length and if they are highly interactive. Because they enable access to important visual cues, such as hand raising, facial gestures etc, synchronous lectures in an international context facilitate the creation of “bridging social capital,” understanding and trust between different cultures.