Diplomarbeit / Diploma Thesis

Distance-Learning Strategies in
Campus-Based Translator Education

"Testing the Waters or Going the Distance?
How Translator Education Can Benefit from
Distance-Learning Strategies"

dem Prüfungsamt bei der
Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Fachbereich Angewandte Sprach- und Kulturwissenschaft in Germersheim

by

Rene Hoffmann

SS 2001

Table of Contents

Introduction ... 4

1. Skepticism Vs. Opportunity ... 5

2. Distance Education; More than a Collection of Hardware ... 8
2.1 Time and Space - the Key Differences ... 8
2.2 Physical and Virtual Locations - the Classroom ... 10
2.3 Independence and Responsibility - the Philosophy ... 17
2.4 Which Path Should Translator Education Take with Regard to Distance Education? ... 19

3. Changing from an Objectivist to a Constructivist Educational Philosophy and from Teaching to Learning ... 24
3.1 Objectivism ... 24
3.2 Constructivism ... 26
3.3 An Argument for a Constructivist Learning Environment in Translator Education ... 29

4. Translator Education, More than the Substitution of Words ... 32
4.1 Meaning and Understanding among Cultures ... 34
4.2 Subject Matter Knowledge ... 37
4.3 Text ... 39
4.4 Research ... 41
4.5 Computer Literacy ... 42

5. Employing Distance-Learning Strategies to Improve Translator Education ... 44
5.1 Primary Objectives ... 45
5.1.1 Seminars ... 45
5.1.2 Ergänzungsfächer ... 53
5.1.3 Translation Classes ... 59
5.2 Secondary Objectives ... 64
5.2.1 Preparation for an Increasingly Diversified Job Market ... 64
5.2.2 Cultural Awareness ... 65
5.2.3 Lifelong Learning ... 66

6. Towards a More Effective Learning Environment in Translator Education ... 67

Endnotes ... 69

Figures 1-7 ... 71

Works Cited ... 75

Introduction
The profession of translation operates on the cutting edge of globalization. Both practicing professionals and researchers testify to an increasing use of computer tools in general, and information and communication technologies in particular, by translators when they conduct their work. Translators and their clients, as well as their colleagues, are frequently located in different parts of the world and rely on electronic tools to exchange information between one another.

University-level translator education is attempting to keep up with these developments, but in light of the financial constraints, it cannot help but fall behind in its effort to realistically emulate the translator′s profession and to prepare students for their lives as professional translators. There is clearly a need for effective computer use in the translator education classroom to ensure that the students′ transition between graduation and entry into the workforce will not become even more difficult than it already is.

Practitioners in distance education have long been forced to devise new economically and educationally efficient strategies to prepare students for their later professions. These strategies possess the potential to aid translator education in its struggle of incorporating computers as an integral part of the educational process.

This thesis commences by defining distance education and by introducing different forms thereof. Various examples are discussed, as well as positive and negative attitudes towards distance education and the main differences to campus-based education. Based on these findings, the relevance for translator education (Chapters 1 and 2) is presented. After introducing the basic theory of a constructivist approach to learning (Chapter 3) and discussing pertinent skills of professional translators (Chapter 4), Chapter 5 proposes specific distance-learning environments for three different types of classes in university-level translator education, as well as additional benefits of employing distance learning environments. Finally, Chapter 6 briefly reviews the major points of this thesis and draws the germane conclusion.

This thesis is mainly geared toward the academic community in translator education in an effort to bring this matter to the forefront of discussion. By first introducing different forms of distance education and then applying some of the strategies from this field to translator education, I hope to contribute a vital perspective to the ongoing discussion on the more effective use of computers.

1. Skepticism Vs. Opportunity

Originally, distance education (DE) described a situation in which geographically remote students received their course material through the regular mail system from the school/university (also called correspondence education) (Evans and Nation, Global Lines; Porter; van Dusen). After completing the assignments, students returned the material to the school/university, again through the postal system. In the wake of information and communication technology (ICT) developments in today′s fast-paced high-tech world, however, distance education has undergone, and is still undergoing, a profound change. What was once a necessary evil for a few, has turned into a vast opportunity for hundreds of thousands worldwide to receive an education that they could not have enjoyed some fifteen or twenty years ago.

To acquire their degree, students do not even have to leave their homes. Enrolling at a distance-teaching university means studying where and when it is convenient for the students. Former barriers of time and space have virtually evaporated, as it is now possible to complete all course requirements from home and largely, at the students′ own pace. They are able to plan their schedules around their daily activities without letting the program of studies dictate their lives. They can maintain their family lives, pursue their careers, and earn a degree at the same time, which is the main reason why distance education is the driving force in continuing education (Evans and Nation, Policies and Practices; Garrison and Anderson; Williams).

It is relatively easy to find success stories on the subject of distance education. Distance-teaching universities, such as the British Open University (BOU), the Open University of Israel, and the FernUniversität Hagen boast high graduation rates and assure their clientele that they will receive lucrative job offers or will not have any trouble being accepted by "traditional" universities for further education. These distance-teaching universities are completely virtual, in other words, they do not operate on a physical campus or in actual classrooms, but through other forms of communication, such as audio-, desktop-, or video-conferencing, E-mail, Internet-based classes, etc. The British Open University alone has had more than 2 million students in its 30 years of existence. At any given time, about 200,000 students are enrolled at BOU (British Open University Factsheets).

Despite the success stories and the general increase in the use of distance-learning environments, there is still a great deal of uncertainty and insecurity. By far, not everyone in the academic community is ready to accept the concept of distance education. Distance-learning environments are still a new approach to teaching and learning. They question many old and familiar educational approaches and the field of academia is traditionally a slow one to change. As van Dusen puts it, "The task of integrating new technologies into the mainstream of postsecondary teaching and learning […] is all the more daunting because of […] overt resistance from an entrenched faculty and administrative culture, 700 years in the making" (11). Evans and Nation are also critical in their assessment, and they believe that education cannot keep up with technology.

The irony here is that while the speed of change in computer and communications technologies is held to be rapid and accelerating, in education itself there is an apparently slow pace in change at the institutional, bureaucratic and practical levels. [There is a tension] between education′s purposes to preserve and sustain important traditions as well as to prepare people to construct their futures. (Globalisation 176)

The revolutionary approach of distance education has been met with fierce resistance and still struggles to be accepted by a large number of people. In Distance and Campus Universities: Tensions and Interactions, Sarah Guri-Rosenblit describes the problems the British Open University has had to contend with since its establishment in 1969 and, to a certain extent, still faces. The then ruling Conservatives′ Chancellor of the Exchequer called the institution "blithering nonsense" and a "ridiculous idea generated by the Labour Party" (15). Few people at that time expected such a radical university to survive. Still, traditional universities saw themselves as competitors, comparable to a business situation, and voiced harsh criticism, lest they lose students to BOU. Others simply dismissed the idea of a university that teaches entirely at a distance. "As a matter of fact the British Open University′s milieu was conceived by most academics as a separate world, which had no relevance to the normal anticipation of higher education needs" (Guri-Rosenblit 203).

There can be no doubt that distance education has its benefits and provides immense opportunities for an increasingly large student population. At the same time, however, it is also clear that distance education is not a universal panacea. It requires a well-developed concept, tailored toward a specific purpose and institution, and needs to be carefully implemented. Van Dusen warns about educational institutions′ past attempts to integrate technological applications into the curriculum.

First, there is a period of excitement and unreasonable claims - what Rockman calls ′technohype′ (25). This period is followed by one of very low-level implementation, with relatively marginal participation by faculty and staff. Last, frustration and disillusionment lead to relegating the technology to ′add-on′ status or a dusty death on a closet shelf. (11)

Nevertheless, distance education in its various forms has enormous potential to improve current approaches to education. As in every other field of study, translator education, especially with the demands on today′s professional translators in mind, should therefore take a closer look at distance-education strategies and seek to explore its potential benefits.

Hence, this thesis deals with the role of distance-education environments in translator education. While keeping the unique characteristics of this discipline in mind, I intend to explore how distance-education strategies can be a valuable addition to the preparation of students for their lives as professional translators. In conclusion, I hope to be able to provide an answer to the question "Is it worth getting our feet wet?" In other words, "What role should distance-education environments play in translator education?"

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