applying new technologies:

Applying New Technologies: A Technical Communication

& Translation Case Study in Multilateral International

Collaboration

Optimale — Rennes, France — 2013

Multilateral instructors and institutions

Elisabet Arnó-Macià, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain

Tym King, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain

Suvi Isohella, Vasa Universitet/Vaasan Yliopisto, Finland

Bruce Maylath, North Dakota State University, USA

Birthe Mousten, Aarhus Universitet, Denmark

Patricia Minacori, Université Paris Diderot, France

Maria Teresa Musacchio, Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy

Sonia Vandepitte, Hogeschool Gent/Universiteit Gent, Belgium


The Trans-Atlantic ProjectTypical bi-lateral writing/translation project

since 2000

For North Americans

• North American tech writer

• Writer does user testing

• Writer answers translator’s questions

For Europeans

• European translator

• Translator may test

• Translator asks questions of tech writer

• Translator may localize — exploring the cultural differences and system differences


USA → Europe

Procedural texts or writing for the web

The Trans-Atlantic ProjectTypical bi-lateral editing project

For Europeans

• Europe USA

• Journalistic reporting

• European translator

• Translator translates published article

• Translator and editor both ask questions of the other

For North Americans

• Europe USA

• Journalistic reporting

• North American editor

• Editor edits for idiomatic American English

• Translator and editor both ask questions of the other


Multilateral projects since 2010

Writing/translation project

• Co-authoring in Spain and USA

• User-testing in English in USA and Finland

• Translation to Dutch in Belgium

• Translation to French in France

• Translation to Italian in Italy

Translation/editing project

• Translation from Danish to English in Denmark

• Translation from Dutch to English in Belgium

• Translation from Italian to English in Italy

• Editing for idiomatic American English in USA

European Symposium on LSP — Vienna, Austria — 2013

Technologies used1. Student interaction

2. Student learning activities: Writing, Translation, Revision, Reviewing, Usability testing (comments, questions, and negotiations)

3. Teacher-student interaction

4. Teacher interaction

5. Multilateral whole-class interaction


1. Student interactionStudent choice of tools, part of their autonomy/authority over the project: exchanges not always visible to the instructor

Challenges related to online communication, in addition to cross-linguistic/cross-cultural issues (using appropriate language, absences/lack of reply, local holidays)

Different tools used for different purposes (e.g setting up partnerships via e-mail or using Facebook for contact, but work through Google docs)

Preference for asynchronous tools for interaction across the Atlantic:


e-mail iChat

Skype Facebook

Adobe Connect Google drive

1. Student interaction


today's disadvantagesa future collaborative platform

would ...

The time difference is still a challenge and will probably remain a challenge

This complexity may be easier to deal with in a single platform that records and combines all exchanges chronologically

Students now have to check mail, Skype, Facebook, their own learning platform, etc.

One single platform would bring all elements together and teach them the procedures that professional technical writers and translators follow

Students now work in small teams With a collaborative platform they are all part of a worldwide collaborative community of writers and translators

2. Student learning activities

Translation technologies used in Europe

CAT tools: Wordfast Anywhere

Terminology tools

AntConc


2. Student learning activitiesUsability testing technologies used at the University of Vaasa


Document topic Tools used for usability testing

How to program a small application in C

Programmer's notepad 2.3,Borland C/C++ 5.5,A laptop (Windows 7) that was connected to a television screen

How to create effects with Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop CS 6A video cameraA laptop

2. Student learning activities


Document topic Tools used for usability testing

How to make a Wiki text WikipediaTwo laptops (Windows 7 and Windows XP, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome)Two mobile phones for voice recording

How to make a piece with Solid Works (3D simulation program)

Solid Works 2010A PCA mobile phone for voice recording

How to create an Android app

AppInventorAndroid App to marketA video cameraA laptop

Usability testing technologies used at the University of Vaasa

3. Instructor-student interactionE-mail: teacher´s instructions, course updates, ongoing consulting with teacher

Google-drive:• student team rosters with topic database • scripts with deadlines for the writing/translation and translation/editing

projects

Live video conference for distance education among Finnish students

E-learning platforms (e.g., Blackboard, Moodle, Chamilo): teacher instructions, course material, discussions, wiki, project management documents including pre- and post-learning reports, project briefs, etc.


4. Instructor interaction• E-mail: Practical arrangements, ongoing problem-

solving

• Skype: Typically more overall arrangements, planning and possibly discussions of student interaction, trouble-shooting

• Google drive: for information that needed to be viewed by teachers in all 7 countries at once...


... or for our presentation today

5. Whole class interactionsplatformhttp://gigaom.com/2008/12/01/socialtext-and-a-theory-of-collaboration-and-networks/


5. Whole-class interactions

• Google-drive• Live closed-circuit videoconferences

Culmination of projectCrossed 8 time zonesSummarized main aspects of students' learningPermitted questions/answers and dialogue open to 100+ students and instructors at all participating institutions


Conclusions• Our collaboration closely resembles the complexity of international

documentation workplaces of language service providers

• The use of the various technologies proved to be a central element, both in the students’ activities and in the teachers’ guidance.

• The use of the various technologies also involved reflection and communication about the tools.

• Different communication tools are used for different communication purposes.

• We integrate experience of computer-mediated interaction into the face-to-face classroom.

• We use computer software and build specialized language corpora as a basis for later work, especially for independent translators


Examples of shared platforms

Examples of shared platforms

In future?

• Increase focus on the follow-up of technological skills with post-learning reports

• Collect information in learning reports by means of forms (questionnaires), so that students can collect answers easily and report on whole groups

• Use voting equipment at video conferences

insert "questions about technological tools"

In future

References on our collaboration

•Humbley, J., Maylath, B., Mousten, B., Vandepitte, S., & Veisblat, L. (2005). Learning localization through trans-Atlantic collaboration. In G. F. Hayhoe (Ed.), Proceedings of the IEEE International Professional Communication Conference, 10-13 July 2005, U of Limerick, Ireland (pp. 578-595). New York: IEEE.

•Jensen, B., Mousten, B. and Laursen, A.L. (2012). Electronic Corpora as Translation Tools: A Solution in Practice. Communication and Language at Work—ICT Tools and Professional Language, Vol. 1. No. 1., pp. 21-33.

•Maylath, B., Vandepitte, S., Minacori, P., Isohella, S., Mousten, B., & Humbley, J. (2013). Managing complexity: A technical communication/translation case study in multilateral international collaboration.” Technical Communication Quarterly, 22, 67-84.

•Maylath, B., Vandepitte, S., & B. Mousten. (2008). Growing grassroots partnerships: Trans-Atlantic collaboration between American instructors and students of technical writing and European instructors and students of translation. In D. Stärke-Meyerring & M. Wilson (Eds.), Designing global learning environments: Visionary partnerships, policies, and pedagogies (pp. 52-66). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

•Mousten, B., Maylath, B., Vandepitte, S., & Humbley, J. (2010). Learning localization through trans-Atlantic collaboration: Bridging the gap between professions. IEEE-Transactions on Professional Communication, 53, 401-411.


•Mousten, B., Vandepitte, S., & Maylath, B. (2008). Intercultural collaboration in the trans-Atlantic project: Pedagogical theories and practices in teaching procedural instructions across cultural contexts. In D. Stärke-Meyerring & M. Wilson (Eds.), Designing global learning environments: Visionary partnerships, policies, and pedagogies (pp. 129-144). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

•Mousten, B., Humbley, J., Maylath, B., & Vandepitte, S. (2012). Communicating pragmatics about content and culture in virtually mediated educational environments. In S. Kelsey & K. St. Amant (Eds.), Computer-mediated communication across cultures: International interactions in online environments. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. 312-327.

•Mousten, B., Maylath, B., Humbley, J., Scarpa, F., Livesey, M., & Vandepitte, S. (2010). Pragmatic features in the language of cross-cultural virtual teams: A roundtable discussion of student-to-student discourse in international collaborative project. In C. Heine & J. Engberg (Eds.), Reconceptualizing LSP. Online proceedings of the XVII European Language for Specific Purposes Symposium 2009. Århus, Denmark. Retrieved from <http://www.asb.dk/fileadmin/www.asb.dk/en/aboutasb/departments/departmentoflanguageandbusinesscommunication/research/phdprogrammes/phdcourses/xviieuropeansymposiumonlsp/onlineproceedings/extendedcontributions/fileexplorer_fetchfile-aspx-file-16827.pdf>.


References on our collaboration

Other references

• Bowker, Lynne. 2002. Computer-Aided Translation Technology. A Practical Introduction. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.

• Lesgold, Alan M. 2001. The nature and methods of learning by doing. American Psychologist, Vol 56(11), 964-973.

• Rodríguez-Inés, Patricia. 2010. Electronic corpora and other information and communication technology tools. The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 4:2, 251-282.

• Rodrigo, Elia Yuste (ed.). 2008. Topics in language resources for translation and localisation. Amsterdam: J. Benjamins.

• Valero Garcés, Carmen & de la Cruz Cabanillas, Isabel (eds.). 2001. Traducción y Nuevas Tecnologías. Herramientas auxiliares del traductor. Encuentros en torno a la Traducción 4. Alcalá: Universidad de Alcalá.

PostscriptIn 2011, for the first time, two former students of the Trans-Atlantic Project—Steve Hammer from the USA and Maria Teresa Musacchio from Italy— led their own classes through the international collaboration.


applying new technologies:

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