What to expect

The Educational Boxes (EduBox) are virtual containers containing a wide variety of English-language teaching materials on topics related to intercultural business communication.
What is special about the materials is that they address different learning channels, can be flexibly used and expanded, and are based on the approach of competence-oriented teaching. They invite to question common intercultural approaches and to take up culturally reflective and network-oriented perspectives that enable to handle cultural diversity, to shape it productively and to use it as a resource. In this way, the materials support teachers in preparing students for a working world that is characterized by increasing complexity and diversity.
All materials and media are freely accessible, can be adapted to the user's level of knowledge, and can be used in different learning settings. The EduBoxes contain scientifically based texts, slide sets, flowcharts, short videos, case studies, and assignments that encourage reflection and make it possible to develop approaches and synergies in dealing with diversity.

Learning objectives

The concept of the project is to focus not only on the heterogeneity of the learners but also on action and practice-oriented learning. For this reason, care is taken in the development of the teaching material to address very different learning channels and to bring both cognitive and affective learning into a balanced relationship. This is done, for example, by developing both photos and, in particular, complex illustrations for the teaching units (example Box 1, Session 1). Hands-on learning takes place primarily through applications in case studies and case studies, some of which have been and will be developed and tested for the project.

Learning method

A box contains different teaching units, so-called sessions. The basis of each teaching unit is a session plan and a set of slides. The session plan contains the title of the teaching unit, the learning objectives, outlines the content, lists sources and the individual slides with notes on the methodological approach. Thus, the session plan provides an overview of the materials already available for the particular teaching unit and can be easily expanded at any time.

A session also features the following elements:

1. Texts
2. Educational films
3. Exercises and case studies
4. Assignments
5. Reflection questions What is available in the teaching units can then be taken from the respective session plans.

HERE YOU WILL FIND ORIGINAL AND INNOVATIVE MATERIAL, WHICH PROVIDES NEW PERSPECTIVES ON CULTURE WHILE ANALYSING AND EXPLAINING THEIR CONSEQUENCES FOR INTERCULTURAL BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS.

Currently there are three lesson areas:

1. Culture, a new perspective includes sessions on ‘Culture, a critical review’; ‘Multi-collectivity as a concept’; ‘Cultural reflexivity’ and ‘Synergy is not for free’

2. Communicating in diverse contexts comprises a range of material on the ‘Basics of intercultural communication’ and ‘Language and culture’

3. Social and business networks and relations focuses on ‘Families as primary social networks’; ‘Social relations-a network perspective’ and ‘Basics of a social network analysis’.

While you are welcome to use the texts, videos, presentations etc. in your own lessons, we would be grateful if you would cite this site as the source (as well as the author of the work). We view ourselves as an open community, so please feel free to send us your own material (see contact page): This site is evolving!

WHAT IS EDUBOXES ALL ABOUT?

You want to know what EduBoxes are and how it all works? Watch the short video below!