Inglês, tecnologia e internacionalização da educação superior : evidências e reflexões a partir da análise de MOOCs

Abstract

This study aims to reflect on the interconnection between the roles of English language and digital technology in the process of internationalization of higher education and the construction of social capital through access to information and online education. The study is based on the assumption that both the internet and English language are vehicles for social inclusion and access to information and online education, and that access to information can be used to foster the development of global citizenship and social capital. Finardi and Tyler (2015) analyzed the role of English in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) concluding that MOOCs represent a relevant tool for the socialization of education, promoting social development and fostering the internationalization of education, although most of these courses are available in English only. Based on the conclusions of Finardi and Tyler (2015), this research endeavour understands that in countries such as Brazil, knowledge of the English language is required to increase access to most of the advantages provided by MOOCs. Thus, based on Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, on the use of hybrid approaches on the theories of Human-Computer Interaction and Structural Cognitive Modifiability, this study elaborated a matrix for assessing the potential adaptability of MOOCs in English for users who are non-native speakers of that language. The methodology of this study is qualitative and also fits into the category of design methodology, and is organized into two phases: a needs analysis with data collected from a literature review to form a corpus for analysis, and the design of a matrix to analyze the potential adaptability of MOOCs in relation to educational, ergonomic and linguistic criteria.