Digital pedagogy and language of schooling in a plurilingual and multicultural francophone context in the era of emerging technologies: issues, challenges and post-COVID-19 educational perspectives

10:35 – 10:40 AM

Welcome message from the facilitators

10:40 – 10:45 AM

Message from the Dean of the Faculty of Education: Professor Richard Barwell

10:45 – 10:50 AM

Message from the Director of the Institut de linguistique appliquée d’Abidjan: Professor Koia Jean-Martial Kouamé

10:50 – 11:20 AM

Communication 1 – Teaching in/Teaching French via distance learning: issues and challenges in the multilingual context of Côte d'Ivoire

Adjoua Valérie Djè Éthien, Professor-Researcher of modern literature at the École normale supérieure d'Abidjan (ENS)

Summary: Despite multilingualism in Côte d'Ivoire, French remains the main language of instruction. However, it is also a problematic factor: a double barrier for students (Boutin et al, 2011:51), in terms of high linguistic insecurity (ibid; Kube, 2005; Vahou, 2016) and language behaviors that tend to deviate from school expectations (Kouamé, 2013; Djè, 2018a and b). In such a context, what might be the consequences of a "forced" shift to distance education? Our paper attempts to answer this question based on data collected during semi-structured interviews and a literature search. 

11:20 – 11:35 AM

Communication 2 – Process of creating multi-ethnic and multimodal OER for teaching-learning in Francophone contexts

Summary: In recent years, digital affordances have received attention from educators (Farr & Murray, 2016). During COVID-19, blended learning created a great need for validated, royalty-free, multimodal digital resources to teach (Boultif, Crettenand Pecorini, 2021). Few multimodal and francophone resources were accessible and free of rights. Those available did not meet the expectations of the various curricula, because they were limited or obsolete. Our paper presents the steps of a research-creation project of royalty-free educational resources (OER) for teaching French in a multi-ethnic context.

Amal Boultif,Professor-Researcher in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa
E. Yaya Koné, Professor-Researcher in online teaching in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa
Adou Jean-Constant Atta, PhD student in Education at the University of Ottawa
Johanna Maronne, MA student at the University of Ottawa

11:35 – 11:50 AM

Communication 3 – Telework in Ivorian universities in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic: the case of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny University of Abidjan Cocody

Summary: First appeared in November 2019 in Wuhan, China, Covid-19 is spreading rapidly around the world. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declares it a pandemic. Barrier measures are put in place: reduction of physical contact, prohibition of gatherings, quarantine of infected persons, etc. Côte d'Ivoire is implementing these measures by encouraging teleworking in the public and private sectors. This paper presents a case study on the application of these measures in a teaching context at the University Félix Houphouët-Boigny of Abidjan-Cocody.

Sib Sié Justin, Associate Professor in descriptive linguistics at ILA
Kouadio Pierre Adou, Associated Professor in sociolinguistics and didactics of French as a second language at ILA 
Yéo Kanabein Omar, Associate Professor in descriptive linguistics at ILA

11:50 – 12:05 AM

Communication 4 – The use of digital technology in initial teacher training in the Ivorian context: issues of school inclusion

Summary: With the evolution of technologies, the reorganization of teacher education and teaching practices is becoming necessary. The Ivorian government has therefore created programs to develop teachers' digital skills. This paper presents the results of a qualitative research on digital uses based on observations and interviews with teachers.

Koffi Ibrahim Amadou, Psycholinguist and Neurolinguist in Abidjan
Sam Aristide Niamké, Psycholinguist and Neurolinguist in Abidjan
M. Abdoulaye Ouattara, PhD student in elementary education in the context of linguistic plurality in Côte d'Ivoire

12:05 – 12:20 AM

Communication 5 –Innovative (Agile) design of e-learning: creation of an additional qualification in virtual pedagogy

Summary : Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need to develop dual teaching skills (face-to-face and online) to meet emerging educational constraints in the digital age. As part of a research and development project funded by Canadian Heritage, the Faculty of Education created a virtual course on distance education for Canadian Francophone school boards in minority language situations. This paper presents the issues, challenges and perspectives of an innovative, collaborative and co-creative approach to pedagogical design deployed in this project.

E. Yaya Koné, Professor-Researcher in online teaching in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa
Emmanuel Duplàa, Full Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa
Amal Boultif, Professor-Researcher in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa

12:20 – 12:55 AM

Plenary: questions, synthesis and perspectives

12:55 – 1:00 PM

Closing message from the Vice-Dean: Professor Francis Bangou