Kielikasvatuksen tutkimus- ja kehittämishanke (OSKU) 2006–2009

OSKU is a joint research and development project among seven universities supplying language teacher education in Finland. Moreover, the consortium consists of six university teacher training schools and a number of field schools. The mission of the project is to develop language education so to enrich student cultural identity in the spirit of experiental learning through improved mediating artifacts. Project outcomes cover training materials for prospective and in-service teacher training. The consortium will design and pilot pedagogic language learning tasks that provide student with experiences of authentic and meaningful communicative language study. These type tasks will be published and delivered in the web, accompanied with learner and teacher reflections and/or systematic research. The activity system is supported by video conferences, seminars and local meetings. The project addresses three major areas of inquiry: expanding cultural identity through language education, teaching, learning and assessment of oral proficiency, and meta-competencies including learning and communication strategies.