The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s, English Language Institute and Universidad Technologica de Panama’s Centro Especializado de Lenguas (UTP-CEL) recently partnered on a series of synchronous online class sessions through Zoom and Gather, discussing engagement strategies for teaching language online and how to build community in online spaces.

English language instructors from ELI and UTP-CEL gather on a Zoom call discussing strategies for teaching language online.

Nine English language instructors joined the class sessions which included strategies for creating a positive and inclusive classroom community, fostering student engagement and encouraging meaningful interaction among learners.

Participants also reflected on cultural differences in educational settings, explored ways to incorporate authentic cultural content into language instruction and shared best practices for managing participation and motivation in virtual classrooms.

“Working with UTP-CEL instructors was an incredibly enriching experience,” Dr. Amanda Dascomb, ELI Instructional Designer, said. “During our collaborative synchronous sessions, I presented on increasing engagement and community in online classrooms through the use of AI and gamification, and the Panamanian English instructors shared their own best practices for teaching English online. By working together, we improved our online teaching methods and strengthened our thriving partnership.”

The program was part of a professional development opportunity organized by Ricardo Benitez, National Director for UPT-CEL, and Patricia Quiel, Academic Coordinator for UTP-CEL.

Benitez praised ELI’s partnership for providing access to learning resources and providing capacity-building for UPT-CEL instructors.

“Sharing their expertise, UTK’s ELI helped us to embrace better online teaching practices that help our students reach their goals,” Benitez said, adding he expects the program to lead to further collaborations and the potential for short stay exchange opportunities.

Todd Beard, ELI director, sees the partnership as a clear win for the University of Tennessee.

“International partnerships like the one with UTP add value to our respective institutional goals and provide opportunities for us to think and work collaboratively,” Beard said.

To learn more about ELI’s programming, including custom programming, visit https://eli.utk.edu/programs/.