The Second Module of the University of Siegen Alumni Academy on Blended Education supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) was launched on 31st May 2022 online. Over 20 Alumni of the University of Siegen representing all five continents have been selected for this module on analog and digital teaching/learning projects.
The First Module of the Alumni Academy resulted in group projects of the participants following online training sessions on digital teaching in 2021. Senior Professor Neelakshi C. Premawardhena, Director, Centre for International Affairs was a selected participant in the first module. The staff and students of the German, University of Kelaniya were involved in Group Project 2 on A Digital Bridge Across Continents and Cultures involving 41 students and 11 academic staff from China, Egypt, North Macedonia, and Sri Lanka.
Senior Professor Neelakshi C. Premawardhena, Director, Centre for International has also been selected as a participant for this second phase of the Alumni Academy. She is involved in Group 2 on Language and Communication. Group 2 comprising Alumni from Cameroon, Philippines, Ghana, Thailand, North Macedonia, and Sri Lanka selected the proposal of Prof. Premawardhena on "Folklore: The Global Aspects" to develop analog and digital teaching modules for students of each country.
The proposed project aims to focus on socio-cultural sustainability, tracing back to the oral traditions that made a society adhere to different norms and traditions. The values of a society and the beliefs, and heroic acts of different rulers including kings have been passed down from one generation to the other by way of folklore. When analyzing the tradition of folklore in each society, there are similarities as well as differences and unique features to each culture to be identified. In most countries oral traditions including folk tales, folk songs, and ballads appear to fade away due to the advancement of technology and shift of interest, thus creating a void in the values and one’s own heritage to pass down to the future generations. Folklore is one’s heritage and thus has to be preserved in an attractive way to the present and future generations of children and young adults. If the society loses its strong bonds with the culture and heritage, a system may collapse because values, customs, and traditions as well as ethics that form the culture are essential to bringing society forward.
The module will be concluded in September 2022.
