“The K-Tourism project was an opportunity for the students to apply their Korean language learning experience in practical settings,” said Lee.

The students collaborated with various local organizations and businesses, including restaurants, car rental companies, government agencies, and a medical facility. Once the brochures were completed, the students delivered them to their community partners for use with Korean-speaking clients.

A Learning Experience outside the Moodle Classroom

This semester marked the first time Dr. Lee assigned the K-Tourism project in her KO101 and KO102 classes. Lee, an adjunct professor who helped design and launch the Korean language courses at UOG, has taught them since 2017. For much of that time, she offered courses asynchronously on Moodle, the university’s official online learning platform. Despite the remote format, she strives to create interactive and engaging student experiences.

The idea for the K-Tourism project came earlier this year when Dr. Lee attended the Intensive Project-Based Language Learning (PBLL) Design Studio, organized by the National Foreign Language Resource Center at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Working with expert facilitators and fellow participants, Lee developed the K-Tourism project as a PBLL initiative tailored to her students and Guam’s tourism industry.

“I sought to develop a learning experience that engages students and links their studies to activities outside the Moodle classroom,” Lee explained. “The project enabled them to contribute directly to the community, foster cultural understanding, and improve communication between visitors and local residents.”

Plans Moving Forward

Encouraged by the success of this semester’s project, Dr. Lee plans to integrate the K-Tourism project into her future Elementary Korean classes at UOG. She highlights the value of academic projects that give students hands-on learning experiences while benefiting the broader community.

“I hope my students recognize that language learning can have a positive and tangible impact on themselves and the local community,” said Lee.

For more information on the K-Tourism project or UOG’s Korean language classes, contact Dr. Lynsey Lee at leel7998@triton.uog.edu.