Ricerca

EU-Funded projects and project leadership

• 2011 – 2015, Key promoter and coordinator of the EUROVERSITY Network (www.euroversity.eu), funded under Key Activity 3 (ICT) of the LLP of the EACEA (Project no. 518944-LLP-1-2011-1-UK-KA3-KA3NW-EuroV). The Network promotes the use of virtual worlds for education, training and research in all subjects (http://euroversity.unimarconi.it/).
• 2009 – 2010, Leader for Research and Development under the Avalon Learning Project (www.avalonlearning.eu), funded under Key Activity 3 (ICT) of the LLP of the EACEA (Project no. 143643-LLP-1-2008). The project explored the use of virtual worlds in language education

(http://avalon.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/index4805.html?page_id=145)

Research

The bulk of my most recent research is in the field of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) within CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning). My areas of interest also include:

• Language Awareness
• Language Teaching and Didactics
• Learner Advising
• Language Teacher Identity
• Online Learning and Teaching
• The educational use of virtual worlds.

Research methodology

I am a qualitative researcher and am rooted in Reflexive methodology. My preferred methods of research are:

• Practitioner research
• Action research
• Exploratory Practice
• Case-study research

International conference presentations

Invited speaker

• March, 2024, Invited speaker to three Deascuola Teacher Training Events (Milan, Bologna, Rome) (https://deascuola.it/). Talk topic: La Didattica non-frontale.

• November, 2022, The Role of Imperfection in Innovation, Opening Speech, 15^th international conference Innovation in Language Learning, Pixel, Florence, 10-11 November, 2022.

• May, 2018, Invited speaker to the Round Table on The emotional dimension of teaching, INCTE (International Conference on Teacher Education), Escola Superior de Educação, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Portugal.

• March, 2014. Invited speaker, Reviewing current and future practice in the use of virtual worlds in Higher Education, University of Manchester, UK, 14^th March, 2014.
• November, 2013. Invited workshop participant, Web2LLP Workshop, Using Social Media to Foster Collaborative Work in Multi-Disciplinary CrossBorder Projects, University of Coventry, UK, 7-8 November, 2013.

• May, 2012. Invited speaker, Higher Education Academy Workshop, University of Hull, UK. Facilitating language learning through social networking sites: Integrating advising into online teaching, 8 May, 2012.

• February, 2012. Invited plenary speaker, PhD Experience Conference, University of Hull, 8-9 February, 2012.

• December 2011. Invited plenary speaker to the III Valencian Workshop on Computer Assisted Language Learning: Exploring Virtual Worlds. Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería del Diseño de la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Spain, 16-17 December, 2011.
• November, 2011. Invited plenary speaker, International Conference: Learning a Language in Virtual Worlds. A Review of Innovation and ICT in Language Teaching Methodology. Warsaw Academy of Computer Science, Warsaw, Poland, 17 November, 2011.
• September, 2011. Invited speaker. AVATAR International Workshop. Burgas Free University, Burgas, Bulgaria, 13 September, 2011.
• June, 2010. Invited Plenary Speaker at the Annual conference of the Language Centres of the French Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Nîmes, France, 3-4 June, 2010.

Member of discussion panels and seminar chairperson

• (2008) From in-world collaboration to real world competencies: the Kamimo Seminar chairperson. Eurocall 2008, New Competencies and Social Spaces, Székesfehérvár, Hungary 3-6 September, 2008.
• (2008) CMC and Language Learning: Future Directions. Panel Discussion together with Mirjam Hauck, The Open University, UK, Jane Hughes, UCL, London, UK, Sarah Guth, University of Padova, Italy and Robert O’Dowd, University of Lèon, Spain. Mediated Communication and Language Learning: Research and Practice. CALL CMC SIG Event, Università di Padova, Italy, 17-19
• (2007) Learning and teaching in Second Life: building on the Kamimo experience/Percorsi di apprendimento all’interno di Second Life: oltre l’esperiena Kamimo. Workshop chairperson. Centro Linguistico Interdipartimentale, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy, 14 December.

Refereed paper presentations, workshops and symposiums at conferences

• (2023) Silence in foreign language learning. 16^th international conference Innovation in Language Learning, Pixel, Florence, 9-10 November, 2023.
• (2022) Participation and engagement in language learning. Implications for teaching. 15^th international conference Innovation in Language Learning, Pixel, Florence, 10-11 November, 2022.
• (2021) Language Learner Advising. Current Developments and Adaptations at the University of Pisa. 14^th international conference Innovation in Language Learning (Hybrid Edition), Pixel, Florence, 11-12 November, 2021.
• (2020) Language Counselling and Learner Advising in and out of the Classroom. 13^th International Conference Innovation in Language Learning, 12-13 November, 2020, Florence, Italy.
• (2018) Creazione di un’identità scientifica in lingua inglese, Convegno Nazionale IULS, Università La Sapienza, Roma, 27-28 settembre, 2018.
• (2018) Dynamics of the language learning classroom from a Transactional Analysis perspective. Future of Education Conference, Pixel, Florence, June 2018.
• (2015) A critical analysis of learner participation in virtual worlds: how can virtual worlds inform our pedagogy? 2015 EUROCALL Conference, Padova, Italy.
• (2012) Virtual Worlds: An Opportunity for Thinking about Learning. International Conference Learning a Language in Virtual Worlds. A Review of Innovation and ICT in Language Teaching Methodology, Warsaw, Poland, 17 November, 2011.
• (2012) with Christel Schneider. Getting started in virtual worlds with the EUROVERSITY Network. 5^th International conference ICT for Language Learning, Florence, Italy.
• (2010) The role of Language Awareness and learner counselling in developing learner autonomy: towards a more flexible approach to teaching and learning. Autonomia di Apprendiment V giornata di studio sui materiali didattici per l’insegnamento delle lingue straniere. Università di Firenze, Italy.
• (2010) with Mats Deutschmann, Hanna Outakoski and Christel Schneider. Virtual Learning – Real Heritage. Benefits and Challenges of Virtual Worlds for the Learning of Indigenous Minority Languages. 3^rd International Conference ICT for Language Learning, Florence, Italy, 11-12 November.
• (2009) With Ola Lindberg and Kristen Snyder, Determining quality of experience in virtual platforms. Paper presented at Designs for Learning Second International Conference: Towards a new conceptualization of learning. Stockholm University, Campus Konradsberg, Sweden. 17-19 March.
• (2009) With Mats Deutschmann, Access to Virtual and Action Learning live ON-line (AVALON), Paper presented at Designs for Learning Second International Conference: Towards a new conceptualization of learning. Stockholm University, Campus Konradsberg, Sweden. 17-19 March.
• (2009) with Christel Schneider, Second Life as a Virtual Platform for Language Education. Paper presented at the 2^nd Edition of the International Conference for ICT for Language Learning, Pixel, Florence, Italy 6-7^th
• (2009) with Christel Schneider, An electronic portfolio for avatars. Paper presented at the CerleS Seminar, La funzione del Quadro Comune Europeo di Riferimento delle lingue (QCER) e del Portfolio Europeo delle Lingue (PEL) nell’insegnamento universitario, Università di Padova, 17-19 September, Padua, Italy.
• (2009) with Graham Stanley, Using Second Life for Language Education: the Avalon project. Pre-conference workshop, Eurocall 2009, New Trends in CALL: working together. Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Gandía Campus, Valencia, Spain, 9-12 September.
• (2009) with Mats Deutschmann , Judith Molka-Danielsen, Graham Stanley, Gary Motteram and Christian Swertz, Research and Best Practice in Second Life^®  Poster presentation, Eurocall 2009, New Trends in CALL: working together. Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Gandía Campus, Valencia, Spain, 9-12 September.
• (2009) Research methods in Second Life and online oral communication. Workshop presented with Mats Deutschmann at the Eurocall Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) Special Interest Group event. Researching Computer Mediated Communication in Foreign Language Education: Issues and Methods, Unversidad de León, Spain, 23-25 April.
• (2008) with Claudia Finkbeiner and Leo van Lier, Be aware of awareness: Language and culture in focus. Thematic strand: Multilingualism and Multiculturalism. Symposium held at AILA 2008 Multilingualism: Challenges and Opportunities, the 15^th World Congress of Applied Linguistics, Essen, 24^th-29^th August, 2008.
• (2008) Virtual reality, real engagement? Exploring engagement in Second Life language- learning environments. Paper presented with  Mats Deutschmann and Judith Molka-Danielsen. Association for Language Awareness 9^th International Conference: Engaging with Language. University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 26-29 June.
• (2008) Perceptions of learning in the CMC environment of Second Life. A Swedish-American case study. Paper presented with Mats Deutschmann, Bryan Carter & David Richardson Computer Mediated Communication and Language Learning: Research and Practice. CALL CMC SIG Event, Università di Padova, 17-19 aprile.
• (2008) Practicing Proficiency in Virtual Space – A case study of cross-cultural collaboration in language learning. Paper presented with Mats Deutschmann, David Richardson & Bryan Carter. Computer Mediated Communication and Language Learning: Research and Practice. CALL CMC SIG Event, Università di Padova, 17-19 aprile.
• (2008) Designing Authentic Communication for Language Learning in Virtual Space. Paper presented with Mats Deutschmann and Judith Molka-Danielsen. Designs for Learning First International Conference: Defining the Field. Stockholm University, Campus Konradsberg, Sweden. 3-4 March.
• (2007) Learner criticalness as a pedagogical tool in the construction of identity in the foreign language classroom. International Conference on Identity and Power in the Language Classroom, Umeå University, Sweden. 11-12 June, 2007.
• (2007) The role of Language Awareness and learner counselling in developing learner autonomy: towards a more flexible approach to teaching and learning. 5a Edizione delle Giornate di studio sui materiali didattici per l’insegnamento delle lingue straniere. Facoltà di Lettere,Università di Firenze, 1st June, 2007.
• (2005) Washing faces, cleansing hearts: what my search for identity in Italy tells me about the country I used to come from. Australians in Italy workshop. 3-4 October, Monash University Centre in Prato, Prato, Italy.
• (2005) Third Spaces in the EFL Teacher-Learner Encounter in Tertiary Education in Italy. Interrogating Third Spaces in Language Teaching, Learning and Use. 27-28^th June, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
• (2005) Multimedia environments in language education: Where does the learning start? Input, Interaction, Feedback, Evaluation. Acquisition des Langues Secondes et les Environnements Multimédia. SIXIEME COLLOQUE des Usages des Nouvelles Technologies dans l’Enseignement des Langues Etrangères, l’Université de Technologie de Compiègne 24- 26 mars 2005, Compiègne, France.
• (2004) Language awareness: the flesh on the bones of language learning. Presented at the Seventh International Conference of the Association for Language Awareness: ALA 2004, 19-21 July, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain.
• (2002) Tandem learning in multimedia labs: Autonomy in the making. Paper presented at the 7^th CerleS International Conference “Forging the learning environments for the future.” September 2002, Paris, France.
• (2002) Tandem Learning and Language Awareness. Materials from the ALA 2002 Tandem Workshop. Presented at the Sixth International Conference of the Association for Language Awareness: ALA 2002, Umeå Universitet, Umeå, Sweden, 1-3 July.
• (2002) Can we measure students’ language awareness? To what extent are students’ beliefs relevant to language-awareness practitioners? Presented at the Sixth International Conference of the Association for Language Awareness: ALA 2002, Umeå Universitet, Umeå, Sweden, 1-3 July.
• (2002) Language awareness in Tandem language learning: encouraging cognitive and meta-cognitive awareness in Tandem students. Paper presented at the III International Conference of the Spanish Association of Cognitive Linguistics (AELCO), Universitat de València, València, Spain, 15-17 May.
• (2002) Language Awareness in the Tandem Classroom. Seminario CLI, Università degli Studi di Pisa, Pisa, Italy, 13th-15th February 2002.
• (2001). On the Road from Cultural Knowledge to Intercultural Awareness. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Teachers of Italian (AATI), Treviso-Venezia, Italy, May 28-31, 2001. Co-authored with Rossana Matteucci.
• (2000) with Rossana Matteucci. On the Road from Spontaneity to Autonomy. The Tandem Experience in Pisa. IV Seminario AICLU, Cosenza, Italy, 29^th – 30^th September 2000.