Abstract:

As the world has become smaller through advanced technologies, the world has also become more isolated as was seen during the COVID pandemic. It has become clear that this dichotomy is not mutually exclusive of one another. Universities have looked to using and improving instructional technology while student service technological applications help with feelings of isolation. The question that this group of researchers asks is can international learning also occur virtually? Not all students can participate in a semester abroad (and during COVID no one could) yet, it has been shown that international exchange programs can improve cultural competencies for students. So, how can these students be provided with this international/intercultural opportunity without leaving their home country?

Building upon a long-term relationship between the Universidad Acción Pro-Educación y Cultura in the Dominican Republic and the State University of New York Empire State College, faculty from both institutions came together to analyze whether students participating in virtual international exchange experiences develop a skill set of global competencies. If so, what might be the most effective learning model in this modality?

As stated earlier, traditionally, students gain cultural competencies by participating in study abroad programs; this type of program is increasingly difficult due to funding and travel restrictions (e.g., pandemic, civil unrest, etc.). Using technology, the natural alternative is to create international exchanges using virtual mediums. Therefore, this project’s goal is to study the level of cultural competence obtained by students who engage in virtual international exchange opportunities. The authors chose the global competencies’ framework laid out by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Stevens’ Initiative to be able to build upon existing research and compare results. Researchers have collected data and compare results for three different virtual exchange models: Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), short-term shared discussion forums, and a themed series of webinars and asynchronous discussions. The project uses quantitative surveys for baseline and post-exchange testing to provide consistent data collection along with qualitative data from a final reflection discussion board. A robust set of quantitative and qualitative data are being analyzed and these preliminary results and tentative conclusions will be presented in this forum. This comparison between different virtual exchange models should help practitioners decide how to structure their own international virtual exchange activities, and the data presented can contribute to research on the field of virtual exchange. Thus, faculty may offer virtual exchange opportunities that contribute to broadening students’ perspectives and acceptance of cultures different from their own.

Keywords:

International exchange, pedagogy, virtual exchange, partnership, collaboration, research, cultural competence.