Online + International: Utilizing Theory to Maximize Intercultural Learning in Virtual Exchange Courses

Abstract

Virtual exchanges (VEs) are course-based experiences designed to promote global learning, often by integrating cross-cultural interactions and collaborations with people from other areas of the world into coursework in a virtual format. Due to the widespread disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, VEs have seen an increase in popularity. However, research findings on the effectiveness of VEs are mixed, and limited guidance is available to VE instructors on how to structure and facilitate these programs. The purpose of this paper is to highlight how theories and literature in two distinct areas of scholarship, Intergroup Contact theory and the Community of Inquiry model in online learning, could be applied to VEs to maximize student learning. We discuss each of these theories first and then highlight how they could be applied to VEs using illustrative examples from a pilot study of five VE courses offered at one institution during the summer of 2021.

Future Potentials for International Virtual Exchange in Higher Education Post COVID-19: A Scoping Review

“…Various article types were considered in this review, as shown in Table 2. Five of the twenty-one were theoretical or conceptual articles [8][9][10][11][12]. The majority of the articles, 13, were peer-reviewed research studies [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25].…”

“…Thirteen articles were published in 2022 [8][9][10]14,15,17,18,20,[22][23][24][25]28]. Two articles reviewed were published in 2023 [12,13].…”

“…Twenty-two countries were represented in sixteen of the articles that addressed the application of IVE in specific courses or programs [10][11][12][13][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]27,28]. The United States was most represented in 10/16 articles; South Africa was represented in 3/16; Argentina, Brazil, China (including Hong Kong), Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Turkey, and the United Kingdom were represented in 2/16; and Canada, Colombia, India, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Liberia, Poland, Russia, Spain, and Sweden were represented in 1/16.…”

“…Seven of the articles for review did not consider the application of IVE in a specific program or course; rather, they critiqued or provided theoretical insight for the application of IVE across higher education [8,9,12,14,15,19,26]. Three considered the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) model of VE to be appropriate across higher-education entities [8,19,26] with [8] specifically noting how COIL aligns with all students with disabilities.…”

“…Alami et al [14] consider the application of IVE across geopolitical sectors in South and Central America. Finally, Nyunt et al [12] addressed how to use theory to enhance faculty development toward deepening student learning in IVEs.…”