Virtual Exchange and internationalising the classroom

This study explored student learning outcomes related to virtual international exchange, namely global perspective-taking and self-efficacy, among a sample of 76 community college students in the United States. Viewing virtual exchange as a possible high-impact educational practice, we anticipated that participation would have a positive relationship with these two outcomes. To test this hypothesis, we used survey data collected from students attending two community colleges in the US Southeast. Using a pre-test/post-test design, we estimated linear regression models to explore the relationship between virtual exchange participation and these two outcomes, measured using the Global Perspectives Inventory and the New General Self-efficacy Scale. Counter to expectation, we found that virtual exchange was not generally significantly related to changes in students’ global perspective-taking or sense of self-efficacy. We hypothesize these null findings relate to characteristics of virtual exchange programs and differences between virtual exchange and other international experiences like study abroad.

Virtual milieus are becoming a setting for a great deal of intercultural contact. Learners engaged in virtual exchanges are likely to encounter users from different nationalities who bring with them their culturally-grounded behaviors, beliefs and expectations as to what is most appropriate for intercultural interactions. Against this background, learners need specific skills, attitudes and knowledge to establish working relationships and collaborate with distant partners, namely intercultural competence. The present paper explores the effectiveness and relevance of participating in virtual intercultural exchanges to develop Algerian University learners’ intercultural competence(or lack thereof). The particular significance of this study lies in shedding light on the importance of scaling up virtual intercultural exchanges to become an expected activity in Algerian Higher education. We opted for the quasi-experimental design as an appropriate research strategy for the present study. Data were gathered from attitudinal surveys administered to 38 students enrolled at the department of English language of Abou Bakr Belkaid University, Algeria. Participants were not selected randomly. They were grouped into two groups: a focus group entailing 19 students who participated in a telecollaborative partnership offered in the fall of 2020, and a control group of 19 students who were not involved in intercultural exchange programs. This initiative attempts to present some preliminary findings to show that virtual intercultural exchanges can assist Algerian learners in developing their intercultural competence under the guidance of their instructor.

Virtual exchanges are emerging as innovative educational tools with the potential to foster collaboration between High-Income Countries (HICs) and Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). These initiatives hold the potential to enhance intercultural competencies, promote equitable partnerships, and address resource disparities. Understanding the pedagogical underpinnings, challenges, and best practices of virtual exchanges is vital for developing scalable and sustainable integration into healthcare education. To what extent have virtual exchanges in global health been reported in the literature to date, including their frameworks, impact and sustainability? Studies involving a global health virtual exchange between at least one HIC and one LMIC will be included. Sources in all healthcare contexts will be included. Non-English language publications and those solely using secondary data will be excluded. The review will be conducted in line with the Joanna Briggs Institute guidance for scoping reviews (1). The following electronic databases will be searched: Medline Ovid, Embase, CINAHL & ERIC. A search of the grey literature will also be conducted. Three reviewers will independently screen the titles and abstracts and full texts for eligibility. Data extraction will be conducted independently by three reviewers. A narrative summary and tables will be presented. Key stakeholders will be consulted throughout the review. This scoping review will provide a comprehensive understanding of virtual exchanges in global health, outlining frameworks, outcomes, content and best practices. The findings will inform the development of evidence-based models to design and sustain virtual exchanges between HIC and LMICs, enhancing their impact in global health education and practice. This protocol was registered to the Open Science Framework (OSF): DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/MWHBP.

The CLAVIER (Connected Learning And Virtual Intercultural Exchange Research) network grew rhizomatically as a result of open practice (Blyth, 2019), which is central to the CLAVIER approach. Informed by the field of Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC), the network has provided a safe space to experiment with the development and implementation of open badges to support sustained participation in Virtual Exchanges (VEs). This case study describes the rationale for CLAVIER’s open badge framework and its links with the Erasmus+ VE (E+VE) badges.

Intercultural competence is key for foreign language acquisition since it allows learners to understand sociolinguistic and behavioral variations and to convey meaning effectively. This mixed-methods study involved the participation of 145 undergraduate students at a private Colombian university to assess whether and to what extent different approaches to virtual language exchange with native speakers of a target language contribute to their developing intercultural awareness/competence. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative analyses of the online surveys implemented before and after participating in the virtual exchange, we found that students’ awareness/knowledge increased, particularly in the group that received intercultural communication training (ict), who could elaborate further on their individual analyses of non-observable features of the target culture. This research paper offers insights into the effectiveness of virtual language exchanges and the role of ict in developing intercultural awareness/competence in foreign language learners. Findings suggest that the implementation of strategically designed virtual language exchanges can provide more in-depth understandings of cultural variations.

This chapter is based on a workshop at IVEC 2020 which presented a model of Virtual Exchange (VE) facilitated by interactive, digital, and cultural artefacts created using a progressive web app developed by the EU-funded ENACT project team. The model offers an innovative approach to online intercultural exchange through the opportunity to create, share, appropriate, and re-create cultural artefacts. Drawing on Thorne’s (2016) concept of cultural artefacts, the app is designed to enable artefacts as catalysts for intercultural exchange while “artifacts and humans together create particular morphologies of action” (p. 189). The ENACT project aims to develop Open Educational Resources (OER) that will foster intergenerational and intercultural understanding within and between communities; promote opportunities for intergenerational, intercultural interaction; and offer a real-world, immersive learning experience that brings culture to life. The web app is built on the well-established H5P.org interactive media engine tailored for the creation of, and engagement with interactive digital media for task-based exchange of cultural activities promoting linguistic, digital, and intercultural communication skills development. This chapter outlines how the ENACT app can be implemented in VE at higher education to facilitate deeper, immersive, virtual intercultural exchange experiences that go beyond talking about culture and that offer hands-on cultural experiences based on learning by doing to ensure equitable experiences to all students.

Virtual exchange is a technology enhanced educational platform that makes it possible to connect classrooms and educators across geographic borders. Often also referred to as ‘telecollaboration’ and other variation, virtual exchange offers educators opportunities to collaborate with other teacher educators cross culturally in their efforts to engage a classroom of diverse leaners. Around the globe, educators seek to combine virtual exchange and innovative pedagogy to transform classrooms into dynamic places to teach and learn. Despite the positive comments that have been reaped on the pedagogical potential of virtual exchange programs, virtual exchange has not been successfully mainstreamed into formal curriculum and made into a staple of educational practices in p-12 schools. Consequently, few studies exist to explore the implications of incorporating virtual exchange into formal learning settings where the curriculum is in dire need for instructional innovation in order to move education into the 21st century.
 This paper presents a study in which virtual exchange is used as an authentic context to expand TESOL teacher candidates’ teaching and collaborative repertoire. TESOL teacher candidates worked in pair, taking turns between facilitating students in cross interaction and chronicling fieldnotes on student engagement. Candidates’ reflective journals and student interviews are used to collect data for this study. Practices and challenges in incorporating virtual exchange into the standards aligned classroom were explored and discussed.

The rapid expansion of digital platforms in higher education has paved the way for Virtual Exchange (VE) as a viable alternative to traditional student mobility programs. VE leverages online technologies to connect university students from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds, enabling cross-cultural communication and global collaboration without the financial and geographical barriers associated with physical exchanges. Despite its potential, challenges remain regarding student engagement, technological limitations, and reduced immersion compared to face-to-face interactions. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of VE in fostering intercultural awareness and teamwork skills among university students. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining quantitative surveys to measure intercultural competence and collaboration with qualitative interviews to explore students’ experiences in depth. The findings indicate that VE contributes significantly to the development of intercultural understanding, digital literacy, and teamwork, with students reporting enhanced awareness of cultural diversity and improved adaptability in online collaboration. Visual and statistical analyses highlight clear patterns in how VE facilitates skill development, while qualitative data emphasize both the benefits and obstacles students encounter, such as managing time zone differences and cultural nuances. The study concludes that VE represents an inclusive and scalable educational approach that complements traditional exchange programs, offering broader access to global learning opportunities while addressing issues of equity and accessibility. However, its limitations suggest that VE should be integrated strategically, potentially through hybrid models that balance virtual and physical mobility to maximize its impact.

With more classrooms within higher education mobilizing strategies for internationalization, collaborative online international learning (COIL), also referred to as virtual exchange, is an effective approach at offering intercultural competence through experiential learning. This strategy provides students who face barriers to international travel the opportunity to engage with students from other countries in meaningful ways, while enhancing and reinforcing course content. Grounded in the transformative learning theory, this study evaluates the effectiveness of a virtual exchange that was implemented within an undergraduate global public health course. The virtual exchange connected students from the University of Florida (within the US) with medical students in a microbiology course at Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. Using adapted reflection prompts, we assessed the students' knowledge and learning before, during, and after the virtual exchange. This was coupled with a final paper to capture how personal backgrounds and experiences may contribute to their perception of the virtual exchange, as well as if they felt their global perspective had changed or shifted during the experience. Using directed content analysis for each of the measurements, two researchers coded the data independently to then present agreed upon salient themes to the larger group. Of the 28 randomly sampled students who participated in the virtual exchange, seven major themes emerged from the data: Connectedness; Openness; Acquisition of Knowledge and Skills; Communication; Cultural Identity; Anticipation of Options for New Roles, Relationships, and Actions; and Absence of Change. Through this evaluation it was clear there was a variance of different perspectives with many sampled students having diverse lived experiences that influenced their worldview prior to the virtual exchange. Despite course-related barriers, students acknowledged several facilitating factors that improved their intercultural competence and knowledge of course content. The integration of a virtual exchange within the classroom, with careful design and implementation, can provide a unique experience for students and an inclusive approach to learning.

Adapting the layered learning model to a virtual international exchange program

Virtual exchange, or telecollaboration, is a well‐known pedagogical approach in foreign language education that involves engaging classes in online intercultural collaboration projects with international partners as an integrated part of their educational programmes. This article focuses on the role of the teacher as pedagogical mentor in virtual exchange and examines the impact of the strategies and techniques that teachers use in their classes to support students’ learning during their online intercultural projects. The article begins with a proposed categorization of pedagogical mentoring reported in the literature to date. It then reports on the outcomes of a virtual exchange project carried out by three classes of initial English teacher education in Israel, Spain, and Sweden that involved two types of pedagogical mentoring. Qualitative content analysis enabled the identification of the impact of mentoring that took place before the exchange and also revealed insights into what students learned when their own online interactions were integrated into class work. The article concludes by discussing the limitations and challenges of different types of pedagogical mentoring in virtual exchange and by outlining a list of recommendations for carrying out pedagogical mentoring in such projects.

The importance of global and intercultural competence across various fields has become increasingly evident. Since the COVID-19 health crisis, one approach that has gained acceptance in academia is Virtual Exchange, which facilitates interaction between students and academics from different geographical locations. The construct of Global Competence is understood to encompass three dimensions: Self-Awareness, Intercultural Competence, and Global Knowledge. Additionally, three types of motivation are identified: Mandatory, Rewarded, and Self-motivation. However, little is known about how students' motivation to participate in Virtual Exchange acts as a moderating factor in relation to the dimensions of Global Competence. This study aims to measure the moderating effect of students' motivation on Global Competence using the Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) technique. The analysis modelled the relationship between Global Competence, its three dimensions, and the three types of motivation. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to higher education students from various countries who had participated in virtual exchange projects. The study’s results indicate a significant moderating effect of students' motivation to participate in Virtual Exchange projects on Global Competence, specifically within the Intercultural Competence dimension. No significant effects were found for the Self-Awareness and Global Knowledge dimensions. The findings suggest that students who expect to be rewarded for participating in Virtual Exchange programs show better results in the development of Intercultural Competence. In contrast, lower results are anticipated for students whose participation is motivated by mandatory requirements or self-motivation.

This practice report explores the integration of Design Thinking (DT) into virtual exchange (VE) projects to enhance students’ engagement with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite increasing interest in VE and SDGs, there is a lack of research on effective DT practices in VE contexts. This paper fills this gap by identifying best practices: integrating intercultural dialogue principles, fostering multicultural collaboration, and assigning coaches to student teams. These strategies were implemented in a VE involving three institutions across the Middle East, North Africa, and the U.S. Results from both a quantitative survey and qualitative reflections indicate that the combination of DT, intercultural dialogue, and effective coaching not only facilitated students’ understanding and engagement with global issues related to SDGs but also enhanced their professional skills such as creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. This paper contributes best practices for educators aiming to leverage DT for SDGs in VE settings.

The use of Virtual Exchange (VE) to connect Student Teachers (STs) with learners as part of their preparation is an area of growing interest (e.g. Adnan, 2017; Arnold, Ducate, Lomicka, & Lord, 2005; Dooly & Sadler, 2013; Üzüm, Akayoğlu, & Yazan, 2020). There has also been growing interest in issues of task design in VE (Arnold et al., 2005; Dooly & Sadler, 2013; Hampel, 2006, 2010; Hauck, 2010; Kurek & Müller-Hartmann, 2017; O’Dowd & Ware, 2009). This study involved US-based Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) STs designing tasks for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in China through the mediation of the classroom teacher in China. We explore the following questions: What is the structure of the mediation that took place during three task stages (design, implementation, and evaluation)? What is mediated by the classroom teacher in the process of task design and implementation in this VE? What factors in the design process influence the successful implementation of tasks? Data were collected from email and Google Groups posts by participants. Data analysis, supported by information from participant observer emails and instructor notes, focused on the development of teams’ tasks and feedback. Results showed three major areas of mediation by the EFL teacher: socio-institutional contexts (implementation schedule, access to technology, cultures-of-use), differences in learning purpose (genre, task selection and elements, student interests), and gaps in language proficiency. Revisions to tasks in these areas helped to localize tasks to better meet curricular demands and student interests. Timely mediation was essential to successful task completion. Implications for further research on task design in VE are discussed.

Virtual Exchange (VE) in foreign language education has evolved significantly from its early focus on bilingual North-North partnerships to encompass diverse global collaborations, including North-South exchanges and partnerships with conflict zones. While VE has gained increased recognition as a valuable tool for internationalisation — particularly following COVID-19— this expansion has generated complex pedagogical and ethical challenges that practitioners must navigate. This article examines six critical areas of concern: structural inequalities in project design that risk reproducing Global North hegemony; communication barriers in lingua franca contexts that advantage privileged learners; the psychological risks of engaging students with conflict zone partners; political and institutional pressures surrounding controversial partnerships; questions about VE's capacity for genuine social impact versus tokenistic engagement; and maintaining motivation among increasingly internationally-experienced student populations. Drawing on recent literature and over two decades of practice, I argue that VE's transition from niche activity to mainstream educational tool demands more sophisticated approaches that address power imbalances, provide robust linguistic scaffolding, implement trauma-informed protocols, and move beyond superficial intercultural encounters. The article concludes with recommendations for developing more equitable, effective, and engaging VE programmes that can navigate the tensions between educational aspirations and global realities.