Resources for virtual exchange collaboration
Defining virtual learning and internationalization at home
Below are some useful definitions for those seeking to set up an online program that will help us to foster global learning from on campus.
Internationalization at home
Internationalization at home (IaH) is the purposeful integration of international and intercultural dimensions into the formal and informal curriculum for all students within domestic learning environments (Beleen & Jones, 2015).
Internationalization of the curriculum
The incorporation of international, intercultural, and/or global dimension into the content of the curriculum as well as the learning outcomes, assessment, tasks, teaching methods, and support services of a program (Leask, 2015).
Collaborative online international learning
Collaborative Online International Learning fits under the virtual exchange umbrella and is an approach to teaching that brings students and professors together across cultures to learn, discuss and collaborate as part of their class. Professors partner to design the experience, and students partner to complete the activities designed. COIL becomes part of the class, enabling all students to have a significant intercultural experience within their course of study (The State University of New York).
Virtual exchange
Telecollaboration, or Virtual Exchange (VE) refers to the application of online communication tools to bring together classes of learners in geographically distant locations with the aim of developing their foreign language skills, digital competence and intercultural competence through online collaborative tasks and project work (O’Dowd, 2017).
This online learning tool involves the engagement of groups of learners in extended periods of online intercultural interaction and collaboration with partners from other cultural contexts or geographical locations as an integrated part of their educational programs and under the guidance of educators and/or expert facilitators (O’Dowd, 2018).
The State University of New York states that virtual exchange:
- Can be used in any discipline.
- Should be undertaken to encourage group work that encourages cross-cultural teamwork, understanding, and problem solving.
- Is part of the integrated technology tools that exist the institution(s).
- Be a graded component for all participating groups.
- Can include activities that are synchronous and/or asynchronous.
- May last from 5 - 15 weeks in length.
Successful international online learning
To serve as inspiration, below are examples of successful virtual online learning opportunities offered by UCalgary, and other institutions.
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Astrophysics project with Beijing Normal University, using the Rothney Telescope remotely
UCalgary students in the ASPH 307 Observational Astrophysics course paired with students from Beijing Normal University to constantly remotely monitor the telescope (and data) at the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory.
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Social Work COIL Program: Towards Understanding SDGs & Community Development in Nepal
This COIL program was developed as a collaboration between the members in the Faculty of Social Work from the University of Calgary in Canada and South Western State College in Nepal.
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Masters of Planning through the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape
Masters of Planning students finish their degrees in Winter 2020 thanks to their professor’s quick pivot to online collaboration programs so that they could continue to work in consultation with the NE Calgary community of Crossroads.
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Marine Invertebrate Tracking with University of South Alabama and University of Maine
A group of 73 students in ZOOL 401 Introduction to Invertebrate Zoology participated in DNA sampling and barcoding of marine invertebrates sold for consumption with peers at University of South Alabama and University of Maine.
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Japanese Language and Culture in a Virtual Setting
Students in this program participated in a variety of collaborative Learning Activities with students at Seisen Jogakuin College. This program was designed to enhance cultural understanding, language proficiency, global collaboration.
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University of British Columbia
Learn about UBC's three major COIL pilot projects with faculty and students from UBC, Kenya, and Australia working in virtual classrooms.
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University of Guelph
Experiential Learning Through Remote International Partnerships. This course explores the challenges associated with engaging with development practitioners in the real world and equips students with the necessary skills for successful engagement.
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Trent University
Trent University offers a variety of Virtual Exchange Options across multiple continents as an accessible way to provide internationalization opportunities for staff and faculty.
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State University of New York
Well known as a leader in the COIL and VE learning environment, SUNY COIL offers a great set of resources for all institutions to develop and run their on virtual learning programs. Further, the Faculty Guide for COIL Course Development, is a comprehensive online resource for step-by-step guidance.
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Purdue University
Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS). EPICS students gain long-term define-design-build-test-deploy-support experience, communication skills, experience on multidisciplinary teams, and leadership and project management skills. They gain an awareness of professional ethics, the role of the customer in engineering design, and the role that engineering can play in the community.
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Florida International University
FIU COIL's mission is to enable all students and faculty to engage with their diverse peers worldwide in collaborative teaching, learning, research, and innovation online.
1. Identify your virtual exchange opportunities
Whether you are restructuring an existing course or designing a new one, considering the ways in which the key topics of your course could be enriched by exploring them through a virtual exchange lens is a great place to start.
2. Find a partner
Using your existing connections abroad, establish a partnership with another institution or organization. If you don’t think you have the right contacts for the goals of your course, you may also find these through research, networking or other means.
3. Consider your participants
There are a number of things that are important to consider socially and logistically regarding your students and partners when designing a virtual exchange course. They may include:
- The goals of each group.
- Differences in times zones.
- The language the groups will be operating in.
- What resources are available for both groups.
- If you will be using a traditional or flipped classroom model.
- If the activities will be synchronous or asynchronous.
- Available technology for all parties.
Some of these can be related to power imbalances that might exist between your students and those of your partner, so it is crucial to consider them in advance.
4. Design the activities
Collaborating and completing joint tasks is challenging enough when students are working in the same space. With added factors such as of geography, language, and culture, potentially separating your students from their international classmates, the types of activities the groups work on together will have to be thoughtfully considered. You can use the activities in the databases listed below as a starting place. Tailor them to the needs of your course or use them to inspire new ones.
Tasks Databank UNI Collaboration
Faculty Guide for Collaborative Online International Learning SUNY COIL
Cross-culture experiential rubric activity guide International cross cultural experiential learning evaluation kit
Intercultural Competence Tool Kit University of Washington Bothell
5. Make arrangements for technology
Determine what resources and technology you will be using to implement your course and how you plan to use them. UCalgary has many resources and programs available and a number of coaches at the Taylor Institute that can guide you on incorporating new technology into your virtual teaching practice. eLearn @ UCalgary has training videos on how to use the UCalagary supported software as well. As mentioned above, the access of your students as well as any partners involved should be considered before moving forward with planning. Some suggested resources are listed below.
Group Work: Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Asana, Padlet, Trello
Video Conferencing: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Adobe Connect Meeting, Skype, Google Meet, Facetime, WhatsApp, WeChat, Viber
Learning Management Systems: Desire2Learn, Blackboard
Video Editing: Yuja, IMovie
Podcasts: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts
Student Response Systems: Top Hat
6. Assess and reflect
To assist you in evaluating your students with respect to their virtual exchange competencies, you may consider using a rubric. Below are a few examples of what they might look like.
Assessment Rubric International cross cultural experiential learning evaluation kit
Global Learning Value Rubric and the Intercultural Knowledge and Competence Rubric Association of American Colleges and Universities
In addition to evaluating your students, after your virtual exchange course is finished, assessing the success of your course is a valuable exercise to engage in. Having the tools to formally reflect and acknowledge your successes challenges will help you improve your course outcomes in future iterations.
Outcomes-Based Assessment Toolkit University of Western Ontario
Additional resources
Below are resources that may be of use when incorporating virtual exchange into your courses.
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. (n.d.). Virtual Exchange Tool Kit [PDF]. https://state-low.app.box.com/v/VirtualExchangeToolkit.
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. (n.d.). GLOBE Virtual Exchange Toolkit [PDF]. 4cb132c3-6546-4384-b46d-af375f54a243
American Higher Education Alliance. (2019, July 3). New Outlooks on Internationalization at Home: The Co-Curricular Dimension. https://www.ahealliance.org/articles/new-outlooks-on-internationalization-at-home/
University of Southern California: Center on Public Diplomacy. (2020, July 28). Highlights from CPD’s Virtual Roundtable on International Exchange. https://www.uscpublicdiplomacy.org/blog/highlights-cpds-first-virtual-roundtable-international-exchange
Intentional design for Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Programmes
Virtual Exchange and Summer 2020: Ideas and Resources (Responding to COVID-19 #4), from The Forum on Education Abroad. Panelists: Kris Acheson-Clair (CILMAR, Purdue University) & Mary Lou Forward (SUNY COIL).
Simon Fraser Educational Review Journal. Advancing Internationalization at Home from Different Roles: An Interview with Dr. Jos Beelen.
Articles
Agnew, M., Kahn, H. E. (2015). Internationalization-at-Home: Grounded practices to promote intercultural, international, and global learning. Metropolitan Universities: An International Forum, 25, 31-46. Article link
Beelen, J., & Jones, E. (2015). Redefining Internationalization at Home. In A. Curai, L. Matei, R. Pricopie, J. Salmi & P. Scott (Eds.), The European higher education area: Between critical reflections and future policies (pp. 67-80). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. Article link
Lowes, V., Goldman, A., McMahon, C. (2020). How to adapt experiential learning activities in the time of COVID-19 Article link
Books
Leask, Betty (2015). Internationalizing the Curriculum. Routledge.
University of Calgary International
UCI is available to support you and provide guidance in the development or restructuring of your courses to incorporate virtual exchange. This can include, but is not limited to:
- Advising on best practices when working with partners and students abroad.
- Consult on intercultural competencies, as they relate to your course.
- Helping connect you to existing international partners in our network.
Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning
The Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning has a number of pedagogical experts and resources that may be helpful in integrating virtual exchange into your courses:
The University of Calgary Experiential Learning Plan maps four key elements for consideration when developing global learning experiences: Pedagogy, Experience, Assessment and Reflection.