Description

Virtual Exchange (VE) is a great option to put into practice intercultural and global learning and international collaboration. The Stevens Initiative (2020) defines virtual exchange as “a teaching method that uses technology to connect people for education and exchange.” Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a type of virtual exchange and a common term used for this teaching method of virtual exchange. The connection is often between students based at universities in at least two countries although virtual exchanges can occur among co-curricular groups and organizations in different countries.

Collaboration is a key facet of virtual exchanges. The goal is not extraction of knowledge from one side but rather a sharing of information that culminates in a shared learning goal and commonly some type of deliverable or product, which may or may not be the same for each set of students based in a different country. This is because virtual exchanges can be between different disciplines and academic levels, such as an upper-division cultural anthropology course with an introductory environmental science course or an upper-division biology course and a medical engineering course. One way to approach virtual exchanges is to think holistically about global challenges and be creative in how interdisciplinary match-ups might enrich the course or group’s learning.

The virtual exchange can stand on its own as a learning module/section of a course or be paired with other high-impact practices, like undergraduate/graduate research and community-engaged projects, or study abroad. The recommended length of a virtual exchange is about 4 weeks minimum to give participants enough time to get to know each other (~1 week), collaborate on an exercise or project together (~2 weeks), and wrap up (~1 week).