scholarly journals Distant Partners: A Case Study of Global Virtual Teams Between Spain and South Korea

2020 ◽  
pp. 517-530
Author(s):  
Enrique Planells-Artigot ◽  
Santiago Moll-Lopez
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Global Virtual Teams ◽  
Global Connections

Abstract Global Virtual Teams (GVT) among higher education institutions stand as a powerful tool of extending internationalization techniques as well as improving collaborative learning and transversal competencies. This study stems from the belief that using these channels allows students to establish connections and strengthen their confidence in networking for professional purposes. Furthermore, it describes a collaborative project involving undergraduate students of 23 different nationalities in two different business schools located in Spain and South Korea (n = 109; 61 in Spain and 48 in South Korea). The courses in both universities had similar learning objectives focused on the development of written and oral communication skills in a business environment. Through a series of semi-monitored activities and questionnaires, the vast majority of students expressed a strong satisfaction with their own achievements during the course including teamwork, learning how to deal with cultural differences, improving communication skills and problem-solving strategies. This case study contributes to a broader understanding of virtual exchange activities in higher education in different cultural contexts in terms of the types of activities engaged, the perceived value and learning outcomes as well as shared challenges. This understanding will help define common strategies in the practice of virtual exchange and to achieve greater integration within university curricula. Virtual exchange activities contribute not only to the improvement of students’ language and digital skills but to other transversal competencies such as problem-solving and teamwork, which seem to be gaining importance in an increasingly complex and competitive world of global connections.

scholarly journals Recruiting and Preparing Undergraduate Students for a Collegiate Debate: An HBCU Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
LaShawn Wordlaw ◽  
Kevin J. Harrell ◽  
LaHoma Smith Romocki
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Pedagogical Tool

The benefits of debate as an effective pedagogical tool in higher education are well-published. It fosters students’ development of critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills. This paper describes a conceptual model of debate categories: in-class debate, co-curricular debate, and tournament debate. It proposes six levels of debate for faculty to employ to create engaged active learning experiences. It is a case study written from the perspective of faculty who served as debate coaches over a four-year period. It shares lessons learned and best practices for recruiting and preparing undergraduate students for a co-curricular debate competition, a subject that is missing in the literature.

Exploring Strategies to Improve Oral Communication Engagement Online According to Higher Education Instructors

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Dawn DiPeri
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
The United States ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Online Public Speaking

This chapter addresses the following problem: the strategies higher education instructors need to strengthen the oral communication skills of online undergraduate students have not yet been identified. The exploratory design used semistructured interviews that queried the experiences of 10 undergraduate online higher education instructors tasked with teaching a course with an online public speaking assignment. The population in the study was geographically disbursed and worked remotely within the United States. The conceptual framework guided the study and focused on the general research problem and the ways in which management can improve practices related to teaching and learning. The theoretical construct that was most closely examined was andragogy. The research question asked: What are the strategies higher education instructors need to strengthen the oral communication skills of online undergraduate students? The results of the semistructured interviews uncovered five themes but this chapter examines the theme of student engagement.

scholarly journals Teaching Process Skills to Pre-Engineers using Situated Learning – A Case Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 121
Author(s):  
Pamela A. Maher ◽  
Janelle M. Bailey ◽  
Allan M. Tucka
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Situated Learning ◽  
Public Speaking ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Physics Students ◽  
The Public ◽  
Two Year College ◽  
Before And After ◽  
K 12

In this case study, undergraduate students presented physics concepts to patrons at a planetarium. This created an early opportunity for these pre-professionals to practice the process skill of oral communication to a lay audience. The case study resulted from working with students participating in a grant called the da Vinci project. It reports on a situated experience pre-engineering and calculus-based physics students had working with their professor to create a brochure and present a physics concept to patrons visiting a public planetarium. Working closely with their professor, students were able to use this required professional skill in a real world (situated) context. This opportunity helped bridge the gap between these pre-professionals’ experiences in training and in their careers in STEM fields. Thirty students attending a two-year college in the Southwestern US self-selected to participate in the project. Each student participant built a kit-based model of a machine, designed an informational flyer aligned to state K-12 physical science standards, and presented informally to the public visiting a planetarium. Data were collected from the students via written reflections before and after the presentation and from email correspondence with their professor. Qualitative analyses of these reflections assessed the students’ progress toward a finished presentation. Results suggest that obstacles to public speaking fluency come from the fear of making mistakes or giving out misinformation. Opportunities to engage in informal public speaking helped overcome these obstacles. Students demonstrated increased confidence in their ability to share their knowledge with the public after undergoing guided informal speaking practice. The opportunity for students to practice public speaking during their undergraduate training can increase confidence and better prepare them for a career.

scholarly journals Promoting Global Virtual Teams Across the Globe

2013 ◽  
pp. 165-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norhayati Zakaria ◽  
Ghadeer Al Safi
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Technical Difficulty ◽  
Global Virtual Teams ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Cultural Challenges ◽  
Managerial Styles ◽  
Travel Abroad

This chapter presents a preliminary understanding of cross-cultural challenges and synergistic experiences of multicultural students engaged in Global Virtual Teams (GVTs). In this case study, we introduce the GVT structure as a novel learning platform which utilizes Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) tools as part of its virtual-based learning. We administer the case study with 30 students (n=30) in the United of Emirates (UAE) who engage in GVTs across the globe—encompassing 26 universities and 22 countries. Qualitative data is collected in the form of documents—reflective reports of the students’ experiential learning over a 10-week period. We content analyse the reports based on the thematic analysis with two distinctive categories—cultural challenges and cultural synergies based on the first seven weeks of the experiential learning process. In this study, we find that students experienced challenges such as managing technical difficulty, language barriers, deteriorating motivations, geographical distance, time differences, and non-committed and unresponsive attitude. However, students also experience synergies from the GVTs such as strong relationships and continued friendships, formation of emergent leadership, learned diverse managerial styles and competencies skills, varied use of varied CMC tools, and international exposure to diverse cultures without the need to travel abroad.

Leading for Team Adaptation in Global Virtual Teams

2017 ◽  
pp. 941-952
Author(s):  
Petros Chamakiotis ◽  
Zakia Khan
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Global Virtual Teams ◽  
Significant Evidence ◽  
Exploratory Case Study ◽  
Team Adaptation ◽  
Global Organization

There exists significant evidence in the relevant literature that global virtual teams (GVTs) have become ubiquitous in most sectors and have attracted both scholarly and practitioner interest. Despite this—and the fluid and dynamic character of GVTs—there exist gaps as to what team adaptation looks like in the GVT context and how leadership can be exercised to support it. The chapter presents an exploratory case study with members of GVTs in a global organization in the financial services industry. Drawing on interviews with selected participants, the chapter makes the following contributions: 1) It shows what GVT adaptation looks like, highlighting its heterogeneous character; 2) It identifies challenges GVT members face when trying to adapt; and 3) It explains how leadership can be exercised to support GVT adaptation. Recommendations for practitioners and educators are provided, and implications for future research discussed.

scholarly journals ‘I'll play the game, but I cannot stay’ : The role of third space professionals in encouraging the retention, success and sense of belonging of undergraduate students

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Hughes ◽  
Debra Cureton ◽  
Jenni Jones
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Third Space ◽  
Academic Identity ◽  
Educational Provision ◽  
Academic Coach

In 2019, a diverse, post-92, Midlands university implemented a new, hybrid third space role called the ‘academic coach’ (AC) to support its mission towards to support its mission to make its educational provision fully accessible to all its students, to retain them and to ensure their success to support its mission to make its educational provision fully accessible to all its students, to retain them and to ensure their success of all its students. Since a sense of belonging to their institution is such a powerful influence on students’ sense of wellbeing, their development of an academic identity and their resilience in the higher education context, with consequent positive impact upon their retention and success, this role is devoted to the pastoral care and personal tutoring of levels three and four students. This case study considers the journey of the AC in defining and shaping this new role and offers the ACs’ perceptions of their influence on the experience of students at levels three and four by enhancing collaborative and learning relationships within the wider university.

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