International Virtual Exchange Conference (IVEC) 2020 special issue: editorial

We are pleased to bring you this Special Issue of the Journal of Virtual Exchange, the second such volume to publish articles resulting from the International Virtual Exchange Conference (IVEC) 2020. This special issue includes five research articles presented at IVEC 2020 (http://iveconference.org/2020-conference) and a panel discussion. Each manuscript underwent double-blind review, which was then followed by rigorous editing and revising. Their work represents the amazing diversity that is blossoming in the field of Virtual Exchange (VE) as practitioners, academic administrators, and researchers realise its potential as well as its inevitable challenges. VE research presented in this special issue ranges from the study of the impact of VE on language learning (uptake) (Feng et al.) to a complex, three-way project with a focus on physical and digital accessibility (Oswal et al.). While Bartsch et al. describe their new framework that combines inquiry-based learning with digital storytelling in VE, Ganassin et al. share their findings regarding the underexplored area of staff (administrators and instructors) perceptions of the role of VE in Internationalisation at Home (IaH). In this same vein, Ruther et al. report on their work in an assessment-based approach to VE programme building. Findings from longitudinal studies are also presented, providing evidence that VE research as a discipline is maturing.

COVID-19 impacts on virtual exchange around the world

The COVID-19 pandemic has simultaneously created both opportunities and challenges for the emerging field of virtual exchange: On one hand, institutional administrators and funding organisations saw virtual exchange as the solution to global learning needs while physical travel was restricted and traditional mobility programmes were suspended. On the other hand, instructors felt overwhelmed by transitioning all of their teaching online, and without physical access to their educational institutions, many students and instructors lacked reliable internet connections or safe places to engage in learning, not to mention the financial burdens of the pandemic. This moderated panel discussion which took place during the IVEC 2020 conference invited diverse perspectives to explore the impacts of the pandemic on virtual exchange in various contexts around the world. Central to the discussion were issues of equity, inclusion and justice: Is virtual exchange truly a more accessible and equitable form of global learning, as it is often promoted to be? In this video contribution, Eva Haug moderates the conversation between Maha Bali, Paulo Goes, and Anita Patankar around the following questions. * How is virtual exchange a solution to global learning during COVID-19? * What have been the two to three most relevant impacts of the pandemic on virtual exchange activity at your institution, in your country, or region of the world? * How can we as a field of practitioners maintain and sustain the current momentum and interest in VE in a post-COVID-19 world? * Can intercultural exchange be apolitical? * If an institution is in a position of power or privilege, how can they create space in virtual exchange for institutions that are less represented? The video recording is accessible on: https://vimeo.com/459415071 (CC BY-NC-NC)

Virtual exchange for internationalisation at home in China: staff perspectives

Despite the central role of internationalisation strategies in the agendas of universities all over the world – with BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) emerging as powerful regional stakeholders – very few studies have investigated how internationalisation is interpreted and operationalised in non-Western contexts. We offer an exploration of Internationalisation at Home (IaH) (Robson, Almeida, & Schartner, 2018) in the context of Chinese Higher Education (HE) with a focus on the perceptions of staff. This qualitative study investigates how 15 teachers and administrators understand the practice of Virtual Exchange (VE) within their institution’s IaH agenda. Findings show that participants think that VE could contribute to internationalisation and provide an inclusive way of accessing international and intercultural experiences. VE has the potential to enhance internationalisation and global engagement of Chinese HE Institutions (HEIs). At the same time, its implementation presents challenges that require careful consideration and planning. These include means for establishing partnerships with a mutual understanding of realities, unique power dynamics among learner groups, and techno-political challenges.

Virtual exchange program building: an assessment-based approach

Virtual Exchange (VE) provides a strategic approach for higher education institutions to internationalize. This study investigated how a USA Community College (US-CC) system and their partners started and grew their internationalization program through VE with teacher training, assessment, and support from a nonprofit bridge organization. Data were collected on program growth over three years, 2017-20, totaling 13 modules, 29 faculty, and 14 campuses. Cumulatively, students completed 341 pre-module and 202 post-module surveys which assessed the community colleges’ student learning goals: intercultural competence and awareness of the wider world, confidence in finding success in the global workforce, and ability to deploy 21st century skills (e.g. technology and teamwork). Quantitative and qualitative results provided concrete and nuanced evidence of program effectiveness and suggested positive impact. Our findings have two main implications: (1) positive student impact can help grow and sustain VE and other international programming; and (2) teacher training informed by and adapted with student assessment can help institutionalize VE programs.

Global citizenship cultivation through COIL-PBL model: case study of the Great Debates course

The current global political, economic, and social challenges urge the need to cultivate global citizenship among students in their learning process. This paper presents the role of Collaboration Online International Learning (COIL) using theProject-Based Learning (PBL) approach in cultivating global citizenship among university students. The paper explains the different implementation challenges of a COIL course on the different levels and core design elements of the COIL-PBL model to overcome such challenges. Empirically, this paper presents a primary case study of the Great Debates course that was implemented in different forms by three partner universities, which are the University of Washington Bothell (UWB), the University of North Carolina Asheville (UNCA) in the USA, and the Future University in Egypt (FUE). The implementation showed a positive impact on cultivating global citizenship among participating students, which isclear from developments in students’ skills in the areas of cross-cultural communication and negotiation, cultural sensitivity and tolerance, teamwork and coordination across virtual global teams, analytical skills, and perception toward other cultures and society. Notably, the COIL-PBL model has started to gain further popularity after the COVID-19pandemic as an alternative for physical mobility, which encourages future research in this area using other implemented courses using the COIL-PBL model.

An integrative review of literature: virtual exchange models, learning outcomes, and programmatic insights

This integrative review explores English language publications to determine trends present in Virtual Exchange (VE) research over a span of ten years. The review presents a brief introduction to VE, highlights key scholars in the field, and describes various VE models. In addition, learning outcomes and programmatic insights present in current scholarship are categorized and examined. This review can serve as a helpful tool for practitioners new to VE, as well as for scholars interested in expanding the VE research field.

Inquiry-based learning and digital storytelling in virtual exchange: an approach for reflecting on food consumption in the Global South and Global North

Virtual exchange (VE) in higher education provides an underemployed opportunity for fostering consumer and sustainability competencies. We explore how a crosscultural teaching-learning environment can be designed to encourage students to reflect on a complex global challenge - food consumption patterns - and their role in it. We discuss challenges regarding food consumption as a topic for VE and describe a didactic concept that employs inquiry-based learning and digital storytelling as the framework for student exploration and expression. Initially developed for VE in food studies and nutrition education, the concept can be readily transferred to other disciplines and topics. We present insights from a pilot implementation with 16 food science students from Laos and 26 pre-service teachers from Germany. The analysis of students’ responses from pre- and post-questionnaires and their digital stories suggest that the concept is promising, although some factors require improvement and careful attention, such as technologies and the lingua franca of the learning environment. Findings and lessons learned might inform other projects that similarly seek to address complex global challenges.

Designing virtual team projects with accessibility in mind: an illustrative example of cross‐cultural student collaboration

We report on the results of the second-year study of an interdisciplinary, international collaboration among students and instructors at one European and two US universities. The purpose of the study was to examine whether our changing four pedagogical elements from Year 1 to Year 2 affected the students’ perceptions of learning. The primary purpose of the pedagogical collaboration itself was to involve students in authentic collaborative learning activities intended to support them in developing an understanding of disability and accessibility concepts in a business context. Students in a business English course proposed start-up companies and created business plans for their ventures. Students in an introductory professional writing course designed websites for the planned businesses, while students in a gateway technical communication course served as advisors to the other two classes regarding how to make the proposed businesses and websites accessible to people with disabilities. We collected quantitative and qualitative data through pre- and post-project surveys. These data were supplemented with qualitative data from student interactions, student submissions (work products), video conference meeting minutes, and instructors’ notes. The analysis revealed that students reported increased awareness of disability and openness to finding solutions for accessibility issues.

Reflection on practice: an exploration of a virtual online collaboration as preparation for the year abroad

This paper describes an exploratory online intercultural exchange that took place between two universities, one in Ireland and the other in Germany. Students worked together virtually – across cultures and disciplines – on a project-based task for assessment. Based on an analysis of the reflective learning journals submitted over the course of the semester, there is evidence that a virtual online learning environment may be considered as an effective way of preparing students for a Year Abroad (YA), triggering a path of reflection and (inter-) cultural learning. From insights gained doing this Virtual Exchange (VE), a type of inventory for virtual online collaboration is suggested, which may serve as a task-checklist for future VEs.

Assessing language learning in virtual exchange: suggestions from the field of language assessment

This goal of this paper is to enhance VE practitioners’ language assessment literacy. To do so, it begins with an overview of assessment practices commonly used in VE for evaluating the complex and multifaceted nature of language competence. These include the following: (1) approaches that evaluate change in learners’ language use over time, (2) approaches that employ pre- and posttest to evaluate learning outcomes, and (3) approaches that rely on student self-report or self-documentation of learning. Based on this overview, we then look to the field of language assessment for guidelines on the selection and use of classroom-based and standardized assessment tools and practices. Using an existing VE practice scenario, the authors provide an example of language assessment selection and development.