The COVID-19 pandemic has left the future of study abroad programs uncertain. Thus, the purpose of this Discovery Session is to explore how Virtual Exchange (VE) programs can help fill this temporary gap. We intend to introduce various models of VE, while discussing benefits and best practices for implementation.
Research indicates that study abroad programs provide a gateway for students to expand their world view and become more open minded and accepting of others (Cushner, 2009; Salisbury, An, & Pascarella, 2013; Slotkin, Durie, & Eisenberg, 2012; Varela 2017; Walters, Garii, & Walters, 2009). But how can higher education institutions facilitate such intercultural growth opportunities for students as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. Some higher education institutions are already offering Virtual Exchange (VE) programs to mitigate access to study abroad programs for students of multiple-marginalized identities, but for others Virtual Exchange is a completely new modality. Virtual Exchange offers global experiences facilitated through the Internet as an alternative to study abroad (O’Dowd, 2018; Ruiz-Corbella, 2014; Rubin, 2016, 2017). This technology-enabled learning serves as a virtual study abroad that is embedded within an on-campus course. VE is facilitated through continuous communication and interaction between the U.S. faculty and their international counterparts at the partner institution (Akbaba & Baskan, 2017; Custer & Tuominen, 2016; Li, 2012; Rubin, 2016, 2017). VE courses allow students to engage in academic discussions, collaborative projects, and joint lectures coordinated by the local faculty and their international counterparts (Barbier & Benjamin, 2019; Guadamillas Gomez, 2017; O’Dowd, 2018, 2019; Rubin, 2016, 2017). Considering the current world-wide COVID-19 crisis, this model of global learning has potential for exponential growth as educational systems throughout the globe are making the sudden shift to online learning and study abroad programs shutter mid-semester and will probably have to make significant changes before reopening. Thus, the purpose of this Discovery Session is to explore how Virtual Exchange programs can help fill this temporary gap. During the Discovery Session we intend to introduce various models of VE, while discussing benefits and best practices for implementation.
It is important for Higher Education Institutions to find a way to offer international interactions and global competency learning to their students despite the limitations the pandemic has created. According to the American Association of Colleges and Universities, Global/Diversity Learning is one of eleven High Impact Educational Practices found to increase student engagement and retention (Kuh, O'Donnell, & Reed, 2013). Thus, it continues to be essential for universities and colleges to find a way to offer global opportunities to students in an attempt to engage and to retain them, as well as to prepare them for employment in the competitive global market. In fact, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) indicates that Multi-Cultural Fluency is one of the top eight competencies that employers are currently seeking (NACE, 2019). The benefits of study abroad are clear on both retention and engagement of college students and employability. Before the COVID-19 pandemic Higher Education institutions were already struggling to ensure that all students have the opportunity to gain global and multicultural competencies during their time in college (Abrahamse, et al., 2015; Reysen & Katzarska-Miller, 2013; Reysen, Larey, & Katzarska-Miller, 2012, Rubin, 2017). Rubin (2017) states that less than 10% of university students in the United States and Western Europe are able to partake in experiences abroad (including short-term programs and travel). These numbers are significantly lower when looking at students at U.S. based community colleges and non-western world (Rubin, 2017). Because the ability to study and travel abroad often is only afforded to those students with financial means and the physical ability and freedom to travel abroad for extended periods of time, a large portion of the college population is denied access to these experiences (Lorz, Netz, & Quast, 2016). This furthers the marginalization of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, students with different abilities, students with dependents, undocumented students and students who must maintain employment in order to support themselves. These students continue to lack access to global experiences which would allow them to gain the global/multicultural fluency that employers seek in today’s competing job market.
As the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic and study abroad programs continue to be canceled, Virtual Exchange can play an important role in providing at least a short-term solution for students to engage with peers from around the globe. In the long term, VE has the potential to server as a more affordable and accessible model of study abroad providing access to intercultural learning opportunities for an often overlooked and underserved population of marginalized students. Mezirow’s (1978) Transformative Learning Theory often used to frame VE research, dictates that adults have the potential to experience a profound paradigm shift in thought, feelings and actions, and a shift of consciousness which drastically and permanently changes their way of being. VE presents great potential for leveling the field by providing access to a virtual model of study abroad that has the ability to foster transformative learning opportunities to a large group of students who have been excluded due to financial means, physical ability or freedom to travel abroad for extended periods of time (Lorz, Netz, & Quast, 2016). During the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, and probably for some time after, VE has the potential to serve as a safe substitute for study abroad programs. Thus, it is essential for Higher Education Intuitions to become well versed in the models of VE and best practices for implementation as well as for VE research to continue to provide more insights about this new modality of global learning.
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