Virtual exchange

Virtual Exchange is a term used to describe "technology-enabled, sustained, people-to-people education programs"[1] in which sustained communication and interaction takes place between individuals or groups who are geographically separated, with the support of educators and/or facilitators. This type of activity is most often situated in educational programs (but is also found in some youth organizations) in order to increase mutual understanding,[2] global citizenship, digital literacies, and language learning.[3] This activity is also known as telecollaboration,[4] online intercultural exchange,[5] globally networked teaching[6] and learning,[7] collaborative online international learning (COIL).[8][9] In European school contexts, virtual exchange is part of eTwinning,[10] a European Commission initiative. In 2017 the European Commission published a feasibility study into virtual exchange [11] and in 2018 the Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange[12] project was launched.

Groups such as Soliya[13] (Founder Lucas Welch) and the State University of New York's COIL Center use virtual exchange in higher education curricula to connect young people globally with a primary mission to help them grow in their understanding of each other's contexts (society, government, education, religion, environment, gender issues, etc.). Education which aims to integrate awareness and understanding of distant peoples, environmental issues that impact all planetary species, and geopolitical systems as part of the curriculum is sometimes referred to as Global Education.

Online intercultural exchange

Online intercultural exchange is an academic field of study connected to virtual exchange. It "involves instructionally mediated processes...for social interaction between internationally distributed partner classes".[14] This activity has its roots in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and computer-mediated communication. OIE is not restricted to language learning but happens across many educational disciplines where there is a desire to increase the internationalization of teaching and learning.

Developments in communication technologies and the relative ease with which forms of human communication can be technically afforded internationally since the existence of the internet resulted in language teaching experimentation.[15] Connecting individuals, classrooms or groups of students to work together on tasks online involves attempting to arrive at shared understanding through "negotiation of meaning"[16] There is a body of research in the failures and successes of the endeavour which have informed a guide to language teacher practice.[5] A consortium of researchers, the INTENT consortium supported by funding from the European Union promoted awareness of telecollaborative activities in Higher Education and the contribution made to internationalising the student experience, publishing a report[4] and a position paper. The history of the evolution of this field was described by researcher Robert O'Dowd in his keynote to the European Computer-Assisted Language Learning Conference EUROCALL in 2015. Publications reveal learner perceptions of such activity.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Virtual Exchange Coalition". virtualexchangecoalition.org. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  2. ↑ "Studying abroad without leaving the classroom".
  3. ↑ Kern, Richard; Ware, Paige; Warschauer, Mark (2004-03-01). "11. CROSSING FRONTIERS: NEW DIRECTIONS IN ONLINE PEDAGOGY AND RESEARCH". Annual Review of Applied Linguistics. 24: 243–260. doi:10.1017/S0267190504000091. ISSN 1471-6356.
  4. 1 2 Guth, Sarah; Helm, Francesca; O'Dowd, Robert (2014-12-16). "Telecollaborative Foreign Language Networks in European Universities: A Report on Current Attitudes and Practices". Bellaterra Journal of Teaching & Learning Language & Literature. 7 (4): 1–14. doi:10.5565/rev/jtl3.609. ISSN 2013-6196.
  5. 1 2 "Online Intercultural Exchange by Robert O'Dowd - Multilingual Matters | Channel View Publications". www.multilingual-matters.com. Retrieved 2017-04-08.
  6. ↑ Globally networked teaching in the humanities : theories and practices. Moore, Alexandra Schultheis,, Simon, Sunka,. New York. ISBN 9781317625575. OCLC 907374313.
  7. ↑ Starke-Meyerring, D., Duin, A. H., & Palvetzian, T. (2007). Global partnerships: Positioning technical communication programs in the context of globalization. Technical Communication Quarterly, 16(2), 139-174.
  8. ↑ Guth, S. & Rubin, J. (2015). Collaborative online international learning: An emerging format for internationalizing curricula. In Schultheis Moore, A. (Ed.), Simon, S. (Ed.). (2015). Globally Networked Teaching in the Humanities. New York: Routledge. New York: Routledge. ISBN 9781317625575.
  9. ↑ de Wit, Hans (2013-06-20). "COIL – Virtual mobility without commercialisation". University World News.
  10. ↑ European Commission (2016-07-28). "eTwinning".
  11. ↑ "Study on the feasilbity of an Ersmus+ virtual exchange initiative. Final Report" (PDF).
  12. ↑ "Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange | European Youth Portal". europa.eu. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  13. ↑ "Soliya". Soliya. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  14. ↑ "Online Intercultural Exchange: Policy, Pedagogy, Practice (Hardback) - Routledge". Routledge.com. Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  15. ↑ "CALL (computer assisted language learning) | LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies". www.llas.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-04-24.
  16. ↑ Long, M. H. (1996). The role of the linguistic environment in second language acquisition. Handbook of second language acquisition, 2(2), 413-468.
  17. ↑ Lee, Lina; Markey, Alfred (2014-09-01). "A study of learners' perceptions of online intercultural exchange through Web 2.0 technologies". ReCALL. 26 (3): 281–297. doi:10.1017/S0958344014000111. ISSN 0958-3440.
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