Virtual Exchange: What?

Virtual Exchange (VE) and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) are interchangeable. They denote a teaching method in which lecturers and students from different countries come together to learn, discuss and collaborate as part of their course unit. The lecturers team up to design collaborative online teaching activities, while the students are responsible for bringing these activities to a successful conclusion. Virtual Exchange adds to internationalisation@home, offering every student a valuable international experience at their home institution. Students can acquire international and intercultural competencies in an online environment.  Virtual Exchange can be a partnership of two or more institutions.

A Virtual Exchange...

• can be set up in every discipline but can also be interdisciplinary;
• can be part of a course unit or can take up an entire course unit;
• can take up a few weeks or even an entire term; 
• promotes active learning and collaboration on project-based assignments
• highlights intercultural interaction and understanding;
• can rely on various digital tools that support the learning objectives;
• is assessed in each participating course unit (lecturers retain responsibility for ‘their’ students, who receive credits from their home institution).

GENIALLY

Setting up Virtual Exchange: How?

Virtual Exchange can have many different guises. Regardless of the shape or form, it always requires a well-considered design and adaptation of your (existing) course unit.  The figure below can assist you in setting up a successful Virtual Exchange experience.  Many aspects will need to be considered/decided upon together with the partner institution(s). Click on the elements for more information.

GENIALLY

Ghent University Practices

• International Case-based Teaching: Instructive for Students and Lecturers
• I@Home: Simulation of an International Negotiation Exercise
• Reflecting with International Peers: Acquiring International and Intercultural Competencies @Home

Need Help?

Lecturers and study programmes can contact the University Services for Education and Research. We will help you explore the possibilities, find partners and funding opportunities for designing your course units, and navigate the red tape. We can help you with the following topics:

• Orientation: does virtual exchange suit our context?
• Partners: which ENLIGHT partner is eligible for collaboration?
• Funding: what are the funding opportunities for visiting a partner institution? What are the modalities for external funding, e.g. the Erasmus+ programme?
• Administration: what does the admission procedure for students look like?
• Teaching: how can you teach effectively in an online international classroom? How can you keep students motivated during synchronous and asynchronous teaching activities and throughout the learning pathway?
• Assessment: what are the assessment options in Virtual Exchange?

Contact our colleagues at onderwijsondersteuning@ugent.be and they will assist you.

 

Download a PDF copy of this Education Tip here.

 

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