How to integrate virtual exchange into your course

Introduction

Do you see your own students collaborating with students from another country within your subject? To offer them a learning experience with students and teachers from a different environment/culture? To achieve this without students going on a physical exchange, Virtual Exchange (VE) can be used. Via VE, students work together on tasks online and in this way develop competences such as collaboration and intercultural communication in addition to professional knowledge. Through VE, ALL students have the opportunity for an international experience and are not hindered by mobility challenges. In addition, VE offers students an interesting different perspective on the content of the course. Examples include exploring health care in both countries or discovering perspectives on behavioral problems or mental disorders.

In this MicroLab you will work on the integration of VE in your course. This MicroLab has been developed in close collaboration with UNIC, a European alliance of eight universities in post-industrial cities in Europe that are committed to stimulating mobility and inclusion with a view to social impact.

Target group

The MicroLab is designed for teachers who see opportunities to integrate VE into their course based on their instructional design. Teachers can sign up for the MicroLab with their partner colleague from one of the other universities connected to UNIC, so they can work together on their course, but teachers who have not yet found a partner are also welcome to participate in the MicroLab.

Content, form and time investment

The MicroLab is in a blended setup, which means that you will prepare online and then attend an online workshop session. Before you can attend the workshop, we ask you to prepare and upload assignments in the online Canvas module (preparation time takes approx. 3 hours). In the preparation, you will be introduced to the concept of Virtual Exchange. You think about your own educational design and the opportunities you see to integrate VE.

The workshop session itself takes 4 hours. In this session you get to work with your own educational design, and there is room to exchange ideas with the other participants/your partner and to share experiences with other teachers. The workshop for this MicroLab will take place online so that other international colleagues are invited to participate.

Earn an Edubadge

You finish the MicroLab with a Proof of Competence. You will then receive an Edubadge. This is a digital, visual certificate which you can share on e.g. LinkedIn. Interested parties can immediately click on the certificate to find out what you have done to achieve the EduBadge.