Search

Virtual Exchange (VE) ist ein Sammelbegriff für eine Vielzahl von Ansätzen und Methoden der Online-Lehre, bei denen Studierende im Rahmen ihrer regulären Ausbildung über längere Zeit mit Partnerinnen und Partnern verschiedener kultureller Hintergründe virtuell kooperieren und interagieren. Dieser Beitrag diskutiert die Unterschiede zwischen VE und den verwandten Konzepten Virtual Mobility (VM) und Blended Mobility (BM). Im Anschluss daran werden die wesentlichen VE-Lernergebnisse für Lehrende und Studierende skizziert. Den Abschluss bildet ein Vorschlag, wie Hochschulen VE in ihren Internationalisierungsprogrammen berücksichtigen und dessen Akzeptanz unter Lehrenden fördern können. Die These lautet dabei, dass VE weder mit physischen Mobilitätsprogrammen konkurriert noch einen "Notbehelf" darstellt, der nur in Zeiten von Pandemie und internationalen Reisebeschränkungen relevant ist. Vielmehr ist VE als Vorbereitung auf eine physische Mobilität oder als Ergänzung dazu zu betrachten, die das hoch schuleigene Angebot an internationalen Lernerfahrungen für Studierende erweitert.

Virtual Exchange (VE) is an umbrella term which refers to the numerous online learning initiatives and methodologies which engage learners in sustained online collaborative learning and interaction with partners from different cultural backgrounds as part of their study programmes. This article reviews the differences between VE and the activities of Virtual Mobility and Blended Mobility. Following that, the main learning outcomes for teachers and students engaged in VE are outlined. The article concludes by proposing how universities can consider the activity within their internationalisation programmes and how they can support its take up among teaching staff. It is argued that VE is not in competition with physical mobility programmes, nor is it an ‘emergency tool’ to be considered only in times of pandemics and limited international travel. Instead, VE should be considered as a preparation for or complement to physical mobility which serves to enhance the range of international learning experiences which an institution offers its students.

Duisburg, Essen, Univ., Diss., 2004 This thesis reports the findings of three qualitative studies which were carried out in EFL classes at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany between 2001 and 2003. All three groups used various combinations of communication technologies such as e-mail, web-based message boards and videoconferencing in order to engage in on-line exchanges with different partner classes in Ireland and the USA. The research was aimed at establishing, firstly, how such virtual intercultural contact can contribute to the development of intercultural communicative competence, and secondly, what skills and knowledge both students and teachers need in order to engage successfully in this complex on-line learning activity. The research revealed that the success of such exchanges often depends on their appropriate integration into the language classroom and that it is necessary to reassess the role of the teacher in telecollaborative exchanges. Beilage: 1 CD-ROM