Abstract
This chapter will review the responses of a group of Spanish undergraduate students who participated in an intercultural online exchange in the area of English as a foreign language (EFL) literature. The main objectives in this international online collaboration have been to enhance cross-cultural understanding, build skills in the field of English-language literary analysis, and foster the use of English for academic purposes. Data collected from the students' opinion polls will be analyzed, the students' pre-conceptions will be explored, along with their final feedback from the overall experience. Findings suggest that this project has proved beneficial for the participants, as it has offered a meaningful way to develop intercultural competence in the English literature classroom while promoting intercultural awareness.
TopIntroduction
The objective of the present study is to analyze the effects of a collaborative virtual exchange project which involved undergraduate Spanish students enrolled in the BA in English Studies at Rovira i Virgili University (URV), Tarragona, Spain realized in the academic year 2020-21. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire interaction with the students was held online, in synchronous and asynchronous sessions. In this international virtual exchange project, students from URV and SUNY New Paltz (New York, USA) worked together to analyze and interpret literary texts (American short stories) written by women authors in the English language dealing with a variety of social topics, such as mental illness, post-partum depression, motherhood, gender expression, teenage suicide, and sex work. The main objectives in this international online collaboration were to enhance cross-cultural understanding, build skills in the field of English-language literary analysis, and foster the use of English for academic purposes.
This chapter intends to review the responses of the Spanish participants by the data collected through the students’ opinion polls (pre and post project surveys). Students’ pre-conceptions will be explored, along with their final feedback from the overall experience. Thus, the main research questions that this chapter try to address are the following:
RQ1: Was this virtual exchange module beneficial to students in terms of enhancing their intercultural awareness and developing their cross-cultural communicative skills?
RQ2: How did the students perceive the experience?
RQ3: What were the main challenges the students had to face during the project?
The first section of this paper describes the theoretical context of the study by focusing on Virtual Exchange and Intercultural Competence. Then, the methodology and empirical study are presented, which contain the virtual exchange project description and information about the participants, the data collection process, and the methods of analysis. This is followed by a section dedicated to the results and findings of the study. Finally, the concluding remarks wrap up the chapter and provide the implications as well as the limitations of the study.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Coil: Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is an instructional approach aimed at cultivating intercultural competence through shared multicultural learning settings. It leverages digital tools and innovative online teaching strategies to facilitate meaningful interactions among university-level educators and students who are geographically separated and hail from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. COIL emphasizes the educational applications of emerging technologies, such as specialized software for video conferencing, voice or video recording, and collaborative editing of documents and texts.
Internationalization at Home: The concept of internationalization at home entails fostering a multicultural learning environment through teacher and student collaboration, while incorporating course content into a shared curriculum. It aims to provide an international learning experience for all students on campus, not just those participating in mobility programs abroad. In addition to the formal aspects of the shared curriculum, students can also benefit from the opportunity to work with peers from other institutions.
Education for Sustainability: Sustainability education works for the integration of multiple sustainability frameworks to engage the environmental, social, and economic aspects of working towards a lasting and equitable future for our planet and its inhabitants. The UN turned to universities around the globe as locations where progress towards greater equality and therefore increased peace and shared prosperity can be envisioned, rigorously engineered, and brought into being. Students, teachers, and staff can be empowered to understand systemic problems and use regional and international partnerships to work for change. The United Nations has developed a UN SDG Partnership Guidebook and teaching resources designed to help students explore each of the 17 SDGs more comprehensively.
Intercultural Competence: Intercultural Competence (IC) denotes the proficiency to communicate and collaborate effectively with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, either domestically or internationally. Given the present-day globalized milieu, intercultural competence has emerged as an indispensable set of competencies in educational and occupational domains, both in virtual and face-to-face settings. Moreover, the ability to engage in productive interactions with individuals from distinct cultural milieus constitutes a valuable communication skill that aids in teamwork and conflict resolution.
Virtual Exchange: Virtual exchange refers to the variety of online collaborative learning practices that enable students to engage with partners from diverse cultural backgrounds. Incorporating virtual exchange programs into educational curricula is an effective means of introducing intercultural interactions into classroom instruction, using appropriate digital tools to enhance students' learning experiences. This practice is also referred to as telecollaboration, computer-mediated communication, global learning, or online intercultural exchanges (OIE).
Digital Competence: Digital Competence (DC) involves the proficient and discerning use of digital technologies for information, communication, and basic problem-solving across all areas of life. It encompasses a combination of abilities, knowledge, and attitudes related to the use of new technologies. DC is a critical 21st century skillset. In academic settings, leveraging digital technologies can significantly enhance the teaching and learning experience, particularly in online methodologies.
Sustainable Development Goals: The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) are a set of 17 interlinked global goals designed to promote peace and prosperity for people and our planet. The SDGS are an urgent call for action by all countries in a global partnership. The 2010 Agenda for Sustainable Development stresses that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequalities, and facilitate economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve the oceans and forests. The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by 2030. The SDGs result from decades of work by countries and the UN, including the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.