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Virtual Exchanges: A New Pedagogical Model for the Post-COVID Era?

John D. Branch 1 and David A. Wernick 2
1. University of Michigan, Ross School of Business, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
2. Florida International University, College of Business Miami, Florida, USA

Abstract—Virtual exchanges are an emerging form of collaborative learning in which students from different countries connect and share knowledge via technology. We created a novel virtual exchange, Business & Culture, to connect students at institutions in the USA, Egypt, Lebanon, and Libya. The focus of the Business & Culture virtual exchange was on teaching cross-cultural competence, a key skill in today’s increasingly globalized workplace. This paper will explore the design and implementation of this innovative virtual exchange program. We will enumerate the challenges of incorporating the needs and resources of four different institutions, discuss the benefits of the virtual exchanges to both students and instructors, and suggest future adaptations for enhancing the initiative's effectiveness.

Index Terms—globalization, global mindset, cross-cultural competence, pedagogy, educational exchange, virtual exchange

Cite: John D. Branch and David A. Wernick, "Virtual Exchanges: A New Pedagogical Model for the Post-COVID Era?" International Journal of Learning and Teaching, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 195-199, September 2022. doi: 10.18178/ijlt.8.3.195-199

Copyright © 2022 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided that the article is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.