Virtual Exchanges, or Collaborative Online International Learning (COILs), can be used in teaching to bring together students who are geographically separated and\/or from different cultural backgrounds with the aim of enhancing the students\u2019 learning experience. Students will, in fact, collaborate across cultures to complete set learning activities on shared subjects: this increases their understanding of the studied materials, whilst contributing to the development\u00a0of a global citizenship mindset.<\/p>\n
In June, the Centre for Learning & Teaching hosted a guest lecture from Virtual Exchange pioneer Dr Robert O\u2019Dowd, followed by discussions with staff and students in the University\u2019s Foreign Languages Centre and School of Management, Princess Sumaya University for Technology, Amman, and Stellenbosch University. All have led different forms of virtual exchanges. A recording of this event can be viewed here.<\/a> In a series of videos, members of staff involved in virtual exchanges also explain their experiences of running such initiatives.<\/p>\n Kostas Iatridis, School of Management, UoB<\/a><\/p>\n Isabella Stefanutti, Foreign Languages Centre, UoB<\/a><\/p>\n Ayman Yasin, Princess Sumiya University of Technology, Jordan<\/a><\/p>\n