Trainee teachers’ engagement in initial synchronous virtual exchange interactions

The E-LIVE project (Engaging Languages in Intercultural Virtual Exchange) is a three-year project funded by Erasmus+ Cooperation partnerships in school education (KA220-SCH). In this short paper, we report on two of the project’s initial teacher training actions. Firstly, a training needs analysis conducted via questionnaire and focus groups with 39 in-service L2 teachers from associate partner schools (nine primary and 30 secondary). We report on felt needs and anticipated training needs and three key project actions that the needs analysis informed: teacher voices workshops, expert webinars, and virtual exchange coaching. Secondly, we describe a virtual exchange conducted between trainee teachers enrolled in French, Dutch, and Colombian teacher training institutions. The pedagogical design of the virtual exchange is detailed and two of the final task productions showcased. Post-virtual exchange questionnaire and focus group data allow us to report on the trainee teachers’ perceptions of the virtual exchange activities. The paper concludes with a discussion of how to ensure the success of future virtual exchange initiatives based on the analysis of the questionnaire and focus group data.

Research Objectives In 2022, an intercultural virtual exchange (VE) project between Japanese and Australian primary schools was conducted. Students engaged in activities such as exchanging self-introduction video clips and commenting on counterparts’ clips through Padlet. This study aimed to evaluate teachers’ perspectives on the VE project, uncovering successful aspects and pedagogical issues from the viewpoints of language teachers. The research highlights the transformative potential of technology in promoting intercultural education and underscores the need for teacher collaboration in educational practices. Methodology The study utilized a qualitative approach, conducting semi-structured interviews with two teachers who participated in the intercultural VE project. The interviews focused on the successful aspects and challenges of the project. The collected data were manually analyzed using a comparative analysis approach to identify key themes and pedagogical challenges. Findings The findings revealed several similarities: Both teachers expressed high satisfaction with the project, emphasized the importance of ongoing interactions, acknowledged initial challenges, and found the experience rewarding. Identified issues included difficulties in aligning school schedules, managing the time-consuming video production process, and obtaining parental consent for using VE platforms. Varying levels of ICT proficiency among teachers also hindered smooth operation, highlighting the need for comprehensive planning and technological skills in VE. Research Outcomes The project’s success was attributed to the dedication and collaboration of educators who integrated technology into their teaching, enhancing students’ linguistic skills and cultural appreciation. Despite challenges, the project provided valuable professional development and emphasized the importance of planning and technological skills. Future Scope Future projects should focus on improving schedule coordination, streamlining the video production process, enhancing ICT training for educators, and developing efficient methods for obtaining parental consent. These steps will ensure smoother implementation and maximize the educational benefits of VE.

This study explored how a learning community was formed and evolved among Chinese and American teacher candidates through a virtual exchange (VE) project embedded in teacher education courses, and how the VE project could support candidates to develop globally competent teaching. Data were collected through pre- and post-surveys, Zoom recordings, peer feedback on lesson plans and recorded teaching segments, and final interviews. Findings indicated that the VE project helped form an authentic platform for in-depth discussions around the topics of language teaching and lesson planning. Abundant evidence related to globally competent teaching and limitations are also detailed in the study.

The paper discusses the potential of virtual exchange (VE) to promote the development of Internationalization at Home (IaH) approaches. With that aim, the GAZUFES VE project was undertaken in the COVID-19/post-pandemic scenario between two universities in the Global South: one in Brazil and another one in Turkey. The theoretical framework informing the research is that of VE as a strategy to internationalize higher education and English teacher education. The methodology employed is qualitative, using content analysis to analyze data collected through reflection reports, interviews, journals, and observations produced by the project informants: preservice English teachers, researchers, teacher trainers and international relations office (IRO) staff in the two institutions involved in the GAZUFES project. Results of the analysis suggest that the GAZUFES project made a significant contribution to English Language Teaching (ELT) education and IaH in the contexts researched, not least by raising the awareness at the IRO offices and the two institutions about the potential of VE for IaH approaches. The implementation of the GAZUFES project was a teacher-led innovation in the two institutions involved and more work is required to institutionalize VE projects beyond individual teachers’ efforts. Results are discussed in terms of the challenges and benefits of VE for ELT education in general and IaH in particular through the inclusion of voices and perspectives of different agents in the two institutions (student teachers, researchers, teacher trainers and IRO staff) involved in the GAZUFES project.

Virtual Exchange projects in initial teacher education provide various professional development opportunities for the pre-service teachers. This study explores the reflection-in-action practices of the pre-service teachers in transnational teams while creating collaborative lesson plans in a trilateral Virtual Exchange project. By exclusively focusing on the screen-recordings of the video-mediated interactions of the pre-service teachers using multimodal Conversation Analysis as the research methodology, we display how the pre-service teachers engage in reflection-in-action over a pedagogical tool (i.e., Moodle) provided in the Virtual Exchange Project. We then show how they also use the interactional space afforded by reflection-in-action as a source for proposing a pedagogical design idea for their own collaborative lesson plans in situ. In doing so, the pre-service teachers benefit from the reflective environment provided by the Virtual Exchange to reach collaborative pedagogical decisions as a surface manifestation of their professional development and experiential teacher learning opportunities in-and-through video-mediated interactions.

The traditional model of in-person education is evolving, with distance learning becoming increasingly popular. Virtual Exchange (VE) enhances interest in distance education by adding interactive elements. The University of Helsinki (UHEL) coordinates two EU ERASMUS+ VE projects: “Climate University for Virtual Exchanges” (CLUVEX) and “Una Europa Virtual Exchanges for Sustainability” (UnaVEx), running from 2023 to 2026. These projects address climate change and sustainable development. Additionally, UHEL leads the ClimEd project, which offers online training on climate services, adaptation, and mitigation, incorporating VE elements.CLUVEX and UnaVEx aim to engage up to 5,000 university students (BSc to PostDoc levels) in VEs over three years. CLUVEX integrates Climate University online courses, while UnaVEx builds on Una Europa Micro-Credential in Sustainability and the associated MOOCs. These projects, involving partners from Europe, Neighbourhood East, and Africa, are testing and refining VE as part of distance learning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, ClimEd successfully used VE for remote training with Ukrainian universities, focusing on advanced educational and communication technologies in climate services.Students in CLUVEX and UnaVEx VEs collaborate in international groups to learn about climate change and sustainability. They earn ECTS credits and certificates like the Climate Messenger (CLUVEX) or Sustainability Advocate (UnaVEx). Similarly, ClimEd participants receive training certificates with ECTS credits. Feedback and motivation data are collected to improve the VE approach.Since mid-2023, CLUVEX has developed resources like the Virtual Exchange Guidebook, Climate Literacy Guidebook, and Climate Messenger Code of Conduct, along with climate-related lectures and visualization tools. Six moderator training sessions in 2024 covered topics such as technical skills, MOOCs, soft skills, and CLUVEX handbooks. The first VE Week for students was held on October 14–18, 2024. UnaVEx began preparations in 2024, focusing on VE Week exercises. Moderator training started in late 2024, with the first VE Week scheduled for February and March 2025, featuring an “Introduction to Sustainability” exercise. ClimEd has successfully conducted five of seven planned trainings. The sixth, focusing on MOOC development, is scheduled for February 2025 in Estonia. The seventh, on using climatic information for climate-dependent industries, is planned for April 2025 in Spain.Results from the initial VE Weeks of CLUVEX and UnaVEx will highlight how VEs enhance engagement in distance learning about climate issues. VEs foster skills like remote collaboration, technical proficiency, and teamwork. The ClimEd project’s completed VE-based trainings will also be summarized.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis work was supported by the EU funded Erasmus+ projects: via CLUVEX (No 101111959), via UnaVEx (No101139159), via ClimEd (No 619285-EPP-1-2020-1-FI-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP).

Innovative information technologies and the rapid rate of information updates reveal the need for more effective two-way communication, facilitation of interaction and collaboration, information exchange and flexibility. The article presents a research on cooperation tools in the virtual exchange project between the Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi Hryhorii Skovoroda State Pedagogical University (Ukraine) and the Trakia University (Bulgaria). A brief description of a specialized course in virtual exchanges related to energy efficiency psychology for future entrepreneurs and industrial workers is presented. In addition to covering the subject matter, educational information is designed in such a way that it enables one to acquire and practice ICT skills, in particular, to use various collaboration tools allowing interaction between students and teachers and having implications for learning strategies. The article’s goal is to test software tools that can be used for virtual exchange in higher education institutions at international level, evaluate their attractiveness to students, and determine whether the use of already familiar collaboration tools influences the general impression from virtual exchange. The experimental work involved 12 useful tools for cooperation in the information field. Leaders and outsiders were identified, that is, tools that participants in the virtual exchange preferred outside the exchange process and those that the participants never used. During each week of the virtual exchange course, new tools for teamwork were used. Leaders in terms of satisfaction with the process of virtual exchange were Skype, Zoom, Webex, Google G-suite, Workplace by Facebook, Cliqtalk, Padlet. The study provides a theoretical basis for informing all individuals interested in the virtual exchange about the relationship between specific tools for collaborative work in the process of virtual exchange and their influence on each other. The results will be taken into account for a more in-depth analysis of the tools functionality in the virtual exchange process. It was also important that absolutely new tools for virtual exchange could have a high assessment in terms of satisfaction with the process and its results. This suggests the motivation to learn, especially in the field of cooperation with the help of information technology, which is so appreciated by young people.

Introduction: This study evaluated a Virtual Exchange (VE) project based on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) to connect students and faculty across five universities from the USA, Brazil, Honduras, and Algeria. Methods: A four-week program combined synchronous and asynchronous activities, allowing for flexible, self-selected participation. This paper presents a description of this VE project as well as its outcomes. Results: The project successfully fostered global awareness and collaborative dialogue, filling a gap in participants’ regular studies. Participants valued the global connections through the program. Discussion: The VE project demonstrated the potential of self-determined participation in promoting global connections and collaborative learning. The SDGs created a productive space for authentic dialogue framed within a sense of community. Limitations: This project is limited to the scope of exploring selected relevant SDGs and does not include data from the participants´ interactions for analysis and discussion. Conclusions: The VE proved valuable for international educational exchange, particularly benefiting students with limited access to traditional international programs. Future research should include quantitative analysis and explore adding practical action components linked to SDG implementation to enhance impact.

Background: Intercultural competence is crucial for employability in a globalized workforce. Virtual exchange, which is seen as an innovative educational pedagogy, offers an alternative to physical exchange, thus effectively enhancing intercultural skills. Previous studies on virtual exchange often had mixed results, small samples, and insufficient control groups. This study enriches the literature by empirically examining virtual exchange with control groups and advancing the understanding of its effectiveness in higher education. Methods: This research employs a controlled quasi-experimental design, which involved 192 participants from a university in Hong Kong. A total of 124 students participated in virtual exchange projects as the experimental group, while 68 students comprised the control group. Results: The findings, which were derived from independent sample t-tests and paired sample t-tests, indicate a significant improvement in intercultural competence levels among the virtual exchange group compared with the control group. Furthermore, a significant growth in intercultural competence was observed from preproject to postproject within the experimental group. The enhancement was primarily driven by improvements in self-awareness, exploration, and world orientation. Implications: The present study underscores the benefit of virtual exchange, which is implemented through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), as a valuable tool for fostering intercultural competence in higher education. Despite the study’s limitations, its implications suggest that educators can effectively integrate virtual exchange into curricula to promote internationalization and strengthen students’ intercultural skills.

Virtual Exchange (VE) has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional physical exchange, experiencing exponential growth in recent years to enhance students’ learning outcomes. However, the ways in which VE can effectively and mutually benefit diverse student populations remain unclear. This study introduces a specifically designed VE project utilizing the “Zoom-Sandwiched Cross-Chapter Concept Map” model and investigates its impact on college students enrolled in an introductory-level course in the US and China. The ten-week VE project incorporated both academic and cultural components. While our previous publication focused on the academic component and its benefits on student academic performance, this article emphasizes the cultural component and the integrated nature of the project. Our results demonstrated the effectiveness of this project in promoting students’ career readiness competencies, particularly teamwork and communication skills. Additionally, our comparative data highlighted how this project significantly improved the behavioral dimension of Intercultural Communication Competence (ICC) and influenced career & self-development for Chinese students while fostered leadership skills among US students. The VE project presented in this article provides valuable guidance for integrating VE into curricula across various disciplines, helping to shape future VE initiatives globally.

Virtual exchange (VE) between different English language teaching (ELT) contexts can afford opportunities to develop intercultural communicative competence (ICC) while also offering a window to reflect on different realities in terms of ELT. To this end, two ELT programmes integrated a VE project into their syllabi to provide pre-service teachers with opportunities to experience VE with reflection and development of ICC. The present account aims to describe and reflect on the GAZUFES (Gazi University and UFES University) VE project that involved pre-service teachers, tutors, and teacher trainers in a university in Brazil and another in Türkiye. GAZUFES was in turn part of the large-scale Erasmus+ KA3 Policy Experimentation European Virtual Innovation and Support Networks for Teachers (VALIANT) project. The exchange had some positive outcomes, but the sudden return to in-person classes at the end of the pandemic in the Brazilian university negatively affected the integration of GAZUFES into the Brazilian curriculum and the number of participants from Brazil. Despite the unequal number of students involved in the project, those who participated were very motivated and engaged in reflective and stimulating interactions.

The rise in L2 Virtual Exchange (VE) in recent years encourages more in-service teachers to incorporate such projects into their classroom. The introduction of VE into pre-service teacher-training programmes is also gaining traction wherein student-teachers (STs) can experience VE themselves. This calls for a deeper understanding of task engagement with STs enabling them to reflect on the effectiveness of various task types when designing future VE activities. Reeve et al. (2021) finds that learners who give recommendations for modifying tasks are agentically engaged. One means of verifying task and agentic engagement with STs is via written reflections: Reflection being a critical element of teacher development (Farrell, 2022). Yet, little is known about the relationship between task type, agentic engagement, and reflective practice in pre-service teacher-training programmes. Our findings come from a VE involving Dutch and French STs in Autumn 2022. Our analysis revealed a synchronous comparison and analysis task as most engaging. STs reported task personalisation as a critical element of this engagement. Within VE task design, we recommend that STs design questions for their VE partner to encourage task personalisation. Further, we provide specific prompts for teacher-trainers to use to encourage deeper levels of reflection.

Virtual exchange (VE) projects create environments providing VE participants with L2 development opportunities. This study examines the affordances of VEs with a particular emphasis on how participants find opportunities for developing their interactional competences in video-mediated environments. The data comes from a VE Project organized among three universities based in Germany, Türkiye and Sweden. During the project timeline, the participants worked in teams through weekly meetings. The data comprises screen-recordings of video-mediated team exchange meetings and written final reflection papers. The screen-recorded data was analyzed via longitudinal Conversation Analysis (CA), while the reflection papers were examined to identify potential developmental phenomena. That is, one student claiming to have improved her interactional competence in the final reflection paper was identified as the focal participant. Retrospective tracking of this student’s entire video-mediated interactional history with her team-members during the VE project (8 hours across 3 months) revealed a diversification of her participatory actions over time manifested through changes in her involvement (i.e., becoming increasingly active) in the team interaction. Initially, she participated minimally with embodied or short responses solicited by the others, and remained mostly silent. However, in subsequent team exchanges, she not only displayed unsolicited contributions by elaborating and topic-shifting but also took an active role in the VE team meetings by opening tasks/conversations, sharing her stance towards various task-related proposals, and using mitigated disagreement practices for problem-solving about the collaborative team-product. Using longitudinal CA, this study brings evidence for a VE participant’s interactional competence development in terms of participatory actions during turn-entry moments in video-mediated interaction, through which she became a more active participant in the teamwork. By providing instances to document this change in her participatory actions, the study discusses to what extent VE settings can contribute to a participant’s L2 interactional competence.

This presentation focuses on the Erasmus+ online introductory training course, which aims to introduce university educators and administrative/technical staff to Virtual Exchange (VE). The training, which requires no previous experience with VE, engages the participants in tasks that help them understand the requirements to successfully integrate an Erasmus+ VE project into existing courses and curricula, while gaining experience in digital literacy, including communicating and collaborating online. After a brief presentation of the structure of the four-week course, we will show how the design of the course – based on an experiential learning approach – elicited reflections and discussions on pedagogical and technological issues crucial to successful VE projects. Finally, we will show how forum interactions between teaching and administrative staff helped all the participants understand the pedagogical, technological, and administrative implications of setting up VE projects, and identify the necessary steps to engage the different stakeholders (teachers, administrative and technical staff, top management, and students) within their institutions. The overall evaluation of all training courses was highly positive: respondents reported discovering that the course boosted their confidence in communicating or working in a culturally diverse setting. They also felt that the training helped them develop their intercultural awareness, digital competences, active listening, communication skills, and acquire ideas for new teaching practices.

Virtual exchange projects have become an effective pedagogical method to support students’ development of intercultural language competence. High-immersion experiences in Virtual Reality (VR) may offer an environment which is conducive to developing such competence. This paper reports on a pilot study carried out with two groups of university students (N=30) in the Netherlands and Germany. The students, involved in a virtual exchange using VR headsets, completed three tasks collaboratively. The aim of the study was to investigate participants’ perception regarding (1) their collaboration with foreign peers within the VR setting and (2) the perceived usefulness of the tool. The researchers employed questionnaires and conducted interviews and focus groups. The audio recording transcripts from the VR encounters and students’ reflective journals provide further data to triangulate the results. This pilot study provides first results with regard to virtual exchanges carried out in high-immersion VR.