Harper College
International Education

Virtual Exchange

Welcome to the Virtual Exchange program webpage at Harper College, where the possibilities of global education and the digital age converge. Embark on a transformative journey as we introduce you to our innovative approach to international learning. Whether you're a Harper College student seeking new horizons or an international student craving a dynamic educational experience, our virtual exchange program offers a gateway to boundless opportunities. 

But what is “virtual exchange,” you might ask?

Virtual Exchange (VE) leverages existing technologies to create classroom-to-classroom programs that connect students located in different geographical locations to develop subject expertise and experience through interactive engagement and collaborative learning.

It involves team-teaching across two or more cultures using online communication tools and can take a number of different forms, including single or multiple meetings between students, faculty, professionals, and even community members in synchronous or asynchronous settings.

This sounds familiar. Have I heard about this before?

Probably: VE is also known by a variety of other names, such as collaborative online international learning or COIL, telecollaboration, e-tandem learning, remote interactive globally-infused learning, globally-networked learning.

Alright, but what’s the advantage?

When done intentionally, VE creates a space for more deliberative engagement through substantive and engaging learning experiences where students from different cultures work together, and our students are building meaningful relationships and deep understanding across national, cultural, religious, and ideological boundaries. We have seen this intercultural paradigm nurture and develop in our students the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to successfully interact and engage in dialogue with diverse others.

VE is the great equalizer!

Too often, the opportunity to connect with peers in other countries is limited to those with the time and means to travel abroad. Virtual intercultural exchange makes it possible for anyone, including young people in low income communities, in rural areas, and students with unique challenges, to have meaningful international exchange experiences at low or no cost to them. VE allows anyone anywhere to gain global perspectives and connections.

So, are you interested in learning about how you can achieve these same outcomes too?

Reach out to us using this form: we’d love to chat with you about how you might incorporate VE in your courses!

In the meantime, here are some additional resources to explore:

This program brings together groups of students from the US, Jordan and Iraq through a five-week experience consisting of five binational calls. During the calls, students will practice cross cultural communication and learn about each other's culture as they engage in a series of conversations to practice the process of design thinking in order to discuss global issues in their community.

If you are looking for a light touch, low effort cross cultural virtual exchange experience for your students, this program is for you! The Conversations experience will be weekly during the month of March 2021 and consists of:

      • Five Zoom Calls. There are only five binational calls, with minimal work required outside of the calls.
      • Binational Groups. Instead of a binational team, students connect in groups from the US, Iraq and Jordan.
      • Only Zoom. Zoom is the only platform needed to facilitate this experience.

Click here for more information

Click here for student information on the current IREX program.

Through the Mexican Association for the Internationalization of the Curriculum (AMPEI), PIC-AMERICAS offers key services to higher education institutions in the Americas so they can develop and consolidate their COIL-based institutional program for the internationalization of their curricula. It aims to significantly contribute to building and developing human capital by offering comprehensive training opportunities to current and future generations of the Americas, preparing them to tackle modern, global, and complex political, economic, environmental, and social challenges.

PIC-AMERICAS offers:

  • networking support to identify potential teaching partners,
  • COIL Design faculty training workshops on the fundamentals of the COIL methodology, as well as training and advice for the design of the COIL component
  • mentoring/coaching during the implementation of the COIL component, by leading mentors who are experts in COIL.
  • training for COIL coordinators to strengthen institutional capacities to consolidate the program.

Here are some PIC-AMERICAS opportunities this spring:

Academic Speed Dating Sessions: January 15, February 12, March 12, April 9, May 7, and June 11. All sessions will be held on Wednesdays from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm (Mexico City time). The Academic Speed Dating event is an opportunity for you to meet potential COIL teaching partners. It is the first step towards meeting colleagues from the American continent and participating in the program.

Register here: https://forms.gle/rLYxXDoU2kLxaSW6A

COIL Design Workshops (4 weeks): The introductory session takes place the first session to explain the working methodology in the educational platform. The last session, teaching teams must present the final design of their COIL component. Attendance is mandatory for all sessions. During all the workshop, participants will be in close communication with their instructor.

Workshop in English: January 24 to February 14, 2025

Workshop in Spanish: March 7 to March 28, 2025

Register here: https://forms.gle/vgzn3cNtNchrrpd9A

List of Mexican professors searching partners for teaching COIL courses in 2025!

Soliya is a non-profit company that helps to facilitate dialogue between students from different areas of the globe. Their Connect program brings together colleges students from the US, Europe, and the Middle East and from various disciplines to explore relationships between the West and Muslim majority countries. Students are placed into small groups of 8-10 and guided through either an 8-week, 5-week, or 4-week program by trained facilitators. For more information about these programs, click here.

Gazelle International's CLICK System is a series of professional development workshops (Explore--Connect--Design) that aim to train faculty in establishing virtual exchange programs in their courses. The Explore workshops are aimed towards faculty who want to explore virtual exchange options, and helps to provide more information about what virtual exchange is and how to engage in cross-cultural dialogue. The Connect workshops are designed for faculty who are ready to be matched with partner faculty abroad and gives an opportunity to meet an interact with these counterparts. The Design workshops occur after partners have been matched and partnering faculty use backwards design to develop their learning plans and rubrics. For more information about these programs, click here

Our esteemed colleague, Kathleen Reynolds, Associate Professor of ESL and Linguistics published an OER guide for faculty who are interested in developing a virtual exchange program in their courses. This guide provides an overview of virtual exchange, program options, VE activities, and considerations when designing your own virtual exchange program. You can access the guide here.

For program information, registration information, or if interested in another virtual exchange opportunity contact internationaled@harpercollege.edu

Last Updated: 1/14/25