Table Of ContentINTERNATIONALISING HIGHER
EDUCATION AND THE ROLE OF
VIRTUAL EXCHANGE
This volume introduces Virtual Exchange (VE) as an innovative form of online
intercultural learning and investigates the myriad of ways VE is being carried
out across universities, ultimately arguing for its integration into university
internationalisation policies and course curricula.
Against the backdrop of increased digitalisation initiatives throughout
universities given the effects of the pandemic, chapters focus not only on providing
new research findings, but also on providing a comprehensive introduction and
argumentation for the use of VE in university education and also in demonstrating
how it can be put into use by both university decision-makers and educators.
Reviewing the limitations of the activity, this timely work also fundamentally posits
how VE and blended mobility more broadly could be developed in future higher
education initiatives.
This book will be of interest to researchers, academics, scholars, and students
involved with Open & Distance Education and eLearning, approaches to
internationalisation in education, and the study of higher education more broadly.
Those interested in innovative methods for teaching and learning, as well as
educational research, will also benefit from this volume.
Robert O’Dowd is Associate Professor in the Department of Modern Languages
at the University of León, Spain.
Routledge Research in Higher Education
Supporting Student and Faculty Wellbeing in Graduate Education
Teaching, Learning, Policy, and Praxis
Snežana Obradović-Ratković, Mirjana Bajovic, Ayse Pinar Sen,
Vera Woloshyn, Michael Savage
Optimising the Third Space in Higher Education
Case Studies of Intercultural and Cross-Boundary Collaboration
Natalia Veles
How Organisational Change Influences Academic Work
The Academic Predicament Model for a Conducive Work Environment
Sureetha De Silva, Donna Pendergast and Christopher Klopper
University Autonomy Decline
Causes, Responses, and Implications for Academic Freedom
Kirsten Roberts Lyer, Ilyas Saliba and Janika Spannagel
The Experience of Examining the PhD
An International Comparative Study of Processes and Standards of Doctoral
Examination
Edited by Michael Byram and Maria Stoicheva
Internationalising Higher Education and the Role of Virtual Exchange
Robert O’Dowd
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/Routledge-
Research-in-Higher-Education/book-series/RRHE
INTERNATIONALISING
HIGHER EDUCATION
AND THE ROLE OF
VIRTUAL EXCHANGE
Robert O’Dowd
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First published 2023
by Routledge
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© 2023 Robert O’Dowd
The right of Robert O’Dowd to be identified as author of this work has
been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: O’Dowd, Robert, 1972– author.
Title: Internationalising higher education and the role of virtual exchange /
Robert O’Dowd.
Other titles: Internationalizing higher education and the role of virtual
exchange
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2023. |
Series: Routledge research in higher education | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022035098 (print) | LCCN 2022035099 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781138228061 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032419213 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781315393704 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Virtual exchange (Education) | Education,
Higher—Effect of technological innovations on. | International
education. | Multicultural education. | Education and globalization.
Classification: LCC LB2375 .O33 2023 (print) | LCC LB2375 (ebook) |
DDC 378/.0162—dc23/eng/20221028
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022035098
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022035099
ISBN: 978-1-138-22806-1 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-41921-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-39370-4 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781315393704
Typeset in Bembo
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
This book is dedicated to the memory of my parents, my brother
Des O’Dowd and my sister Anne Clinch.
It is also dedicated to my beautiful family in Spain—Susana,
Marta, Tristan and Olivia.
CONTENTS
Preface x
Acknowledgements xii
1 Introduction 1
COVID-19 and an opportunity for change in international
education 1
Who is this book for? 4
How the book is organised 5
Bibliography 6
2 Definitions and origins of Virtual Exchange 8
Issues of terminology 8
What is Virtual Exchange? 10
What is virtual mobility? 13
What is blended mobility? 18
What is the process of internationalisation in higher
education? 22
The origins and growth of Virtual Exchange 22
Theoretical underpinnings of Virtual Exchange 27
Conclusion 32
Bibliography 33
3 University internationalisation and developing
global citizenship 38
Introduction 38
Internationalising university education 38
viii Contents
Implementing internationalisation 41
Internationalisation at Home and Internationalisation of the
Curriculum 43
The role of Virtual Exchange in university
internationalisation 45
Global citizenship as an outcome of international education 48
Conclusion 64
Bibliography 64
4 An overview of approaches to Virtual Exchange 69
Introduction 69
Class to class Virtual Exchange 71
Class to world Virtual Exchange 85
Externalised models of Virtual Exchange 87
Combining Virtual Exchange and physical mobility 91
Conclusion 94
Bibliography 96
5 Impact and learning outcomes of Virtual Exchange 102
Introduction 102
Learning from Virtual Exchange 105
What factors are key to learning in Virtual Exchange? 109
Limitations in Virtual Exchange research 112
Conclusion 113
Bibliography 114
6 Towards an effective methodology of Virtual Exchange 117
Introduction 117
Integrate Virtual Exchange and blended mobility into the
curriculum 118
Develop rich intercultural learning opportunities 119
Integrate reflection with interaction 122
An equilibrium in communication modes 123
Support students’ foreign language needs 125
Conclusion 126
Bibliography 126
7 The role of international offices in Virtual Exchange 129
Introduction 129
Integrate VE with the institutional strategy for
internationalisation 132
Establishing working groups for VE and blended mobility 133
Contents ix
Explain the concept of VE to local teaching faculty 134
Identify and/or establish networks for partner finding 134
Link VE with teacher promotion and recognition of
innovation 135
Conclusion 136
Bibliography 136
8 Looking to the future of Virtual Exchange in university
education 138
Introduction 138
Guiding principles moving forward 139
Limitations to Virtual Exchange 142
Next steps 144
Conclusion 146
Bibliography 146
Index 148
