Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications
A Virtual Educational Exchange: A North–South Virtually Shared Class on Sustainable Development
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2015
Volume
19
Issue
2
Journal
Journal of Studies in International Education
First Page
140
URL with Digital Object Identifier
10.1177/1028315314540474
Last Page
159
Abstract
Increasingly, international competence is considered an important skill to be acquired from an undergraduate education. Because international exchange presents a challenge to many students, there is a need to develop and implement alternative means for incorporating international and cross-cultural experiences into the undergraduate classroom. We report on the implementation of a semester-long, virtually shared course offering between a U.S. and a Bolivian university. As STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors tend to be under-represented in study-abroad programs, this class sought to provide a multidisciplinary experience that could be relevant to both hard and social science majors. Furthermore, the relevance and learning impact of this class was enhanced through the incorporation of a service-learning component in conjunction with a rural Bolivian partner organization. The results of this experience show that virtually shared classroom experiences can successfully facilitate international experiences for undergraduate students.