Virtual Exchange

What is it and why should I do it?

Virtual Exchange (VE) is an online alternative to international travel. 

Participants take part in online people-to-people activities through which they are immersed in the culture of another country. They work collaboratively with people who are geographically distant and culturally different to themselves, developing intercultural skills.

VEs most commonly take place in education settings - schools, colleges and universities - where small groups of students are guided through collaborative activities by a trained facilitator. 

There are many benefits associated with VE, including:

GLOBAL NETWORKS

Developing mutual understanding between citizens of different countries.

DIGITAL COMPETENCE

The confidence and skills required to creatively and critically use digital technologies.

INTERCULTURAL SKILLS

The ability to live and work in diverse cultural contexts.

Types of VE

VE refers to a set of practices rather than one specific model which can be applied in any given situation. In addition, every exchange project has its own characteristics and dynamics. One common element, however, is that students from different geographical regions and/or cultural backgrounds work together online on tasks with the support of educators or facilitators.


Introduction to VE in education

VE Guidance

Browse these articles for guidance on planning and facilitating your own Virtual Exchange. They are organised into 3 categories:

More information about VE to help you decide if you want to give it a try


Guidance and tools to help you find a partner and work with them on creating an effective VE project
Information to help you support your participants during the project
Reading Time: 2 minutes Virtual Exchange is an umbrella term used to describe any online, international, people-to-people collaboration. Therefore, it […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes There are many reasons why Virtual Exchange is a valuable practice for participants. These include: An […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes There are really only two things you need to run a successful VE project: As you […]
Reading Time: 9 minutes Getting to know one another Your relationship with your partner – and your ability to work […]
Reading Time: < 1 minute When it comes to VE, the main aim is to develop participants’ intercultural competence. That is, […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Developing intercultural competence is the primary aim of Virtual Exchange, but what is it? lntercultural competence […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes There are so many applications out there to support you in collaborating online. Below is a […]
Reading Time: < 1 minute Virtual Exchange is intended to be an educational approach that guides learners to develop intercultural competencies […]
Reading Time: < 1 minute No matter what your topic or the shape of your project, one of your very first […]
Reading Time: 2 minutes This page contains links to more information about Virtual Exchange, including facilitator guides, handbooks and training […]