Virtual Exchange Training

The Spring 2025 Virtual Exchange Training application is now open

APPLY HERE

This training program helps faculty design and incorporate virtual international content and communication activities into existing courses. Through virtual exchange, faculty can connect their UF classes with students and faculty abroad to collaborate on assignments, acquire global perspectives on a given discipline, and develop intercultural competence skills.

If you would like to learn more about the Virtual Exchange Training, please register for one of our upcoming information sessions:

See Information Sessions

 

Virtual Exchange Training Details

Please see the table below for more information on what will be covered in the training. Please click here to view the Spring 2025 syllabus.

Training Content

Module 1
Introduction to Virtual Exchange
  • Types of virtual exchanges.
  • Common challenges implementing virtual exchanges
  • Using Zoom to attend and participate in an online synchronous session

Module 2
Navigating Intercultural Collaborations
  • Scheduling synchronous sessions while accounting for time zones
  • Creating strategies to encourage students to examine and develop their intercultural competency 
  • Identify resources to find a VE partner and traits that make two partners compatible

Module 3
Designing a Virtual Exchange: Task Design
  • Develop a Virtual Exchange outline using course design principles
  • Applying telecollaborative task design theory to virtual exchange using the typology of 12 different types of tasks and task sequences identified by O’Dowd and Waire.
  • Recognizing the elements of measurable student learning objectives

Module 4
Utilizing Technology Effectively
  • List of tools to enhance virtual exchange
  • Analyzing technological needs
  • Self-assessing readiness to use new technology

Module 5
Implementing VE at UF:  Final Projects
  • Developing a virtual exchange lesson plan
  • Presenting a virtual exchange project targeting a specific audience (e.g. students, potential partners, colleagues, administrators).  
  • Identifying  procedures and requirements for implementing virtual exchange at the University of Florida.
  • Identifying resources and services at UF that will assist in the development of virtual exchanges.

Eligibility:

  • Faculty and staff with educational responsibilities

Mode:

  • Online training with some synchronous sessions. Training takes 1.5 hours per week of independent work plus 1.5 hours of synchronous online interaction with facilitators, other course participants, and/or international partners. 

Deliverable:

  • Proposal for a virtual exchange module to be implemented within 2 semesters

Award:

  • All participants will receive a digital badge upon completion of the program. UF Faculty will receive $500 in professional development funds pending budgetary approval. This training counts for 500 miles toward the Global Teaching and Learning Certificate. 

Duration:

  • 15-hour online training, taking place over six weeks

Important Dates:

  • Application Deadline: Sunday, October 13, 2024
  • Course Orientation: February 10-14, 2025
  • Program Dates: February 17 – March 28, 2025

Requirements:

  • Complete the Virtual Exchange Training Application Form.
  • An international partner is strongly recommended but not required. Assistance finding a partner is available through the course organizers. Please contact Carrie Martins at cmartins@ufic.ufl.edu as early as possible if you would like help finding a partner.

Questions:

Office of Global Learning, Carrie Martins – cmartins@ufic.ufl.edu