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A

Assessing Virtual Exchange at Scale: Insights from a Japanese University’s First-Year Program

This showcase highlights how a university in northern Japan integrates the IVEProject, a large-scale virtual exchange that hosts two eight-week sessions annually, involving over 5,000 students from 20 countries in its most recent October–November 2025 exchange. Initially introduced in select classes in 2017, the project has been implemented across all first-year Communication courses, encompassing approximately 250 students taught by four instructors, since 2020. While a range of students exist in these courses, the average student possesses CEFR A2 levels of English and has little to no prior experience using English to communicate with international peers. As the IVEProject has evolved, the instructor’s assessment strategies have adapted to better leverage the affordances offered while also accommodating the constraints of limited instructor time. This presentation explores how the instructors provide balanced, data-informed feedback to students each week. It also addresses challenges such as students attempting to “game” the system by submitting duplicate posts, as well as presents how assessment is designed to foster meaningful discussions and deepen engagement with international peers. The session concludes with an open discussion, inviting participants to share their diverse perspectives on assessment in virtual exchange.

C

Can asynchronous virtual exchanges increase willingness to communicate in low proficiency language learners?

This presentation introduces an ongoing pilot study exploring the impact of the IVE Project on Japanese students’ willingness to communicate (WTC) and related affective factors, including motivation, anxiety, grit, self-confidence, and speaking self-efficacy. Participants are divided into three groups: asynchronous VE participants, asynchronous plus synchronous video call participants, and a control group with no VE exposure. The presentation outlines the study’s methodology and invites collaboration for a larger international study planned for 2026 on the IVE platform. Intercultural communication competence (ICC) develops most effectively when students actively engage in interaction with one another. However, students with a low WTC and those with limited speaking proficiency in the target language often struggle to engage in meaningful interactions. Previous research has shown positive correlations between synchronous virtual exchanges and increased WTC (Rahimi & Fathi, 2022; Remmerswaal et al., 2025; Zhou, 2023). Notably, Remmerswaal & Metituk (2025) found that even a brief VE, riddled with technical issues during the video call, led to statistically significant gains in perceived communication competence and reduced anxiety. These findings suggest that asynchronous VE activities may also promote WTC, particularly among students with limited opportunities to interact with international peers.

Correlations of Social Presence in Intercultural Virtual Exchange Projects: The Case of IVEProject

The current study focuses on the social aspect of Virtual Exchange, examining social presence (SP) within the IVEProject (Intercultural Virtual Exchange Project) which took place from October to November 2024. The research employs the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework for online learning, which consists of three main elements, or “presences” online: social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence (Garrison, 2016). The study focuses specifically on SP, the degree to which participants in a collaborative online learning community feel socially and emotionally connected to one another during the learning process. SP has been shown to facilitate online learning, to positively affect learning outcomes and academic performance, leading to higher satisfaction rates across various learning environments (Mykota, 2018). Using pre- and post-surveys, forum reports, and students’ engagement reports, our study examines the SP reported by learners who took part in the project. It focuses on two aspects. First, attention is paid to potential differences in responses to the survey items. Second, the study focuses on correlations for SP identified in the field’s literature and that could be expected to be observable in the surveys : learners’ participation in face-to-face discussions (Chim et al., 2024), and students’ engagement (Felce et al., 2022).

Critical Virtual Exchange for Peace Education

This contribution explores critical VE (CVE), i.e. VE through the social justice and inclusion lens, as a conduit for critical Global Citizenship Education (GCE) as instantiated through Education for Peace. CVE has been framed as VE guided by equity, diversity, inclusion and access (EDIA) principles (Hauck, 2020, 2023, in press; Klimanova & Hellmich, 2021). We suggest that this makes it an educational intervention for implementing pedagogies of peace which aim at “more cooperative coexistence across the planet by amplifying practices of compassion, tolerance, restorative justice, and global citizenship” (Kukulska-Hulme et al., 2024). CVE has already been put forward as an ideal means to foster critical intercultural and global awareness (Reljanovic Glimäng, 2022), i.e. GCE as promoted by scholars like Andreotti (2006) who want us to challenge hegemonic discourses and the perpetuation in education of colonial ideologies and encourage us “to think otherwise” (Andreotti, 2006). Thus, as we have argued elsewhere (Hauck, 2025), critical VE can also provide the backdrop for critical GCE that is aligned with Andreotti’s (2006; 2014) reasoning. We see Education for Peace as a core component of critical GCE and efforts to decolonise our curricula. We will introduce the main concepts informing this contribution and how they interconnect and will present and discuss exchange examples including specific exchange tasks to illustrate what our proposed approach looks like in practice, particularly in situations where conflict arises among participants. We will conclude with pointers to future research at the interface of Critical VE and Critical Peace Education.

E

EFL Students’ Experience in the IVEProject: A Narrative Inquiry Into Intercultural Communication

This study explores the experiences of Indonesian EFL students participating in the International Virtual Exchange (IVE) Project, focusing on how intercultural communication is developed through online global interaction. Using a narrative inquiry approach, the research investigates three main questions: (1) What are the experiences of Indonesian EFL students in participating in the IVE Project? (2) How do these experiences contribute to the development of students’ intercultural communication skills? and (3) What challenges do students face during intercultural interactions, and what strategies do they use to overcome them? Data will be collected through reflective journals, semi-structured interviews, and students’ online discussion logs to capture personal narratives and intercultural engagement. Preliminary findings are expected to reveal that participation in the IVE Project enhances students’ intercultural awareness, language confidence, and global communication competence. Students are likely to demonstrate growth in understanding cultural diversity, empathy, and openness toward different perspectives. However, challenges such as language barriers, differing communication styles, and limited digital literacy may emerge during the exchange. To address these, students are expected to employ strategies such as peer collaboration, self-reflection, and the use of translation or digital tools to facilitate effective interaction. Overall, this research aims to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on virtual intercultural learning in EFL contexts, highlighting how digital exchange projects can foster meaningful global connections and support the development of 21st-century communication skills among language learners.

Europe and the Asia-Pacific: Learning and Sharing Together Through Pedagogical Lingua Franca Immersion in Virtual Exchange

Over the past decades, English has become a means of global communication. People from different parts of the world and different linguacultural backgrounds use English to interact in intercultural spaces from private to educational to corporate. For many speaker-learners in the Asia-Pacific or Europe, however, using English is often burdened with feelings of inferiority, dissatisfaction, and anxiety. In ELT, possible solutions are in particular addressed by scholars and practitioners working in the fields of global Englishes language teaching (GELT) or English as a lingua franca (ELF) pedagogy. Key pedagogical concepts and approaches emphasize overcoming the mismatch between what is going on in the ELT classroom and how English is used in the real world. Publications and conference contributions focus on criticising native-speakerism and unequal Englishes, raising teachers’ and students’ awareness of ELF, decolonizing ELT practices, providing spaces for pedagogical translanguaging, or calling for a critical perspective on ELT to ensure social justice. All these discussions, whether in the Asia-Pacific or in Europe, have one thing in common: they pay only little attention to speaker-learners as responsible agents of their own communication and learning. In my talk, I will introduce a socio-psycholinguistic model of intercultural ELF communication that places speaker-learners at the center. The model integrates speaker-learners’ MY English repertoires, their communicative capability, and their own requirements of communicative and communal success as beacons of orientation. With reference to these dimensions and informed by case study observations, I will discuss how a pedagogical lingua franca immersion approach can be implemented through virtual exchange to enable LEARNERS of English to develop their own voice as emancipated SPEAKERS of English.

F

From Local to Global: How the IVEProject Transformed English Learning and Intercultural Competence at SENA

This workshop presents how the IVEProject has been integrated into English training at the Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA), Colombia, from 2019 to 2024. Using a collaborative virtual exchange approach, more than 200 learners engaged in eight-week virtual exchanges with Asia-Pacific peers through Moodle. The session will share strategies for preparing learners to participate successfully: sensitization activities, guided interaction in thematic forums, and reflective practices to evaluate linguistic and cultural outcomes. Results show that this model strengthens English communication in authentic contexts while fostering intercultural awareness and digital literacy aligned with 21st-century skills. Participants will explore advantages, challenges, and adaptations from SENA’s sustained involvement with the IVEProject, including managing technological barriers, motivating learners with diverse proficiency levels, and embedding the exchange into competency-based curricula. This workshop is highly relevant for educators seeking to internationalize their classrooms, particularly in Latin America, where mobility opportunities are limited. By providing replicable practices and hands-on examples, it demonstrates how the IVEProject and collaborative virtual exchange can transform English learning, build intercultural competence, and prepare learners for global collaboration in the age of AI. Keywords: Virtual Exchange; collaborative virtual exchange; IVEProject; English learning; intercultural competence

R

Readiness of Philippine Higher Education Institutions in Virtual Exchange: A Blueprint for Inclusiveness, Diversity and Sustainability

Virtual Exchange/COIL is a new concept adapted in the Philippines from 2020 with developing initiatives from different Philippine Higher Education Institutions. The study aims to assess the readiness, skills, collaboration design choices, student competencies needed in the implementation of COIL/Virtual Exchange of Higher Education Institutions in the Philippines that becomes a basis for a blueprint for an inclusive, diverse and sustainable COIL plan. The research utilized the descriptive cross-sectional research design in a purposive sampling approach among key International Relations officers on 42 universities and colleges in the Philippines. Results revealed participants were mostly in State Universities and Colleges (51%) and private non-sectarian (27.5%) of Region 1 (19.2%) and 11 (19.2%) doing COIL (55.8%) in less than 5 virtual exchange (50.5%) with 2 to 10 partners mostly in Europe and Japan (86.5%) with topics of Sustainable Development Goals (40.4%) and Education (44.1%). Most of the participants were moderately ready in implementing COIL as their pedagogy (62%), that developed intercultural teamwork and learning (90.2%). Moreover, student competencies were perceived to increase problem-solving, global citizenship, critical thinking and communication skills when doing virtual exchanges. Needed improvement of collaboration design focused on creative approach, institutional roles and maximization of technological COIL tools. This research leads to a COIL blueprint integrating outcome based education strategies that create holistic intercultural pedagogy that are inclusive, diverse and sustainable for global competency of faculty and students in the Philippines and beyond.

S

Stirred not shaken: The role of tasks, emotions, and personal information in telecollaboration

This study investigates how task type and interaction during intercultural telecollaboration influence learners’ emotional reactions. Drawing on data from three subsequent bilingual VE initiatives conducted between 2018 and 2022. The research examines the impact of five communicative task types on participants’ affective responses and their willingness to share personal information. Emotional variables, including anxiety, comfort, and enjoyment, were measured through single-item questionnaires administered after each task and session to capture participants’ perceptions of the tasks and their foreign language interactions. In addition, participants’ individual levels of foreign language anxiety (FLA) and self-disclosure (SDS) were measured before the project, allowing for the inclusion of the individual dimension in relation to contextual perceptions. Findings reveal that task design plays a crucial role in shaping participants’ emotional experiences. Tasks involving greater opportunities for SDS, such as free conversation and opinion exchange, fostered increased comfort and enjoyment, supporting the development of social bonds and more positive perceptions of foreign language communication. In contrast, tasks requiring higher cognitive or performative effort, such as role-plays, were more likely to elicit anxiety. Across projects, students reported progressive reductions in FLA alongside improved self-perceptions of communicative ability, underscoring the importance of agency and social interaction in VE contexts. It suggests that well-designed tasks in telecollaboration, through the online intercultural practice they provide, not only enhance affective experiences but also foster more confident and effective foreign language communication.

T

Telecollaboration and teacher competency development: A longitudinal analysis of practices and perceptions

Telecollaboration, defined as a structured online exchange between classrooms in different cultural and linguistic contexts (Belz, 2003; O'Dowd & Ware, 2009), is now recognized for its potential in training future teachers (Emir & Yangın-Ekşi, 2024; Coşkun, 2023). However, our study explores the impact of designing and implementing telecollaborative projects on the professional development of in-service teachers, an area that has received little attention in research so far (Nissen & Kurek, 2020; O'Dowd & Dooly, 2021). Our research is based on a longitudinal analysis of competency development among teachers involved in eight telecollaboration projects. A literature review was first conducted to identify the competencies most likely to evolve and their various dimensions. We selected three key competencies: techno-pedagogical, pedagogical, and intercultural. Next, we identified relevant variables based on established frameworks. Techno-pedagogical competence was assessed through the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu) (Redecker, 2017). For intercultural competence, we drew mainly on Byram (1997), who stresses the importance of fostering a reflective stance on teaching practices. Teaching competence was examined through the lens of Bandura's (1997) concept of self-efficacy, which is shaped by teachers‘ experiences and learners’ feedback. We employed a mixed-methods longitudinal approach, combining surveys and semi-structured interviews conducted before, during, and after each telecollaboration project. This methodology enabled us to monitor the development of teachers' skills and the strategies they adopted in response to various challenges. Preliminary results suggest that participation in telecollaboration improves teachers' mastery of digital tools, and their confidence in their teaching practices.

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