This document discusses online intercultural exchange (OIE) and its potential benefits for developing skills needed in a global workforce. It highlights a large-scale virtual exchange project between Warwick University and a university in France, as well as its expansion to include other institutions. OIE helps students gain intercultural competencies and allows educational connections to continue beyond individual courses by facilitating professional networks. The document also examines opportunities for enhancing OIE, such as through using voice and video tools, open badges for credentials, and shared glossaries. Challenges include streamlining communication platforms, aggregating discussions across different online spaces, and addressing institutional policies that may hinder collaboration.

1. Online Intercultural Exchange
(OIE):capacity building for a flexible, effective
workforce.

2. #Clavier project:
● large scale virtual exchangeWarwick/Clermont Ferrand, France
● formal and informal learning, shared space on EWC
● professional development for staff
● connected educators extending to Poland, Sweden, Japan, US,
Finland...#clavedu G+ community
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3. Context:
• Virtual Exchange (OIE) development within
Languages@Warwick
• #clavier project case study published in INTENT report and tasks
uploaded to uni-collaboration database.
• Growing interest in telecollaboration and online intercultural
exchange to support skills for “global graduates”
• British Council Going Mobile report states virtual mobility
provides:
“a rich seam of opportunities for interaction across borders”.
• Higher Education Academy Internationalising Higher Education
Framework.3

4. 4
“...the future belongs to those who learn to work
together with other groups without regard to
location, heritage, and national and cultural
difference” (Grandin & Hedderich, 2009)
Key competencies in 3 broad categories
From DeSeCo project, OECD.

5. Implementing open badges in EWC
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6. Opportunities to seize:
• Voice (VoiceThread) and video creation (Kaltura) provide good
ways to increase interaction and engagement.
• Open Badges contribute to student’s professional online identity
creation.
• Use of tools such as Glossary can provide “self-build” shared
dictionary
• Connections outlive the course because of the networks created
within students’ own personal spaces.
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7. Challenges to address
• Messaging – students find Moodle’s filtered system confusing
• Walls need holes! Communication takes place in many different
spaces, aggregation using hashtags facilitates a view of this.
• Greater awareness of open badges for employability/skills
recognition needed.
• Institutional policies and regulations can impede intra-
institutional collaboration
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