Virtual Exchange Call for Proposals

Spring 2024 GSU Virtual Exchange Initiative
Call for Proposals

 

The Office of International Initiatives (OII) and Atlanta Global Studies Center (AGSC) seek proposals from Georgia State University (GSU) faculty to integrate Virtual Exchange (VE) activities into classes taught during the 2024 spring semester. An exciting interactive high impact practice, VE:

• Connects GSU students and faculty with their counterparts at an international university to work collaboratively,
• Promotes students’ intercultural competence and digital literacy across shared multicultural learning environments, and
• Utilizes a variety of teaching strategies, such as peer review, cooperative learning, online discussions, project-based learning, service learning and co-teaching.

 

Did you know…

• Virtual exchange works in a variety of courses and with any teaching style. It can work well for in-person and online courses, whether synchronous or asynchronous.
• A virtual exchange component can be incorporated into one big assignment, or several smaller ones. It can be included in just one of your course modules, or multiple.
• Learn more about Virtual Exchange >.

Submit the complete proposal as a single PDF file via email to [email protected] by September 25, 2023, at 5 p.m.
Award notifications will be made by October 10, 2023. 

 

ELIGIBILITY

OII and AGSC welcome proposals from GSU’s full-time faculty who are implementing VE activities for the first time in courses which will be taught during the 2024 spring semester. Faculty who previously implemented VE in other classes (and those that may have received past support from OII/AGSC) are eligible to apply if requesting support for VE in a new course.

 

Preference will be given to:

• Faculty with identified or confirmed international partner(s)
• VE projects in core curriculum courses (https://academic.gsu.edu/general-education/core-curriculum/)
• VE projects for large classes. Large classes are defined as 75 or more students.

 

AWARD

Faculty whose proposals are accepted for funding will receive $1000 in professional development funds.

The $1,000 in professional development funds may be used for travel, conference registration, materials, equipment, books, or student assistants, etc. Exceptions require written approval from your department chair and OII.

 

EXPECTATIONS

Acceptance of funds from OII represents a commitment by the faculty to:

1. Attend VE faculty meetings/workshops
2. Implement the VE project
3. Facilitate an online or in-person presentation on VE in their department or college during AY2023-24 to share information with colleagues regarding the benefits of VE
4. Support assessment activities conducted by OII and AGSC, and
5. Submit a brief final report and students’ feedback (testimonials in writing or video)

 

SUPPORT

OII offers one-on-one support and resources for developing Virtual Exchange projects. Ideally, the development of your proposal would occur in consultation with your international faculty partner. Please contact Dr. Yali Zhao at [email protected] if you have any questions about partnership. We strongly recommend that you secure your VE partner before you apply.

Faculty are invited to participate in a Virtual Exchange Faculty Teaching and Learning Community that meets monthly. The community is designed to bring faculty together to share expertise, ideas, pedagogical techniques, and technology tools.

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE  

Applications must include: 

Abstract (up to 200 words)

Proposal Narrative (no more than 3 pages) that describes:

1. GSU course
2. Typical student population in the GSU course (number of students, characteristics, etc.)
3. International university partner* (preferred)
4. Faculty partner name(s)/title(s)*
5. Description of partner institutions student population* (number of students, characteristics, etc.)
6. Description of VE activities
7. A general timeline / implementation plan of proposed activities and assessments
8. Facilitation of student interaction and grading of VE activities
9. Technology utilized (If you are unsure, use this resource guide for more ideas.)
10. Student learning outcomes of virtual exchange project (e.g. cultivating a global perspective, insight into personal cultural values, interpreting an intercultural experience from more than one viewpoint, negotiating a shared understanding of differences with openness, etc.)
11. Sustainability of VE activities in future course offerings – Include a plan for how VE component will be integrated into a course for multiple semesters and adopted/facilitated by different instructor(s).**

 

12. Statement and Signature of Department Chair.

“I support this application and understand that if the proposal is awarded, the departmental business or finance office will be asked to process payments for professional development or other approved expenses associated with this project as follows :

• $1,000 in professional development funds to integrate VE into course

 

13. Statement and Signature of Dean of College

“I support this application and understand that if the proposal is awarded, the applicant’s departmental business or finance office will be asked to process payments for professional development or other approved expenses associated with this project.”

*Contact Yali Zhao, VE Faculty Associate, for assistance in identifying a partner if needed
**Special consideration will be given to proposals that include a detailed plan on sustainability of VE activities.

 

EVALUATION

A review committee appointed by OII and AGSC will rate proposals according to the following criteria:

• Details and clarity of project description
• Timeline for implementation of activities
• Level of innovation and creativity of activities
• Strength of connection of student learning outcomes to global/cultural fluency
• Appropriateness of technology for activities and partner university
• Sustainability – plan for how VE component will be integrated and delivered for multiple semesters and facilitated by different instructor(s)

 

Final Report: due by May 13, 2024*

 

The final report should include the following:

• Course name, number, CRN, US and international student population and partner institution
• Beginning and end date of VE project
• Approximate number of hours per week and number of weeks that students engaged in VE activities
• Description of communication and/or interaction with institutional partner(s)
• VE objectives, learning outcomes, and description of student assessment (formal or informal)
• Description of VE activities
• Appropriateness and any modifications of timeline and technology
• Current or planned changes to teaching because of VE
• Research activities on VE
• Support by department, college, university
• Sustainability plans for implementing VE in future courses
• Future support or assistance that would be helpful and/or necessary for you to remain actively engaged with VE

 

*All identifying information will be kept confidential and not shared with your department or college.

 

Faculty whose projects are awarded should plan to attend VE Faculty Community meetings, scheduled on September 20, October 18, and November 15, 3:00 – 4:30pm. Video recordings will be made available if attendance is not possible.

 Extra support for planning and designing your Virtual Exchange project will be available the weeks of October 23 and November 6.

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