The COVID-19 global pandemic and subsequent closing of international borders led to the cancellation of all on-site study-abroad programs. However, it also allowed virtual study-abroad programs (VSA) to grow. Even after on-site study-abroad programs resumed in 2022, VSAs remain a popular alternative option for students who cannot commit to them.

This presentation will show how a collaboration that began in 2021 between two universities in Japan and Hawaii led to the creation of a VSA that combines on-site and virtual components. The program focuses on developing students' academic skills for intercultural competency by examining the migration and assimilation challenges of Asian Americans in Hawaii and on the US mainland. During the 14-week program, students spend the first six weeks on-site with an instructor in Japan, building their learning community and reviewing academic skills. During weeks 7-12, students participate in an intensive, online synchronous class via Zoom with an instructor in Hawaii that includes interactive lectures and small group online discussions with students in Hawaii. In the post-online sessions, the students reflect on the course with the on-site instructor in Japan. The presenter will share data collected through surveys and assessments to show how the on-site and virtual instruction collaboration creates a positive and enriching virtual study abroad experience that improves students' academic skills and motivation for language learning and deepens intercultural communication and mutual understanding.

This presentation will include practical advice for instructors and program coordinators who want to offer their students an alternative form of mixed-modality study abroad.

Authors:
Aviva Ueno, Rikkyo University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Aviva Ueno is currently a lecturer in the Center for Foreign Language Education and Research at Rikkyo University, Japan.

Connect on ResearchGate
https://researchmap.jp/avivaueno

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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