EVOLVE Project - EVOLVE Project Team (2021). The Impact of Virtual Exchange on Student Learning in Higher Education: EVOLVE Project Report.

This report presents the findings of one of the studies carried out by the Erasmus+ KA3 project EVOLVE. Situated in the project’s wider context of mainstreaming Virtual Exchange (VE) as innovative practice in HE in Europe and beyond, the focus of the current study is on the impact of Virtual Exchange (VE) on student learning in Higher Education (HE). Based on student data collected from 16 exchange projects between 34 partners from HEIs in Europe and other parts of the globe, it looks into students’ general perceptions and appreciation of VE and the development of intercultural competences, critical digital literacy, language skills, and disciplinary learning. 

The study was aimed at learning more about student perspectives on VE and competence development facilitated through VE in the aforesaid areas across a wide range of academic disciplines and courses. The instruments used for assessing the impact on student learning consisted of pre- and post-test surveys administered to all students in the sample, student portfolios completed by students whose teachers opted for using these, and post-hoc interviews with students. The study comprises the data of 248 students in the 16 exchanges by 34 partners across the world, in all cases except one including a European partner. 

Find the report here.