Fostering Students’ Intercultural Competence in Higher Education Through Virtual Exchange: Evidence from a Pilot Study in Hong Kong
Kwan Ho Yan, Yuen Anna Wai Yee, Choi Regene PW, Cheung Ethan TH, Yip Maggie WY
Background: Intercultural competence is crucial for employability in a globalized workforce. Virtual
exchange, which is seen as an innovative educational pedagogy, offers an alternative to physical
exchange, thus effectively enhancing intercultural skills. Previous studies on virtual exchange often
had mixed results, small samples, and insufficient control groups. This study enriches the literature by
empirically examining virtual exchange with control groups and advancing the understanding of its
effectiveness in higher education.
Methods: This research employs a controlled quasi-experimental design, which involved 192 participants
from a university in Hong Kong. A total of 124 students participated in virtual exchange projects as the
experimental group, while 68 students comprised the control group.
Results: The findings, which were derived from independent sample t-tests and paired sample t-tests,
indicate a significant improvement in intercultural competence levels among the virtual exchange group
compared with the control group. Furthermore, a significant growth in intercultural competence was
observed from preproject to postproject within the experimental group. The enhancement was primarily
driven by improvements in self-awareness, exploration, and world orientation.
Implications: The present study underscores the benefit of virtual exchange, which is implemented
through Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), as a valuable tool for fostering
intercultural competence in higher education. Despite the study’s limitations, its implications suggest
that educators can effectively integrate virtual exchange into curricula to promote internationalization
and strengthen students’ intercultural skills.
