Engaging in an online odyssey: Globally Networked Learning among undergraduates in Germany and the US

Abstract

The purpose of this practice report is to describe a Global Networked Learning (GNL) that unfolded among a cohort of 54 University students (n=54) in Germany and the United States. There were 28 students from Germany and 26 students from the United States who participated in the international virtual exchange. A GNL is a collaborative, international online approach to help students and instructors from universities around the world to participate in a learning exchange and the creation of knowledge through project-based learning. The GNL project centered around crafting an engaging multimedia presentation about regions called a Global Competency Virtual Odyssey (GCVO). The focus of the GCVO was on regions in Germany and the United States. The GNL project was implemented over a an eight-week period. The students collaborated via four synchronous Zoom sessions with further collaboration happening over WhatsApp. The report describes the features of the GNL project and the collaborative process of creating and presenting the GCVOs. The article could be relevant to readers as it offers an explanation how to implement a GNL project. The report concludes with a discussion of the students’ perceptions of creating and presenting their GCVOs as part of the GNL project.

Keywords

• digital technology
• global awareness
• globally networked learning(gnl)
• intercultural communication
• regions
• virtual exchange