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A cooperative virtual exchange within the economics curriculum: A pilot study on embedding elements of global competence within an economics course

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Listed:
  • Eremionkhale, Amy
  • Sadeh, Jana
  • Sun, Yidi

Abstract

The increasing interconnectivity of the global economy has fuelled higher education (HE) efforts to promote international exchange projects; however, these are not an option for many students. Virtual Exchange (VE) projects have gained traction over the last decade and are now well-established in higher education as a tool to build intercultural communication and global competence (Dooly, 2022; Stevens Initiative, 2023). Building on this established practice, our study contributes to the literature by augmenting a VE with a cooperative group-based learning exercise embedded within an economics module (course), an intersection that remains underexplored in both theory and implementation, and one which we believe combines the benefits of both virtual exchanges and cooperative learning. This combination presents an opportunity for economics students to develop deeper learning of the subjects they are studying while developing elements of global competence. This paper presents a novel pilot cooperative VE learning program between students at a university in the USA and a university in the UK. Students jointly undertake a cooperative learning exercise to produce output for a summative assessment. We measure their intercultural sensitivity, an element of global competence, pre and post the VE and find preliminary indications that this experience positively impacted students, particularly in the dimension of interaction engagement and confidence and particularly for female students and students who are multilingual. The paper contributes to the literature by presenting the novel combination of cooperative learning within a VE, outlining a timeline of practical steps for implementation to support other educators who may want to replicate this project and providing preliminary evidence of the potential impact of such projects on students’ intercultural sensitivity, a key subset of global competence.

Suggested Citation

  • Eremionkhale, Amy & Sadeh, Jana & Sun, Yidi, 2025. "A cooperative virtual exchange within the economics curriculum: A pilot study on embedding elements of global competence within an economics course," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ireced:v:50:y:2025:i:c:s1477388025000192
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iree.2025.100327
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Said Machwate & Rachid Bendaoud & Juergen Henze & Khalid Berrada & Daniel Burgos, 2021. "Virtual Exchange to Develop Cultural, Language, and Digital Competencies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, May.
    2. Amanda Bayer & David W. Wilcox, 2019. "The unequal distribution of economic education: A report on the race, ethnicity, and gender of economics majors at U.S. colleges and universities," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(3), pages 299-320, July.
    3. KimMarie McGoldrick & Robert Rebelein & Jennifer K. Rhoads & Sue Stockly, 2010. "Making Cooperative Learning Effective for Economics," Chapters, in: Michael K. Salemi & William B. Walstad (ed.), Teaching Innovations in Economics, chapter 4, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Abdullah Al-Bahrani, 2022. "Classroom management and student interaction interventions: Fostering diversity, inclusion, and belonging in the undergraduate economics classroom," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(3), pages 259-272, June.
    5. Emerson, Tisha L.N. & English, Linda & McGoldrick, KimMarie, 2016. "Cooperative learning and personality types," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 21-29.
    6. Amanda Bayer & Gary A. Hoover & Ebonya Washington, 2020. "How You Can Work to Increase the Presence and Improve the Experience of Black, Latinx, and Native American People in the Economics Profession," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 34(3), pages 193-219, Summer.
    7. Amanda Bayer & Cecilia Elena Rouse, 2016. "Diversity in the Economics Profession: A New Attack on an Old Problem," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 30(4), pages 221-242, Fall.
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