Fostering Cross-Cultural Interactions to Promote Sociability in a Global, Informal, Virtual Learning Environment

• In Event: Cross-Cultural and International Interactions in Various Learning Environments

Abstract

This study examines how trust is established through cross-cultural interactions, and promotes sociability for an informal, global, virtual environment that in turn, fosters optimal learning. In this setting, students from different countries collaborate on STEM-focused multimedia projects in after school clubs that meet weekly in online global meet-ups (video conference calls). Epistemic network analysis (ENA) was used to examine changes in student discourse during meet-ups over a ten month period in 2021. Increased trust between participants led to a shift in student discourse from highly formalized presentations of STEM-focused projects to open discussions of STEM topics as students shared their own knowledge with one another.

Authors

• Julia Savoca Gibson, American University
  Presenting Author

• Danielle Pascual Espino, Pepperdine University
  Presenting Author