A Case Study of the Internationalization of a Midwestern University English Composition Course Occurring in a 3-D Virtual Environment
Abstract
Internationalization, a gradual process that includes a number of strategies, has become a growing movement at American universities in an effort to create globally competent graduates who are prepared to be responsible world citizens. Many of these strategies are implemented by faculty members who internationalize their courses by providing opportunities to learn from people from other countries. Internationalization strategies can be combined with technologies such as 3-D virtual environments to create unique learning opportunities. The purpose of this study was to understand the nature of an international experience in an online 3-D virtual environment, to explore the possible development of global competence, and to describe the influence of the virtual environment and course design on the experience. The research question for this study was, “What is the nature of the interactions that will take place between American university students and international university students in a 3-D virtual environment?” The progressive research questions that were perceived to influence the nature of the experience were, “What will the analysis of student documents, student interviews, and a pre- and post-survey suggest about the development of global competence for the American university students?” and, “How will the students experience the course design and the use of the 3-D virtual environment?” Analysis of the data sources suggested that the nature of the six interactions shared common patterns of task-focused activity, overcoming technological issues, and some indicators of cultural awareness. These findings add to the limited body of knowledge about the use of 3-D virtual environments as internationalization strategies for American universities
Table of Contents
Abstract -- List of tables -- List of illustrations -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Literature review -- Methodology -- Findings -- Conclusions and discussion -- Appendix -- Surveys and interview questions -- Informed consent -- Human subjects approval letter - UCM -- Human subjects approval form - UCM -- Human subjects request for approval - UMKC -- Acknowledgement letter professor in Sweden -- References
Degree
Ph. D.