International Writing Culture

​​​Project Summary:

• This virtual exchange project was the second edition of an interactive collaboration between undergraduate students from a variety of academic backgrounds at DePaul and Unichristus University in Fortaleza, Brazil. Separately, DePaul students in their Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse class studied topics such as the role of nativism in Western rhetoric, raciolingusitic bias, codemeshing, transnational literacies. Unichristus students trained their speaking and writing skills in English as a second language through guided small discussions in the classroom and through essay writing. ​ 
  Student collaboration was primarily completed during class time using Zoom, and students met for seven synchronous sessions. In the collaborative meetings, students discussed a variety of topics, including student life during the COVID-19 pandemic, cultural differences and similarities, identity, education, and social justice. During the last two weeks of the collaboration, students created – in mixed groups of four to five Brazilian and American students - a final project (PowerPoint presentation or video) with their vision of the world and their lives in 2040. The course also fulfilled the Experiential Learning requirement in the Liberal Studies Program for DePaul students.​

Project Length:

• 7 Weeks

Technology Tools Used:

• Zoom
• Google Drive
• Google Docs
• D2L

Communication Type/ Interaction Mode:

• Synchronous
• Asynchronous

Learning Outcomes:

• Students developed intercultural competence, learning how to engage positively with cultural differences and work in international teams.
  
• ​​​​Students developed their awareness of global issues, such as social, economic, political, healthcare and environmental issues that have a global impact and need to be addressed collaboratively.
• Students improved their digital proficiency.​

Virtual Exchange with DePaul University, USA - A Global Learning experience that broadened horizons and exceeded expectations.pdf