Creating a Successful International Distance-Learning Classroom

As the global economy becomes more integrated, incorporating international experiences into college curricula becomes increasingly desirable for American students and their counterparts abroad. This paper describes one model for creating an international, Web-based, distance-learning classroom that...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Teaching Sociology 2005-10, Vol.33 (4), p.355-370
Main Authors: Little, Craig B., Larissa Titarenko, Mira Bergelson
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Assignments
Asynchronous Communication
Australia
Belarus
Class Activities
Classroom environment
Classrooms
College Faculty
College Instruction
College Students
Computer based
Computer Mediated Communication
Content Analysis
Course Evaluation
Courses
Curricula
Discussion Groups
Distance Education
Distance learning
Educational Benefits
Educational Environment
Electronic Learning
Faculty Workload
Foreign Countries
Foreign students
Global Approach
Global economy
Globalization
Guidelines
Instructional Design
Instructional Effectiveness
Integrated Learning Systems
Intercultural Communication
International Cooperation
International Education
International students
Internet
Learning
Learning environment
Multicultural education
New York
Online courses
Online learning
Reading Skills
Russia
Scholarship
School environment
Social Control
Sociology
Sociology Education
Student Attitudes
Student Evaluation
Student Motivation
Surveillance
Teacher Motivation
Teachers
Teaching
Teaching Methods
United States of America
Virtual Classrooms
Web Based Instruction
Writing instruction
Writing Skills
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Summary:As the global economy becomes more integrated, incorporating international experiences into college curricula becomes increasingly desirable for American students and their counterparts abroad. This paper describes one model for creating an international, Web-based, distance-learning classroom that can be used as a guide for those who might wish to pursue similar endeavors. Our replicated experiences teaching a sociology course on social control, twice under slightly different conditions, provide the basis for identifying the conditions and practices that optimize the goals of providing a forum for international education and enhancing reading and writing skills. A content analysis of the online Student-Led Discussions provides evidence that cross-national knowledge and understanding can be enhanced in this learning environment. Enrolling students from the United States, Belarus, Russia, and Australia, our course demonstrates how instructors can create a successful virtual classroom that truly encircles the globe.
ISSN:0092-055X
1939-862X
DOI:10.1177/0092055X0503300402