Creating a Successful International Distance-Learning Classroom

• 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
• ISSN: 0092-055X; 1939-862X
• DOI: 10.1177/0092055X0503300402

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.