Towards a better understanding of how to conduct and evaluate educational exchanges

Date

1992

Authors

Kilby, Elizabeth Louise

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Abstract

This research examined the extent to which a technology based international educational exchange program, Future Partners, reached its objectives. Future Partners involved students and teachers from Victoria, Canada, Morioka, Japan and Bangkok, Thailand. The method selected to collect the data was a qualitative case study using interviews, questionnaires and the analysis of documents and artifacts produced by the program. It was found that the program was successful in reaching its objectives despite problems in structuring and directing program meetings and student activities. As a result, a series of conclusions and recommendations were made regarding how to improve an exchange program's structure, meeting organization, selection and management of students, instruction in and use of various communications technologies (facsimile machine, electronic mail, computer graphics and sound generation, and audio and video equipment). foreign language instruction, the creation of educational presentations for culturally different students, and an exchange trip. In addition, a strategy is presented regarding how to conduct an evaluation of an educational exchange. Therefore. information from this study can be used by planners of an educational exchange first to conduct an exchange and second to evaluate their program to determine how it can be improved. Finally, suggestions for future research efforts into educational exchanges and their evaluation are proposed.

Description

Keywords

UN SDG 17: Partnerships

Citation