Tips for Virtual Exchange and Engaging Partners Online: Experiential Learning Opportunities Through Remote Partnerships

University units and departments face financial and institutional pressures to adapt to changing environments, which impact global exchange, student travel for research, field schools, and semesters abroad. As a result, virtual partnerships have emerged as a leading model to internationalize curriculum and provide students with hands-on practical experience and know-how in the field. Virtual community-engaged experiential learning exposes students to the authentic demands of the digital workplace, improves their employability and interpersonal skills, and eases the transition to the workforce.

The three-part guide below is designed for anyone interested in how virtual partnerships work, how they can be integrated with community engagement and/or experiential learning, and how they can enrich university-level courses. It provides an introduction to virtual community-engaged experiential learning, tips for virtual exchange and engaging partners online, and key values to consider when bridging global and local community engagement practices. This guide is a collaborative project of the Guelph Institute of Development Studies and the Community Engaged Scholarship Institute and was developed by Samantha Blostein, Global Engagement Specialist. 

Introduction: What is a Virtual Partnership?

This introductory section explores and defines virtual partnerships, including the five key elements of a virtual experiential learning project. It also covers a variety of virtual partnership options and outlines how virtual partnerships can be integrated with community engagement. 

15 Tips for Virtual Exchange and Engaging Partners Online

This tip sheet highlights key considerations when developing online collaborations that connect faculty with partners and institutions in a virtual exchange.

5 Key Values for Bridging Global and Local Community Engagement Practices

This tip sheet covers key values that should be upheld when engaging in virtual partnerships. 

Download the full Tips for Virtual Exchange and Engaging Partners Online guide.