What is Virtual Exchange?
Virtual exchanges are technology-enabled, sustained, people-to-people education programs.
Developed over the past 30 years from experience in the field of educational exchange and study abroad – and evolving rapidly with the explosive growth in new media technologies and platforms – virtual exchanges have been integrated at all levels of education from kindergarten through university and are distinctive in their use of new media platforms to enable deep, interactive, social learning.
By employing a wide variety of technologies and educational pedagogy, virtual exchanges make it possible for every young person to access high-quality international and cross-cultural education.
Virtual exchanges function in a synergistic and complementary way with physical exchange programs. They can prepare, deepen and extend physical exchanges, and, by reaching new populations and larger numbers, fuel new demand for physical exchange.