Types of Virtual Experiences

Overview:  International Guest Lectures are a flexible option to incorporate global experiences into your course.  This option connects your students to international experts in the field who help tie the academic content to their cultural background and perspectives providing a comparative international context.

Timing: Synchronous or Asynchronous

The international guest lecture experience can feature a single lecture or may be incorporated as a lecture series. Depending on your needs and speaker availability, these experiences generally last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. 

Examples:

Please note: These examples are meant to give you an idea of what is possible.  OGO will collaborate with you and a partner provider to select an activity that will fit your content needs. 

• Journalism & Visual Communication: A briefing from reporters at the national Italian RAI television network syndicate in Naples.
• Leadership & Public Administration: Lecture from the directors of the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism in Buenos Aires.
• Education: A talk with a former middle school teacher and advocate for access to higher education in isolated communities of the South Pacific.
• Sustainability: Lecture about clean power generation and national environmental sustainability priorities from the operators of a waste-to-energy plant in Denmark.
• Public Health: Lecture on public health outreach, education, and HIV testing efforts from the leaders of an NGO in Chiang Mai, Thailand
   

Overview:  Cultural engagement labs are theme-focused activities designed to foster engagement, critical reflection, synthesis and action. These activities expose students to the concept of culture and cultural differences through the eyes of a local. Activities can be customized to align with your course content while exploring the culture at hand. 

Timing:  Synchronous or Asynchronous  

May consist of one or more sessions throughout the term. 

Examples:

Please note: These examples are meant to give you an idea of what is possible.  OGO will collaborate with you and a partner provider to select an activity that will fit your content needs. 

• Virtual Site Exploration: Observe how a Mekong River Delta community sustainably adapts traditional Vietnamese food production to the demands of the modern tourism industry
• Food Culture Session: Examine the agricultural practices and brief history of regional cuisine in Italy, followed by a video exploration of a local farmers’ market collecting ingredients, then join locals by video to make a national favorite dish: pasta al la carbonara.
• Media Debrief: Research the most popular K-dramas of the last decade before joining a Netflix Party viewing a current hit with locals. Make observations of cultural communication idiosyncrasies and the depictions of Korean gender roles and debrief with an expert after the show.
• Thai Cultural Values Workshop: Attend a workshop, learning the dos and don’ts of interpersonal relationships grounded in the historical influence of Thai Buddhism and regional observation of high context communication. 

Overview:  Academic content videos focus on a specific topic or theme and connect your course content to the broader world. Bridging your course to global culture, these videos are easy to integrate into your existing course. 

Timing: Asynchronous    

These videos range anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. 

Examples:

Please note: These examples are meant to give you an idea of what is possible.  OGO will collaborate with you and a partner provider to select an activity that will fit your content needs. 

• COVID- 19 Response: A global comparison of COVID-19 response in various countries around the world
• Preserving the Arts: Connect to examples of local arts, theater, singing, etc. in a specific location.
• Food and Culture: Visit with international chefs and learn about the preparation of unique foods.
• Preserving Traditions: Focus on history, culture, and the preservation of local traditions.

Overview:  The collaborative consulting projects offer an in-depth learning experience. The project begins with students virtually meeting their clients and gaining an understanding of the organization’s specific needs, while defining the project that the students work on.

Timing: Combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions

Students then work throughout the project timeline to meet the objectives, while receiving feedback from the client. Projects can range from 4 weeks to a full semester. 

Examples:

Please note: These examples are meant to give you an idea of what is possible.  OGO will collaborate with you and a partner provider to select an activity that will fit your content needs. 

• Engineering students develop physical telepresence platforms using CAD for small robotics firm in Quito;
• Social work students conduct policy research, prepare briefs and learn about legal system in Cape Town.

Overview:  Service-learning projects connect students in your course with community partners around the world, allowing them to explore global issues within a local context. Students engage in reflective practice activities to explore contemporary themes. 

Timing: Combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions

Projects can range from 4 weeks to a full semester. 

Examples: 

Please note: These examples are meant to give you an idea of what is possible.  OGO will collaborate with you and a partner provider to select an activity that will fit your content needs. 

• Climate Change Around the Globe
• Ethical storytelling in Italy, England, Jamaica, or Appalachia
   

Overview: These online modules are pre-made by a variety of partner organizations. They can serve as academic support activities or as co-curricular content to complement the student’s coursework. Some options are facilitated by field experts and engage students in contemporary themes.  

Timing:  Synchronous or Asynchronous    

These modules vary in format and length depending on the topic area.

Examples:

Please note: While these activities may be customizable to some extent, they are not as broadly flexible as other activity options. 

• Building Your Personal Brand: Students reflect on their personal drivers, values, experience, and professional goals to tailor their personal brand.  (10-25 contact hours)
• Own Your Career: individual reflection utilizing the STARR framework: Situation, Task, Action, Result, Relates*. This process helps students to articulate their knowledge and skills in order to increase their employability. (Hybrid, 5-10 contact hours)
• Misinformation and Disinformation in the Time of COVID-19: Students learn and reflect on information and disinformation and learn how to be helpers during the time of COVID-19. (Customizable and self-paced)