Practice Reports

Critical Virtual Exchange to address teachers’ needs in times of conflict

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21827/jve.8.42314

Keywords:

Critical Virtual Exchange, in-service teachers, teacher education, Ukranian students

Abstract

Critical world events, such as wars and pandemics, have always impacted the field of education. Across the globe, educational contexts have been confronted with challenges emerging from these events, thereby necessitating teachers to respond to the specific needs that arise in disrupted educational settings. Due to its intercultural nature, Virtual Exchange (VE) is a promising practice for contexts where new intercultural spaces are created in educational settings affected by disruption or conflict. In addition, its computer-mediated configuration allows participants from diverse geographic contexts to collaborate on shared goals synchronously or asynchronously. This practice report presents the outcomes of a “Critical Virtual Exchange” project, which brought together teachers from across Europe who were working with or preparing to work with Ukrainian students displaced by the war. By shedding light on the potential of VE to respond to the challenges faced by teachers during periods of educational disruption, this study contributes to leveraging VE as a practice to address critical pedagogical goals in crisis-affected contexts and establish virtual support communities.

Author Biographies

Anna Nicolaou, Cyprus University of Technology

Anna Nicolaou is Tenured Teaching Staff at the Language Centre of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), Limassol, Cyprus and the current Deputy Coordinator of the Learning Development Network of CUT. Her research interests include virtual exchange, intercultural education, and technology enhanced language learning.

Shannon Sauro, University of Maryland Baltimore County

Shannon Sauro is a Professor in the Department of Education at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (USA) and is the current president of UNICollaboration. Her research interests include virtual exchange for teacher professional development and the use of fan fiction and fan practices for language teaching and learning. 

Greta Björk Gudmundsdottir, University of Oslo

Greta Björk Gudmundsdottir is a Professor of Pedagogy at the Department of Teacher Education and School Research at the University of Oslo, Norway. Her research interests include digital competence in teacher education and schools, digital responsibility and digital inclusion and equity.

Pia Sundqvist, University of Oslo

Pia Sundqvist is a Professor in the Department of Teacher Education and School Research at the University of Oslo (Norway) and the current president of the Swedish Association of Applied Linguistics. Her main research interests include informal language learning, vocabulary acquisition, assessment of L2 oral proficiency, and English language teaching.

Published

2025-09-05

Issue

Vol. 8 (2025)

Section

Practice Reports

Copyright (c) 2025 Anna Nicolaou, Shannon Sauro, Greta Björk Gudmundsdottir, Pia Sundqvist

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