Small Shifts, Big Impacts: Cultivating Intercultural Skills Through Online Global Classrooms
Keywords:
Intercultural competence, intercultural sensitivity, Global South–Global North Partnerships, higher education partnerships, intercultural learning
Abstract
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This study explores the impact of a structured intercultural learning (IL) intervention on students’ intercultural competence (IC) across Global Liberal Arts Alliance (GLA) member institutions. Implemented through the Global Course Connection (GCC) initiative, the intervention was evaluated using a pre-experimental, single-group pre-post design. A total of 178 undergraduate students from humanities, sciences, and social sciences completed the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) before and after participating in the program. Results showed a modest but meaningful improvement (5%–7%) in students’ attitudes and behaviors related to IC, including cultural respect, confidence, engagement, and enjoyment. There was also a notable decline in negative attitudes like ethnocentrism and avoidance. The study confirms that even short-term, curriculum-embedded interventions can foster IC in diverse educational settings. It also highlights the importance of virtual international collaborations such as COIL, particularly for Global South institutions with limited access to physical exchange opportunities. Furthermore, the study calls for integrating reflective social media use into IC education, acknowledging its role in shaping students’ worldviews. The findings support expanding structured IL programs and enhancing North–South academic partnerships to cultivate globally competent graduates who are prepared to navigate and contribute to multicultural societies.
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References
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Appiah-Kubi, P., & Annan, E. (2020). A review of a collaborative online international learning. International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy, 10(1), 109-124. https://ecommons.udayton.edu/enm_fac_pub/2
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Arasaratnam, L. A. (2015). Research in Intercultural Communication: Reviewing the Past Decade. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, 8(4), 290-310. https://doi.org/10.1080/17513057.2015.1087096
Avgousti, M. I. (2018). Intercultural communicative competence and online exchanges: A systematic review. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 31(8), 819–853. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2018.1455713
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Guillén-Yparrea, N., & and Ramírez-Montoya, M. S. (2023b). A review of collaboration through intercultural competencies in higher Education. Cogent Education, 10(2), 2281845. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2281845
Gümüş, N. B., & Kayaoğlu, M. N. (2025). Breaking barriers: Uniting Turkish and Greek students through eTwinning collaboration for empathy, understanding, and language anxiety relief. Language and Intercultural Communication, 25(1), 109-126. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2024.2389827
Hackett, S., Janssen, J., Beach, P., Perreault, M., Beelen, J., & Van Tartwijk, J. (2023). The effectiveness of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) on intercultural competence development in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-022-00373-3
Killick, D. (2017). Internationalization and diversity in higher education. Red Globe Press.
Kohli Bagwe, T., & and Haskollar, E. (2020). Variables impacting intercultural competence: A systematic literature review. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 49(4), 346-371. https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2020.1771751
Liberal Arts Alliance. (2025). Global Course Connection. Liberal Arts Alliance. Retrieved January 5 from https://liberalartsalliance.org/programs/global-course-connections/
Marinoni, G., & Cardona, S. B. P. (2023). 6th IAU global survey report: Internationalization of higher education: Current trends and future scenario. I. A. o. U. (IAU).
Obijiofor, L. (2025). Internationalization of higher education across cultures. In S. Liu, A. Komisarof, Z. Hua, & L. Obijiofor (Eds.), The Sage Handbook of Intercultural Communication (pp. 240254). SAGE.
Open Society Network. (2025). About OSUN. Open Society Network. Retrieved January 6 from https://opensocietyuniversitynetwork.org/about/
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. (2018). Preparing our youth for an inclusive and sustainable world: The PISA global competence framework. OECD. https://WWW.OECD.ORG⁄EDUCATION⁄GLOBAL-COMPETENCY-FOR-AN-INCLUSIVE-WORLD.PDF
Portera, A. (2019). Intercultural competence in education to foster European identity. Revista de Științe ale Educației, 40(2), 14-27. https://doi.org/10.35923/JES.2019.2.02
Prayogo, A., Khotimah, K., Istiqomah, L., & Maharsi, I. (2024). Students' emotional engagement in online classes: A conceptual framework. The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, 41(1), 61-72.
Pylväs, L., & Nokelainen, P. (2021). Academics’ perceptions of intercultural competence and professional development after international mobility. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 80, 336-348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2020.10.004
Ramstrand, N., Lucie, W., Elisabeth, N., & and Johansson, A. (2024). Interventions and evaluation of intercultural competence of students enrolled in higher education – A scoping review. Education Inquiry, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/20004508.2024.2344871
Sarwari, A. Q., Adnan, H. M., Rahamad, M. S., & Abdul Wahab, M. N. (2024). The requirements and importance of intercultural communication competence in the 21st century. SAGE Open, 14(2), 21582440241243119. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241243119
Sawyer, M. (2014). Intercultural competence in Asian contexts: Toward integrating Asiacentricity and intercultural citizenship. In G.-M. Chen & X. Dai (Eds.), Intercultural communication competence: Conceptualization and its development in cultural contexts and interactions (pp. 170-189). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Sepncer-Oatey, H., & Franklin, P. (2009). Intercultural interaction: A multidisciplinary approach to intercultural communication. Pakgrave MacMillan.
Sokuvitz, S., Zhu, Y., Gareis, E., Bazzoni, J. O. K., & Rolland, D. (2005). A collaborative online project between New Zealand and New York. Business Communication Quarterly, 68(1), 81-96.
Soler, M. C., Kim, J. H. J., & Cecil, B. G. (2022). Mapping internationalization on U.S. campuses: 2022 edition. A. C. o. Education.
Spitzberg, B., & Hangnon, G. (2009). Conceptualizing intercultural competence. In D. K. Deardorff (Ed.), The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Competence (pp. 2-52). SAGE.
Stella, P. P., & Premazzi, V. (2024). The key role of intercultural competencies for effective integration: from theory to practice. Quality Education for All, 1(2), 94-111. https://doi.org/10.1108/qea-03-2024-0027
Vaishnav, P. B. (2025). The role of intercultural competence in effective cross-border collaboration among higher education institutions. In M. Kayyali (Ed.), International Academic Transformations and Cross-Border Collaborations (pp. 195-218). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-0508-0.ch009
Woldegiyorgis, A. A., Luchilo, L., & Pham, T. (2022). Academic cooperation between Africa, Asia and Latin America: The place of diasporas. International Journal of African Higher Education, 9(3), 105–131. https://doi.org/10.6017/ijahe.v9i3.16049
Wolff, F., & Borzikowsky, C. (2018). Intercultural competence by international experiences? An investigation of the impact of educational stays abroad on intercultural competence and its facets. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 49(3), 488-514. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022118754721
Žegunienė, V. (2022). The importance to careers of intercultural communication: A student perspective. Regional Formation & Development Studies, 36(1).
Zhao, K., Du, X., & Tan, H. (2021). Student engagement for intercultural learning in multicultural project groups via the use of English as a lingua franca. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 34(4), 438-457. https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2020.1858094
Ainscow, M. (2020). Promoting inclusion and equity in education: Lessons from international experiences. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 6(1), 7-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/20020317.2020.1729587
Allame, Y. E. K. E., Dunrong, B., Anas, H., Jie, M., Amutuhaire, T., Yifan, H., Elghazali, O., & Jingran, Y. (2022). Academic collaboration in Africa and Asia: Current status, challenges, and emerging trends and strategies. International Journal of African Higher Education, 9(3), 37-61. https://doi.org/10.6017/ijahe.v9i3.16041
Appiah-Kubi, P., & Annan, E. (2020). A review of a collaborative online international learning. International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy, 10(1), 109-124. https://ecommons.udayton.edu/enm_fac_pub/2
Arasaratnam-Smith, L. A. (2025). Developing intercultural competence in higher educational contexts. In S. Liu, A. Komisarof, Z. Hua, & L. Obijiofor (Eds.), The Sage Handbook of Intercultural Communication (pp. 211-224). SAGE.
Arasaratnam, L. A. (2015). Research in Intercultural Communication: Reviewing the Past Decade. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, 8(4), 290-310. https://doi.org/10.1080/17513057.2015.1087096
Avgousti, M. I. (2018). Intercultural communicative competence and online exchanges: A systematic review. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 31(8), 819–853. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2018.1455713
Barrot, J. S. (2022). Social media as a language learning environment: A systematic review of the literature (2008-2019). Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35(9), 2534-2562. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1883673
Čiefová, M. (2020). Intercultural education as a tool for migrants integration. Ekonomické Rozhľady—Economic Review, 49, 142-161.
Council of Europe. (2016). Competences for democratic culture: Living together as equals in culturally diverse democratic societies. Council of Europe.
Council of Europe. (2018a). Reference framework of competences for democratic culture. Vol. 1: Context, concepts and model. Council of Europe.
Council of Europe. (2018b). Reference framework of competences for democratic culture. Vol. 2: Descriptors of competences for democratic culture. Council of Europe.
Deardorff, D. K. (2006). The identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization at institutions of higher education in the United States. Journal of Studies in International Education, 10(3), 241–266. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315306287002
Deardorff, D. K., & Jones, E. (2022). Intercultural competence as a core focus in international higher education. In D. K. Deardorff, H. d. Wit, B. Leask, & H. Charles (Eds.), The Handbook of International Higher Education (2nd ed.). Stylus.
Egron-Polak, E., & Marinoni, G. (2023). Internationalization of higher education: Regional approaches. In D. K. Deardorff, H. d. Wit, B. Leask, & H. Charles (Eds.), The Handbook of International Higher Education (2nd ed., pp. 75-94). Stylus.
Fantini, A. (2009). Assessing intercultural competence: Issues and tools. In D. K. Deardorff (Ed.), The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Competence (pp. 456–476). SAGE.
Global Liberal Arts Alliance. (2024). About Us. Global Liberal Arts Alliance. Retrieved January 5 from https://liberalartsalliance.org/about-us/
Guillén-Yparrea, N., & and Ramírez-Montoya, M. S. (2023a). Intercultural competencies in higher education: A systematic review from 2016 to 2021. Cogent Education, 10(1), 2167360. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2167360
Guillén-Yparrea, N., & and Ramírez-Montoya, M. S. (2023b). A review of collaboration through intercultural competencies in higher Education. Cogent Education, 10(2), 2281845. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2281845
Gümüş, N. B., & Kayaoğlu, M. N. (2025). Breaking barriers: Uniting Turkish and Greek students through eTwinning collaboration for empathy, understanding, and language anxiety relief. Language and Intercultural Communication, 25(1), 109-126. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2024.2389827
Hackett, S., Janssen, J., Beach, P., Perreault, M., Beelen, J., & Van Tartwijk, J. (2023). The effectiveness of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) on intercultural competence development in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-022-00373-3
Killick, D. (2017). Internationalization and diversity in higher education. Red Globe Press.
Kohli Bagwe, T., & and Haskollar, E. (2020). Variables impacting intercultural competence: A systematic literature review. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 49(4), 346-371. https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2020.1771751
Liberal Arts Alliance. (2025). Global Course Connection. Liberal Arts Alliance. Retrieved January 5 from https://liberalartsalliance.org/programs/global-course-connections/
Marinoni, G., & Cardona, S. B. P. (2023). 6th IAU global survey report: Internationalization of higher education: Current trends and future scenario. I. A. o. U. (IAU).
Obijiofor, L. (2025). Internationalization of higher education across cultures. In S. Liu, A. Komisarof, Z. Hua, & L. Obijiofor (Eds.), The Sage Handbook of Intercultural Communication (pp. 240254). SAGE.
Open Society Network. (2025). About OSUN. Open Society Network. Retrieved January 6 from https://opensocietyuniversitynetwork.org/about/
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. (2018). Preparing our youth for an inclusive and sustainable world: The PISA global competence framework. OECD. https://WWW.OECD.ORG⁄EDUCATION⁄GLOBAL-COMPETENCY-FOR-AN-INCLUSIVE-WORLD.PDF
Portera, A. (2019). Intercultural competence in education to foster European identity. Revista de Științe ale Educației, 40(2), 14-27. https://doi.org/10.35923/JES.2019.2.02
Prayogo, A., Khotimah, K., Istiqomah, L., & Maharsi, I. (2024). Students' emotional engagement in online classes: A conceptual framework. The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, 41(1), 61-72.
Pylväs, L., & Nokelainen, P. (2021). Academics’ perceptions of intercultural competence and professional development after international mobility. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 80, 336-348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2020.10.004
Ramstrand, N., Lucie, W., Elisabeth, N., & and Johansson, A. (2024). Interventions and evaluation of intercultural competence of students enrolled in higher education – A scoping review. Education Inquiry, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/20004508.2024.2344871
Sarwari, A. Q., Adnan, H. M., Rahamad, M. S., & Abdul Wahab, M. N. (2024). The requirements and importance of intercultural communication competence in the 21st century. SAGE Open, 14(2), 21582440241243119. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241243119
Sawyer, M. (2014). Intercultural competence in Asian contexts: Toward integrating Asiacentricity and intercultural citizenship. In G.-M. Chen & X. Dai (Eds.), Intercultural communication competence: Conceptualization and its development in cultural contexts and interactions (pp. 170-189). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Sepncer-Oatey, H., & Franklin, P. (2009). Intercultural interaction: A multidisciplinary approach to intercultural communication. Pakgrave MacMillan.
Sokuvitz, S., Zhu, Y., Gareis, E., Bazzoni, J. O. K., & Rolland, D. (2005). A collaborative online project between New Zealand and New York. Business Communication Quarterly, 68(1), 81-96.
Soler, M. C., Kim, J. H. J., & Cecil, B. G. (2022). Mapping internationalization on U.S. campuses: 2022 edition. A. C. o. Education.
Spitzberg, B., & Hangnon, G. (2009). Conceptualizing intercultural competence. In D. K. Deardorff (Ed.), The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Competence (pp. 2-52). SAGE.
Stella, P. P., & Premazzi, V. (2024). The key role of intercultural competencies for effective integration: from theory to practice. Quality Education for All, 1(2), 94-111. https://doi.org/10.1108/qea-03-2024-0027
Vaishnav, P. B. (2025). The role of intercultural competence in effective cross-border collaboration among higher education institutions. In M. Kayyali (Ed.), International Academic Transformations and Cross-Border Collaborations (pp. 195-218). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-0508-0.ch009
Woldegiyorgis, A. A., Luchilo, L., & Pham, T. (2022). Academic cooperation between Africa, Asia and Latin America: The place of diasporas. International Journal of African Higher Education, 9(3), 105–131. https://doi.org/10.6017/ijahe.v9i3.16049
Wolff, F., & Borzikowsky, C. (2018). Intercultural competence by international experiences? An investigation of the impact of educational stays abroad on intercultural competence and its facets. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 49(3), 488-514. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022118754721
Žegunienė, V. (2022). The importance to careers of intercultural communication: A student perspective. Regional Formation & Development Studies, 36(1).
Zhao, K., Du, X., & Tan, H. (2021). Student engagement for intercultural learning in multicultural project groups via the use of English as a lingua franca. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 34(4), 438-457. https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2020.1858094
Published
2026-02-19
How to Cite
Khokhar , A. J. (2026). Small Shifts, Big Impacts: Cultivating Intercultural Skills Through Online Global Classrooms. Journal of Communication and Cultural Trends, 7(1), 79-103. Retrieved from https://journals.umt.edu.pk/index.php/jcct/article/view/7153
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