13 Step 3: Initial student project group meeting

During or after the introductory session, it might be worthwhile to have an initial meeting for the small student project groups to build rapport. This could be synchronous or asynchronous, facilitated or entirely student driven. This initial meeting can serve as an important starting point for students to identify what they anticipate will work well with their group and what the anticipated challenges might be. Issues perhaps related to language or reticence to participate can be identified early and hopefully mitigated (with support from the instructional team, if necessary). It would also be helpful to encourage students to use this time to find mutual meeting times during the duration of the Virtual Exchange and to discuss and outline expectations explicitly.

Following this meeting with a reflective assignment may allow the instructional team to identify possible supports early in the process. For example, if language is an issue, the instructional team can encourage the use of translation features (such as the one available in Microsoft Teams) so individuals can participate in the language of their choice.