International collaboration experience (ICE): Using multi-country student collaboration projects to enhance learning and faculty research

Abstract

In this chapter, we discuss our experiences with the X-Culture project. X-Culture is a large-scale international student collaboration project designed to enhance learning in international business (IB) and related courses through participative learning and first-hand cross-cultural interaction and collaboration. Our experience suggests there are numerous positive outcomes associated with international collaboration experience (ICE) projects, and they extend far beyond merely learning to use online communication tools. Furthermore, our data show many benefits for the students and professors from participating in the X-Culture project. The project has proven to be an excellent research platform on team dynamics and cross-cultural interactions. In addition, we will discuss the challenges of and recommend best practices for using ICEs.