Virtual Mobility: The Lived Experience of Exchange Students in a Higher Education Institution in Asia

Abstract

The COVID-19 Pandemic has paralyzed the internationalization efforts of higher education institutions worldwide by hindering the physical mobility of the students, yet, the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College in the Philippines found a way to take the challenge an opportunity instead to internationalize through the use of emerging information and communication technologies. It is during this time, that the College launched its first-ever International Credit Transfer Program with its Indonesian University partner virtually. With this new dimension of student mobility, the researcher can't help but reflect on these questions: what do students bring home from their virtual student exchange experience? how educational and transformative are their virtual experiences to say that the mobility is not just like their other local/regular online classes? Using phenomenology both as a philosophy and a methodology, this work provides a thick description of the lived experiences of 16 Education major students captured through in-depth interviews and analysis of their journal entries. Five themes illuminated: Enhancing Macro skills; Reducing Affective Filters; Igniting Patriotism; Acquiring Digital Literary; Instilling 21st Century Skills. Findings reveal that the virtual experience brought new scholarships to the participants. The use of the online platforms was not at all deemed as a hindrance by these students rather they believe the platforms channeled them to have the 21st Century skills of Educators. Policy recommendations to better and sustain the program are included too, in this paper.