Reimagining place in internationalization at a distance: An exploration of students' experiences in virtual exchange

Internationalization at a Distance (IaD) challenges the place-based nature of traditional mobility-centered internationalization initiatives. As technology increasingly drives forth new possibilities for internationalization, there is a growing need to reconceptualize place within digital programs. By reconsidering place through a poststructuralist lens that breaks from binary oppositions like online/in-person and at home/abroad, this paper aims to explore how students experience place within one category of IaD, virtual exchange (VE). In this study, a total of 43 virtual exchange students from 21 countries were interviewed in focus groups. A combination of deductive and inductive coding methods was employed to identify key themes across the groups. Findings underline the complexity of digital place as a hybrid environment with fluid boundaries that allows students to navigate and engage in multiple places simultaneously while also negotiating identities within these interconnected contexts. This study also highlights the role of technology, including internet access and the availability and quality of information and technology infrastructure, in shaping students' online experience and their ability to engage in the digital environment while also revealing the potential inequities that may arise at both the regional and individual levels. By challenging traditional understandings of place as fixed, geographic locations, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding IaD and offers new possibilities for understanding place as fluid and hybrid within online programs.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

• Place is inherently connected to internationalization, although little research has explored how place is perceived and experienced within IaD programs such as VE.
• In internationalization discourse, place is often understood in binary terms, drawing a distinction between home and abroad and emphasizing the significance of geographical location.
• IaD challenges this binary and presents new ways of understanding place.

What this paper adds

• This paper employs a poststructuralist lens to challenge and deconstruct the binary conceptions of place in internationalization.
• This paper focuses on VE as one form of IaD and explores student perceptions of place within such programs.
• Findings suggest that students experience place within their VE as hybrid, presenting opportunities for identity negotiation. However, challenges, including access to a stable internet connection, may limit how students experience these hybrid places.

Implications for practice and/or policy

• Designers and instructors should be mindful of the potential for technology to shape place-based experiences in IaD programs, and they should proactively leverage this potential to create equitable, inclusive and transformative hybrid learning environments that recognize the multidimensionality and diversity of student places.
• There is a need to recognize and address potential hierarchies of place that may emerge within digital environments and their ability to exacerbate existing inequalities or create new ones.
• When designing VE programs, stakeholders should prioritize equity and accessibility to ensure that all students are able to experience and engage in digital place. This may include designing a combination of synchronous and asynchronous places with low-bandwidth options for engagement and interaction.