Written by: Mahnaz Shirdel & Judit Háhn, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Abstract: Virtual exchange, as a tool for fostering intercultural understanding, allows participants to engage in online collaboration with international partners (O’Dowd, 2018). It offers significant benefits, such as the enhancement of participants’ 21st-century skills. However, its effectiveness can be compromised by certain challenges such as dissatisfaction with communication (Brooks & Pitts, 2016), which has been considered to be linked to identity gaps (Jung & Hecht, 2004). In this qualitative study, we aim to explore the main identity gap(s) perceived in our data.
The data comprises the first author's regular self-reflections during participation in a virtual exchange, as well as semi-structured interviews conducted with three volunteer participants from the same virtual exchange. We identified the main identity gaps and employed thematic analysis (Clarke & Braun, 2017) on the data to explore the themes that could be interpreted as their underlying reasons. The findings highlight the role of facilitators, self-other alignment, and technology in the development of identity gaps. The study contributes to the understanding of the dynamics of identity gap formation in international online learning contexts, particularly virtual exchanges. Our findings can inform virtual exchange design and facilitator training programs, thereby enhancing the experience for participants.
Keywords: virtual exchange, identity gap, facilitator, self-other alignment, technology