VITALS: Virtual International Teaching and Learning Skills. A Didactical and Methodical Introduction in Virtual International Teaching in Higher Education

Abstract

The internationalization of courses at universities is increasingly in demand. Through (virtual) international teaching, both lecturers and students can expand their intercultural but also professional competencies, build interna-tional networks and jointly design innovative teaching. In comparison to physical mobility, virtual internationalization is considerably less expensive. Moreover, it is more inclusive, flexible, and sustainable while promoting participants’ digital competencies. However, these innovative teaching formats also entail numerous challenges, such as technical and organizational require-ments, special didactical and methodological demands, as well as questions of performance assessment and certification. This script is a written elaboration of the workshop series "VITALS - Virtual International Teaching and Learning Skills", which was conducted as part of the NIDIT project at the Justus Liebig University Giessen in spring 2023. In addition to a basic introduction to the various possibilities, potential and challenges of virtual international teaching, this script will also give you insights into different didactical and methodological approaches and practical suggestions for the (successful) design of virtual international courses.