International Online Collaboration Competencies in Higher Education Students: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been forcing people to work remotely in virtual teams around the globe. Global virtual teamwork will continue, and people are not sufficiently prepared for this, resulting in reduced team commitment and lower performance. Higher education institutions need to equip their graduates with International Online Collaboration Competencies (IOCCs), but research into these is fragmented, lacking even a definition of these competencies. This study was systematically reviewing empirical studies on IOCCs. 516 studies were reviewed, and data from 14 full texts were analyzed. Six competence domains emerged from the literature. Most studies focused on single domains of IOCCs, and none of the studies covered all domains. Results indicate that this preliminary framework for higher education students provides a first overview of the fragmented literature on IOCCs. Methods to teach and evaluate IOCCs acquisition are underdeveloped but urgently needed to equip professionals for global virtual teamwork.

Developing Global Competence in Global Virtual Team Projects: A Qualitative Exploration of Engineering Students’ Experiences

“…These difficulties were tackled by splitting work activities into "smaller groups / sub-teams" and by encouraging regular communication. This challenge of managing one large team was unique to the second iteration due to its larger team size, however, it aligned with earlier studies highlighting organizational and collaborative competencies as valuable skills for virtual environments (Kolm et. al., 2021;Vinagre, 2017).…”

“…Disruptions such as the COVID 19 pandemic, which effectively shut down travel and in-person teaching and learning globally, pose serious challenges to accessing and benefiting from conventional international experiences. However, these challenges present opportunities to reimagine teaching and learning by harnessing the potential of digital technologies and international online collaboration (IOC) to enhance students’ intercultural competence (Kolm et. al., 2021), a global competence construct that involves the ability to engage in effective interaction and behaviors in intercultural situations (Deardorff, 2011).…”

“It's Doable”: International Graduate Students’ Perceptions of Online Learning in the U.S. During the Pandemic

“…Insufficiencies in formal support (e.g., determining types of support and tracking success and retention) for NNES students from the institution has been indicated as a chronic issue ( Andrade et al., 2014 ). Kolm et al (2021) urged developing methods to systematically teach and evaluate international collaboration competencies to promote the effectiveness of the digitalization of international education. Digitalization has broadened learning opportunities for international students to learn whenever and wherever they are.…”

Technology inclusion for students living with disabilities through collaborative online learning during and beyond a pandemic

“…The study concluded that collaborative action should be regarded as significant in creating inclusive http://dx.doi.org/10.18820/2519593X/pie.v40.i1.5 2022: 40(1) spaces to support students. In another study, Kolm et al (2021) conducted a systematic review on international online collaboration competencies in higher education students.…”