A novel methodology of international discourse: online joint course across cultures

The article investigates a novel approach in higher education: a collaborative international learning framework delivered as an online joint course between the University of Pécs (Hungary) and Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania (USA). The joint course foregrounds psychosocial aspects of identity development and leverages intercultural discourse by bringing together students from multiple cultural backgrounds in real time. This immersive, dialogic platform aims to widen interpretive frameworks across cultural, social, linguistic, and psychological dimensions, thereby fostering open-mindedness and enabling social change. It addresses key 21st-century challenges such as migration, globalization, and gender issues by enabling students to integrate diverse cultural perspectives at a personal level and to observe harmonization or clashes of values in an academic setting.

The background situates the work within contemporary challenges of identity formation, globalization, and in-group/out-group dynamics, arguing for a pedagogy aimed at social change that actively involves learners (Mackenzie-Bathurst-Hunt, 2018). The authors emphasize the 4Cs—Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity—as foundational 21st-century competencies. They discuss shifts in the teacher’s role from knowledge source to mediator in a context where “digital natives” often surpass educators (“digital immigrants”) in technological fluency (Schnell-Zalay-Gombás, 2021). Concerns about the erosion of mindfulness and authentic community in media-saturated environments are highlighted (Szécsi, 2013; 2021). They further reference social-cognitive competencies as uniquely human and crucial for navigating AI-era challenges (Pléh, 2000; Schnell, 2015; 2016; 2019). The theoretical foundation also draws on Erikson’s psychosocial theory of identity (Erikson, 1993), linguistic relativity (Whorf, 1941), and sociological research on place and environmental concern (Podeschi & Howington, 2011).

Design and framework: The course follows the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) paradigm, jointly designed and delivered by instructors at the University of Pécs (UP) and Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania (BU). It uses interactive, turn-taking lectures across continents with students representing diverse sociocultural backgrounds (Far East, Middle East, Central Europe, USA). Technology: Synchronous teleconferencing (projecting partner classroom), online platforms (teleconference tools, Facebook study group), and multimodal internet resources (videos, real-life materials) facilitated real-time intercultural interaction and reflection. Course structure: Eight joint teleconference sessions integrated within each university’s course; harmonization of semesters, time zones, and institutional rules. Sessions began with reading journal discussions on harmonized literature, followed by cross-cultural dialogue. The BU course schedule (Spring 2018) included methods training (qualitative/quantitative; Atlas.ti, SPSS basics), data gathering in a local community, iterative teleconferences on identity, psycholinguistics, intercultural communication, and place. The UP course, titled “Language, Culture, and Identity,” emphasized sociocultural and psychological aspects of language and communication, including discourse analysis, field-trip based projects, and strategies to improve intercultural communication. Requirements and assessment: UP students required B2 English proficiency; completion of assignments and active participation (50% of final grade). Community building: Initial class devoted to forming an online study group and introductions. Students shared cultural artifacts and experiences. Pair and team activities allowed digestion of impressions and facilitated prism-like multiplication of perspectives. Intercultural content and activities: Topics included linguistic relativity, psychosocial identity development (Erikson), globalization and glocalization, and sociology of place. Activities featured 3R’s (Rituals, Relationships, Restrictions) matrices, intercultural pairing (US–UP student pairs) to co-create presentations comparing locality-identity structures, and continuous asynchronous reflections via the study group. Applied component: A cooperative board game (“It’s about us!”) from the University of Pécs’ Grastyán Collegium was used to strengthen collaboration and address locality-identity issues in a community-building context. Experiential learning: BU students conducted fieldwork in Hungary (e.g., visit to Pécs and the rural town of Vajszló), enabling face-to-face intercultural experience complementing online discourse. Approach: Qualitative, experience-based educational intervention emphasizing real-time cross-cultural dialogue, reflective journaling, and collaborative project work to cultivate 21st-century skills and psychosocial development.

- Intercultural openness and perspective integration: Real-time discussions across collectivistic–individualistic cultural spectra fostered broader interpretive frameworks and increased open-mindedness. - Reduction of stereotypes and barriers: Dialogues (e.g., on headscarves in Tunisian culture, Uygur students’ experiences) helped counter homogenizing assumptions and broke down in-group/out-group biases. - Development of 21st-century skills (4Cs): Activities reinforced communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity through joint sessions, paired projects, and problem-solving. - Enhanced adaptability and flexibility: Participants navigated intercultural contexts, time-zone differences, and scheduling challenges, improving adaptability and social-cognitive competencies. - Personal and professional connections: Long-term friendships and professional ties formed; students reported high engagement and positive impressions of the course’s mind-opening nature. - Applied learning outcomes: Fieldwork in Hungary, 3R’s matrices, and the cooperative board game supported practical understanding of identity-locality dynamics and community-building. - Educational impact beyond traditional settings: The methodology provided first-hand intercultural experience within classrooms, surpassing textbook-based, second-hand perspectives.

The findings indicate that a COIL-based, jointly taught online course can effectively serve as a vehicle for social change within and beyond academia by fostering psychosocial identity development and intercultural competence. By integrating instantaneous reflections from diverse cultural perspectives, the course addressed the central aim of enabling students to experience, compare, and synthesize differing value systems. The emergent openness, adaptability, and collaborative skills align with the identified needs of 21st-century education and counteract challenges posed by media saturation and virtual, weak-tie communities. The applied components (3R’s framework, cooperative board game, and fieldwork) translated theory into practice, reinforcing the teacher’s mediator role and empowering students as active co-constructors of knowledge. This demonstrates the relevance of COIL methodologies in higher education for developing human-specific social-cognitive skills critical in a globalized, technology-rich world.

The collaborative online educational methodology allowed participants to experience cultural immersion within their own classrooms and to integrate multiple perspectives through instantaneous, interactive reflection. Bringing together students from varied cultural backgrounds enabled a continuum of interpretations—from collectivistic to individualistic—yielding new insights into social challenges and the dynamics of social change. The experience fostered long-term relationships, provided first-hand intercultural communication practice, and shaped learners’ perspectives more effectively than traditional, textbook-centric approaches. The joint course demonstrated a practical, scalable model for 21st-century education that cultivates openness, collaboration, and critical engagement across cultures.

The work reports a qualitative, descriptive case based on a single international collaboration between two universities, which may limit generalizability. Outcomes were primarily evidenced through participant reflections, course products, and experiential accounts without systematic quantitative assessment. Organizational constraints (e.g., scheduling across time zones, daylight savings differences) presented logistical challenges. The article notes that it does not contain studies with human participants performed by the authors, and data are available upon reasonable request.