VIRTUAL DUAL IMMERSION PROGRAM
AUSJAL and AJCU
“Leveraging Connections”
VIRTUAL DUAL IMMERSION PROGRAM
WHO ARE WE?
• We are a Hub
• Telecollaboration project based on language and cultural
exchange and intercultural exploration across contexts.
• 22 Universities in USA and Latin America
• More than 14,000 participants since 2006
• More than 175 collaborating faculty
NETWORKING COMMUNITY
“When separate, local efforts
connect with each other as
networks, then strengthen as
communities of practice,
suddenly and surprisingly a new
system emerges at a greater
level of scale. This system of
influence possesses qualities
and capacities that were
unknown in the individuals. ”
Wheatley 2008
AJCU MAP
HOW WE LEVERAGED OUR
CONNECTIONS
• AUSJAL & AJCU
• Educational Consortium
• Virtual Dual Immersion
AUSJAL &
AJCU
Global
Jesuit
University
Network
AJCU
Global Jesuit
Network
PROGRAM EVOLUTION
2006
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
STUDENT PARTICIPANT NUMBERS
Student Totals
826
38
YEAR
2006
128
302
2008
2009
2,520
2011
2011
9,631
2012
14,448
2013
RESISTANCE AND EVOLUTION
How have we coped with resistance?
What has allowed us to continue to
evolve?
Resistance
Resolution and New
Opportunity
Tool implemented
Focus on individual rather than
collective.
Community dialogue about
overall mission and “other”
awareness
Pre session form outlining
expectations, curriculum and
needs for all in the community
Not mine, don’t support.
Greater community continues
Branding, larger community
to generate support and greater articles, letters of
community success
recommendation, video
Limitations drawn by individual
universities or departments in
regards to investment,
understanding, vision and
support.
Create new opportunities for
interaction so pioneers can
continue participation
Desktop to Desktop (In Class)
Lab to Class
Autonomous
Cultural Events
Communication: Challenging
for coordinators to carry out
conversations about
expectations and management
without the coordination team
leading the action.
Communication became
community driven with follow
up and support by coordination
team.
Protocol generated by
members of the community.
Routine follow up and support
Peer mentoring to new faculty.
Funding: Lack of economic
support
Adapt model to serve the
essential needs, bare
minimum. Relay on community
for support in budget cuts,
training, experience.
Work with the most essential
and make action most effective.
PROJECT COORDINATION TEAM

Conductors of connection and movement
 Receive requests
 Establish contacts based on expectations and preferred models
 Needs and contextual analysis of request
 Connect coordinators based on potential opportunity for best
experience
 Confirm session and connection
 Follow through on success and challenges
 Negotiate path to success
 Mentor one another to continue to evolve and get better
MAKING PRIORITY BE COMMUNITY
“As networks grow and
transform into active,
working communities
of practice, we
discover how life truly
changes, which is
through emergence.”
Wheatley 2008
A COMMUNITY EVOLVING BY
COLLABORATING WITH OTHER NETWORKS
 Professional
Development
 Guest Speakers
 Thematic Webinars with
Experts from our
Universities
 Virtual Interviews
 Virtual Conferences
 Research Projects in
addition to individual
faculty research.
 University of Iowa and Virtual Dual
Immersion Project.
1.) Sociolinguistics and
Telecollaboration
2.) Resistance in
coordination and faculty
OUR VISION
EVOLVE AS A COMMUNITY IN FOUR
AREAS:
More members and universities
Innovate new models and methods
Better infrastructure, improve processes
Deeper integration to global hubs and networks
BIBLIOGRAPHY
MONTES, Jairo A. y Solanlly Ochoa A. (2006) Apropiación de las tecnologías de la información
y comunicación en cursos universitarios. En: Revista Acta Colombiana de Psicología V. 0 N. 2.
Bogotá
O’DOWD, Robert. (2007) Online Intercultural Exchange. An introduction for Foreign Language
Teaching. Ed. Michael Byram, University of Durham, UK, Alison Phipps, University of Glasgow,
UK.
O’DOWD, Robert. (2011) Intercultural Communicative competence through telecollaboration.
En: Jane Jackson (Ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Language and Intercultural Communication.
Routledge.
SCOLARI, Carlos. (2009) Hipermediaciones. Gedisa Barcelona
WENGER, Etienne (2006) Communities of Practice. http://www.ewenger.com/theory/
WHEATLEY, Magaret; FRIEZE, Deborah (2008) Using Emergence to Take Social Innovation to Scale.
Publication of The Berkana Institute Margaret www.berkana.org.
Contacts
 Colleen Coffey
 ccoffey30@yahoo.com
 Carolina Marturet
 cmarturet@gmail.com
 Oscar Mora
 oscmoras@javerianacali.edu.co