Throughout the life of a prospective student through to alumni, colleges and universities have been increasingly reliant on new virtual, social, and online methods to attract, retain, educate, and employ their target audiences. The panelists share examples of how institutions/organizations have been

1. Innovative Uses of Technology
in International Education
NAFSA Embassy Dialogue Committee, Spring Workshop
Embassy of Canada, April 28, 2015

2. Speakers
Marty Bennett, Manager of International Partnerships,
CollegeWeekLive
Dr. Bidhan Chandra, Professor
Empire State College, State University of New York
Prof. Kenneth Frankel, President
Canadian Council for the Americas
Victor Betancourt, Executive Director, Center for Global Education
Marymount University
Maya Cohen, National Director of Academic Affairs
Embassy of Israel

3. Reaching Prospective International Students Virtually
• Use of virtual and social media tools in international student recruitment – a brief
history
• Social media – 2005-present
• Online chats – 2006-present
• Virtual college fairs – 2006-present
• Why use these tools?
• Live Where Your Audiences Live – Noel-Levitz/CollegeWeekLive data
• Constrained budgets, limited/no recruitment travel
• Convenience/familiarity
• Current applications in the international student recruitment process
• Social media: FB pages/groups, Twitter profiles, YouTube channels, etc.
• Institutional webinars
• Online chats
• Virtual college fairs
• Admitted student/Yield private events
Changes in the last decade

4. A brief history of virtual recruitment
2006-08 – The Digital Divide
• Only 20% of the world’s population has
regular online connectivity.
• Only 43 countries have an Internet
penetration rate of 50% or more; 226
countries do not.
• In 2008, the Internet will be more frequently
accessed on mobile phones than on PCs
(Personal Computers).
• There are twice as many people using
SMS (TXT) than e-mail.
NAFSA GS-013: Cyber Recruitment 2008

5. Digital, Social, & Mobile in 2015
From WeAreSocial’s January 2015 report

6. Social Networking sites
• Country specific networks
• China: Renren, Weibo, Youku, WeChat, etc.
• Russian-speaking countries: Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki
• Others – Mixi (Japan), Orkut (Brazil), Kakao Talk (Korea)
• What you can do:
• Promote your institution/organization
• Posting videos, links to websites
• Answer questions
• Be a resource
• Worldwide options:
• MySpace (2005-present?)
• Facebook (2005-present)
• YouTube (2006-present)
• Twitter (2006-present)
• LinkedIn (2006-present)
• Google+ (2011-present)
• What works: 80/20 rule
• Admitted student FB groups
• International admissions FB pages
• News feed like Twitter profiles
• YouTube playlists – student testimonials
2005-present

7. Live Where Your Audiences Live!

8. Survey Data: About the respondents
Noel-Levitz & CollegeWeekLive 2nd International E-Expectations Report, May 2014
More than 2,400
respondents from
164 countries

9. What influences student application decisions

10. Prospective students highly value conversations with
campus representatives & current students

11. Growth in the importance of mobile devices
25% of international students use a mobile device as their primary means of
accessing the web

12. 50% of international students will not visit a campus before enrolling;
20% will not visit a campus at all

13. Online chats
2006-present
• Group and/or private Chats through paid services
• Online Chats with EducationUSA Centers
• Facebook or Twitter Chats
• Skype chats
• Google Hangouts

14. Virtual Fairs

15. • Real-time video interaction
between Destination Indiana
institution reps and
EducationUSA advising
centers & their students
• Allows for videos to be shown,
websites, power point
presentations, & simple Q&A
• 1st event in Feb. 2006, 2nd in
Feb. 2007 with centers across
the MENA/Gulf region
• 3rd event March 30th with
AMINEF Jakarta

16. International High Schools & EducationUSA
• Expand awareness and exposure
to over 800 international school
guidance counselors and
EducationUSA advising centers
• Advisers/counselors invite
institutions to chat with their
students and vice versa
• Useful as outreach to areas
institutions do not travel to
regularly and/or …
• As follow-up with schools/centers
where there was high level of
interest
Virtual chats between institutions and advisers/counselors and their students

17. Public Platform at Virtual Fairs
Showcase your institution to
prospective students
• Increase exposure to
prospective students
• Uncover stealth applicants who
may need your services
• Support your institution’s
inbound marketing efforts
• Build stronger relationships
from more frequent
engagement
Broad access to students in multiple markets

18. The most successful platforms are…
Accessible from ALL potential devices used by students, parents, and advisers

19. • Because they cannot visit in person,
meet students where they are
‒ Online, email, mobile
3 Takeaways
• Institutional website review
‒ Does your international content match
international students’ expectations & parents’?
• Know your strengths internationally
‒ What attracts international students to your
institution/organization?
3 Important Takeaways
How to tap into social and virtual tools to reach students overseas

20. Thank You!
Marty Bennett
Manager, International Partnerships
(617) 938-6037 | mbennett@platformq.com

21. https://www.coursera.org/course/imooc
Mastering American eLearning - A systematic review of competencies needed for
international students and working professionals to successfully navigate U.S. virtual
learning and work environments
Embassy Dialogue Committee on Education - Spring Workshop
Washington, DC
April 28, 2015
Presenters
Dr. Valeri Chukhlomin & Dr. Bidhan Chandra
SUNY Empire State College
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
bchandra@esc.edu

22. iMOOC Project Team
Dr. Val Chukhlomin, Project Leader & Principal Investigator
Dr. Bidhan Chandra, Co-investigator
Dr. Anant Deshpande, Co-investigator
Dr. Tonka Jokelova, Instructional Designer
Dr. Dana Gliserman-Kopans, Editor
Lorette Calix, Co-investigator
Amy Giaculli, Project Coordinator
Jane Greiner, Instructional Support
John Hughes, Multimedia Expert
Jeannine Mercer, Co-investigator

23. International online learners
in U.S. universities
• 33,561 students from abroad take regular, for-credit
online courses in U.S. universities
(NCES, 2012)
• 886,052 international students are studying in the U.S.
(IIE Open doors, 2013/2014)
• 1/3 of students in the U.S. take at least one online course
(Babson survey, 2014)
• Closely related populations:
– First generation immigrants in U.S. educational institutions
– Working professionals outside of the U.S. employed by U.S. companies.

24. Typical problems (“barriers”)
• Organizational (distance, textbook delivery, costs)
• Technology and distance learning environments
• Language, culture, expected role and behaviors
• Academic systems, classroom structure
• Academic writing, oral communications
• Professional language and contexts
• Self-directed learning, motivation, time management.
Chukhlomin, V., Deshpande, A., & Chandra, B. (2013). Strategies for bridging
cross-cultural barriers for international students’ success in American
asynchronous online degree programs. The South African Journal of Higher
Education, 27(6), pp. 1477-1486.

25. As of April 19, 2015

26. Some highlights
• Length: 6 weeks
• Students: 4,526 from 141 countries
• Original content guides (23 units, 83 elements)
• Videos (85+)
• 27 self-assessments
• Self-reflective final paper (peer assessed)
• Discussion Forum: threads, posts
• Student-generated videos
• Survey and assessment.

27. Primary audiences
1. International (non-U.S.) students residing outside of
the U.S. and studying online at U.S.-based colleges
(universities)
2. International (non-U.S.) professionals residing
outside of the U.S. and working remotely for a U.S.-
based company or organization.
3. Incoming to the U.S. international students
4. U.S.-based working professionals interested in
refining professional skills
159
77
39
43
20
Total: 338

28. Barriers
Personal
attributes
Technology
Language
and Culture
Academic
System
Communicating
Ideas
Professional
Contexts

29. Major barriers Some examples of challenges for non-native learners
Technology - Unfamiliar with specific ways of using technology
- Unfamiliar with technical terminology used in U.S.
- Not skilled in communications with U.S.-based
helpdesks and IT personnel
- Not skilled in conducting teleconferences
Language and
Culture
- Not skilled in the use of American English
- Unfamiliar with American idioms, professional slang
- Unfamiliar with American educational and workplace
culture, ways of doing things, expected behaviors
- Cannot adjust easily to the way American classes
function
Communicating
ideas
- Unfamiliar with ways of discussing/debating things
- Not sufficiently skilled in academic writing
- Unaware of academic integrity requirements
- Unaware of the need to use style manuals
- Lack of presentation skills

30. Major barriers Some examples of challenges for non-native learners
Academic
systems
- Unfamiliar with the organization of American education
- Do not know how to use the college intranet
- Not aware of typical classroom roles, expected
behaviors
- Not used to learning independently
- Do not know how to get academic support
Professional
contexts
- Didn’t take required prerequisites
- Unfamiliar with the organization of professional life
- Not experienced in conducting teamwork activities
- Do not know local professional contexts, legislations.
Local contexts - Unaware of local contexts, events, popular themes
Personal
attributes
- Insufficient motivation
- Low self-efficacy (self-belief)
- Not used to self-regulated, active learning
- Close mindedness, low interest to other cultures
- Unable to change.

32. Videos (85+)
• Promotional video
• Informational videos (intro to units, elements)
• Faculty lecture
• Mini-lectures
• Interviews with faculty and experts
• Interviews with students
• Student self-generated content.

33. Organized “satellite” groups
• ESC International Programs (with Jeannine
Mercer)
• SUNY New Paltz (two cohorts with Aiko Pletch)
• EducationUSA and American corners in Indonesia
• EducationUSA: Hong Kong

35. Thank you for attending this session!
The course is still open for enrollment before May 1, 2015
https://www.coursera.org/imooc
For further information, please contact
Dr. Valeri Chukhlomin
valeri.chukhlomin@esc.edu
Dr. Bidhan Chandra
bchandra@esc.edu

36. Jay Gary Finkelstein
DLA Piper

37. Training Law Students to be International Transactional Lawyers
– Using an Extended Simulation to Educate Law Students about
Business Transactions, Business, Entrepreneurship and the Law, Vol. 1,
67-87 (2007)

38. “Negotiating Business Transactions: An
Extended Simulation Course”

39.  Experiential – full semester simulation of a business
transaction
 Transactional – representing clients doing business in
the world
 International – issues involved in cross-border, cross-
cultural transactions
 Collaborative – Two classes at different schools or two
sections in a single school – replicating reality

40.  New focus on practical skills: ABA,
California, employers
 IBN addresses relevant topics/issues
 Changing times create new demand
 A full class – ready for adoption

41. US – UK – EU – ME – SA - AF
American/
Dundee
(Scotland)
American/
Hastings
UVA/
Northwestern
American/
Ghent
(Belgium)
American/
Northwestern
Chicago/
Northwestern
Georgetown/
Dundee UVA/
Bucerius
(Germany)
Stanford/
Northwestern
Northwestern/
UCLA
Georgetown/
FGV (Brazil)
Denver/
Golden
Gate
Suffolk/
York
(England)

43.  Northwestern class (12 students) will have preparatory
classes on campus
 Northwestern students, with faculty, will travel to Israel at
end of May to negotiate face-to-face with class at Tel Aviv
University (12 students) which will also have had
preparatory classes
 Week-long intensive, interactive classes and negotiations
in Tel Aviv, combined with touring opportunities and
student interactions
 Collaborative, cross-cultural immersion experience – a real
world simulation of international negotiations

44.  A class
◦ Replicated in its entirety
◦ Multiple formats
◦ At over 30 law schools
 2 of top 5
 7 of top 16
 9 international
◦ Across the US and internationally

47.  Textbook
 Teacher’s manual
 Accessible
 Easy adoption
 Easy to learn

48. ◦Many practitioners want
to teach!
◦Smooth transition to
classroom
◦Supporting them in
offering the class

49.  Taught by Adjuncts:
◦ Northwestern Stanford Berkeley
◦ Washington and Lee Georgetown Hastings
◦ American UCLA Golden Gate
◦ Ghent (Belgium) Hebrew Univ (Israel) UVA
◦ Western (Canada)
 And now . . . Taught by Faculty:
◦ Chicago Dundee (Scotland)
◦ Denver IDC (Israel)
◦ Suffolk Bucerius (Germany)
◦ Boston Univ. FGV (Brazil)

50.  Ambassadors from international schools!
◦ Take the class in US
◦ Love the experience
◦ Report to their deans/faculty
◦ Multiple adoptions

51. ◦ Ghent (Belgium)
◦ Bucerius (Germany)
◦ IDC (Israel)
◦ Escola de Direito de São Paulo da Fundação Getulio
Vargas (FGV) (Brazil)
◦ Hebrew University (Israel)
◦ Tel Aviv University (Israel)

52.  Creating school partnerships
 Arranging faculty
 Offering facilities
 Active monitoring of classes

54. BERKELEY: “[O]ne
of the most valuable
experiences of my law
school career.”
GEORGETOWN:
“[E]xtraordinarily valuable
for aspiring transactional
lawyers, [and] those like
me . . . simply .. .
Interest[ed] in taking a
transactional law course. “
STANFORD:
“Very valuable course
[that] taught me many
things I will be using in
my future career . . . .”
VIRGINIA: “The
most interesting
class I've taken at
any academic
level.”
Student Reactions

55. Jay Gary Finkelstein
Jay.finkelstein@dlapiper.com

56. Globally
Networked
Classrooms
Embassy Dialog Committee
Spring Workshop
April 28, 2015

57. Marymount University
• Founded: 1950
• Marymount is a comprehensive Catholic university
offering a wide array of undergraduate and
graduate degrees through the Schools of Arts and
Sciences, Business Administration, Education and
Human Services, and the Malek School of Health
Professions.

58. Enrollment (Fall 2014)
• Total enrollment: 3,441
• Total undergraduate students: 2,363
• Total graduate students: 1,078
• Total student population represents 42
states and 66 countries

59. Global Education @ MU
1. Long-Term
• 4-12 Months
• 15-18 Credits
• Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors can participate
• Students typically spend an entire semester or year abroad. Students matched with program/city
based on major, interests, as well as partner university organization offerings.
o Benefits: Greater cultural integration/exposure, enhanced foreign language skills, independence, etc.
2. Short-Term Faculty-Led
• 2-4 Weeks (Typically during the summer)
• 3-6 Credits
• Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors can participate
• Students typically earn credit for 1-2 courses. Some class time may occur before and/or after
travel.
o Benefits: Accessible: cheaper, less of a time commitment for students with jobs, athletes, or no interest
in spending an entire semester abroad. Enhanced teaching and learning experience for faculty and
students alike.
3. Embedded “Global Classroom” Courses
• 7-10 day international field experience embedded in a semester-long course
• 3 credits
• Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors can participate
• Academic content should not be compromised in the event that the international field experience in
cancelled.
o Benefits: Accessible: cheaper, less of a time commitment for students with jobs, athletes, or no interest
in spending an entire semester abroad. Enhanced teaching and learning experience for faculty and
students alike.

60. Globally Networked learning @ MU
SUNY Center for Collaborative Online Learning (CIOL) Institute
for Globally Networked Learning in the Humanities
new approach to teaching and learning that brings together geographically
distant instructors and students from different lingua-cultural backgrounds to
communicate and collaborate through the use of online communication tools.
The COIL method promotes interactive shared coursework, emphasizing
experiential learning and gives collaborating students a chance to get to know
each other while developing meaningful projects together.
This broadens and deepens their understanding of course content while
building cross-cultural communicative capacity through academic and
personal engagement with the perspectives of global peers.

61. Globally Networked learning @ MU
“The Global Village” is a partnership between the university’s
Sociology Department and the School of Communication and
Media at the Hanze University of Applied Science in Groningen,
the Netherlands.
Students at both universities work together (through Skype,
online discussion groups, and so forth) to consider what it means
to be members of the global community.
They develop intercultural communication skills and use
advances in communications technology to explore the extent
to which their lives are interconnected.

62. Globally Networked learning @ MU
Opportunities
• Internationalization at home is cost effective relative to
physical exchange
• Preparation for going abroad
• Global workplace skills
• Interdisciplinary learning environment
• Experiential Learning

63. Globally Networked learning @ MU
The challenges
• Technology
• Time zones & time changes & University schedules
• Curriculum (required versus optional)
• Team building in a virtual environment
• Cultural frames of reference influence
• Student motivation

64. Globally Networked learning @ MU
Course design
Photo essay on (one dimension of) globalization in your
assigned neighborhood
Collect community stories about how (economic, political,
cultural or environmental) globalization affected lives in this
neighborhood
- What would a Global Village look like?
- How could your community embrace the idea of a global
village?
Individual blogs - reflection on course experiences

65. Internships
Searchable database of internships with Israeli companies

66. Thank you!
Maya Cohen, National Director of Academic Affairs,
Embassy of Israel
Academic@washington.mfa.gov.il