International Collaboration for a Sustainable Future

Faculty and Student Reflections from a Virtual Polytechnic Classroom

Abstract

This paper represents a concrete reflection on the first steps in a Collaborative Online International Learning journey through the Global Polytechnic Alliance participation in Map the System. The polytechnics are in Denmark (VIA), Canada (Humber College), and New Zealand (Otago Polytechnic). Students and faculty participated in the initiative to work together strategically, based on common interests, to strengthen the participating institutions academically and globally. Three international teams were developed to participate and enter into the Map the System global competition. The teams chose a social or environmental issue that mattered to them and researched connecting elements and factors to share findings in a way that people can meaningfully learn from. This competition, and the paper, is viewed as a discovery process. In this article, we describe three stages the team went through faculty team formation, teaching and learning as well as developing student research and system maps. Through this process, we discovered key insights on creating a sense of community online, systems thinking and reflective learning process. The paper concludes with our thoughts on the unintended gifts of collaborating internationally in virtual teams.