1. What is EDGE?

EDGE (Experiential Digital Global Engagement) is a project-based international virtual exchange program housed in the Global Learning team within Penn State Global. EDGE is known around the world by different names, most commonly COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) or “Internationalization at Home.”

EDGE provides international education and global accessibility regardless of student resources or limited, unpredictable mobility. Penn State recognizes that not all students have the financial or personal flexibility to study abroad. That is the strength of the EDGE program: EDGE projects (developed jointly by Penn State and international paired faculty) are embedded into Penn State courses where Penn State students team remotely with students from around the globe to solve a problem, thereby developing and strengthening their global awareness and perspective.

There is no direct cost to students or faculty since students work together remotely to complete an EDGE collaborative project using technology agreed upon by the faculty partners. No travel is required.

2. What are the EDGE benefits to students and faculty?

For students to be most successful in the global marketplace, they must also have strong soft skills. They must be able to work in heterogenous teams comprised of people from different locations, communication styles, backgrounds, and management styles.Participating in EDGE collaborative projects provides a comfortable space for them to practice developing those skills, especially the skill of intercultural competence.

Faculty can participate in innovative, student-centered pedagogy that allows them to play an important role in internationalizing the curriculum. EDGE collaborative partnerships benefit faculty by:

• • Providing content for research, publications, and conference presentations, 
  • Enhancing intercultural communication and digital skills 
  • Networking with colleagues from around the world, and 
  • Exploring new technology tools to engage students.

3. Who can develop EDGE collaborative projects?

Non-tenure-line teaching/research faculty and tenure-line faculty are encouraged to include an EDGE collaborative project for their students in their courses. EDGE collaborative projects provide cross-cultural engagement and strengthen students’ intercultural communication and competency skills, collaboration skills, and digital skills. Co-teaching with international faculty is NOT a requirement of EDGE projects.

4. Is my current course project an EDGE project?

EDGE collaborative projects require the following components:

• • PSU and international faculty jointly plan and deliver the EDGE collaborative project. Co-teaching is NOT a requirement of EDGE projects.
  • Global learning objectives are included in the syllabus.
  • PSU and international students are grouped together in international teams for project-based collaboration.
  • Some form of assessment of the global learning objectives is completed at the close of the EDGE collaborative project.
  • Technology is used by students working collaboratively over a distance.

Faculty are ENCOURAGED to include some type of intercultural training to help students prepare for cross-cultural collaboration. Faculty are also encouraged to include an icebreaker activity to help students become acquainted before they begin working together.Please contact Tiffany MacQuarrie at tls7@psu.edu to discuss additional details about your course.

Disclaimer:  Remember that EDGE is project-based international virtual exchange. Therefore, simply hosting guest lecturers is NOT considered EDGE.

5. How do I develop an EDGE collaborative project?

Faculty partners are encouraged to discuss the themes, topics, and projects of the course in which they would like to embed an EDGE collaborative project to find units which would lend themselves best to cross-cultural critical reflection by students. Co-teaching is NOT a requirement of EDGE projects.

Next, faculty are encouraged to develop shared global learning objectives or to use or adapt global learning objectives available in the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ Intercultural Knowledge and Competence VALUE rubric or Global Learning VALUE rubric.

After determining a timeline for collaboration, faculty then create a timeline of student tasks and develop a week-by-week project plan for students that will include assignment descriptions and rubrics.

Faculty are ENCOURAGED to include some type of intercultural training to help students prepare for cross-cultural collaboration. Faculty are also encouraged to include an icebreaker activity to help students become acquainted before they begin working together.

The project will conclude with assessment of the global learning objectives. Critical reflection is an integral aspect to student learning about and engaging with the content from a global perspective. Some EDGE partnered faculty have administered pre-and post-surveys or required students to write an EDGE reflection paper. There is no specific assessment required. The assessment tool is left to the discretion of the faculty.

6. What technology must I use?

Technology decisions are also negotiated between paired faculty. Faculty must determine whether students will engage synchronously as a class or synchronously in their student groups or if all tasks should be completed using asynchronous communication. Faculty will also determine the preferred platform for student discussions and submissions.  

Regardless of the technology used, the EDGE project and student tasks are first created and then the technology decisions are negotiated between faculty. (Technology always follows project design – never the other way around.) 

7. What is my timeline?

EDGE projects take time to develop, often anywhere between 3–18 months, depending on how long it takes for you and your partner to determine the shared global learning objectives, project idea, student tasks, week-by-week project plan, and assessment tool. The timeline varies with each professor. 

Because of academic calendar differences, EDGE projects are often a 4–8-week module. The length of the project is entirely at the discretion of the partnered faculty. 

8. How do I find an EDGE partner?

Option 1: Bring your own faculty partner to EDGE. Perhaps you have met faculty at professional conferences or teamed with faculty from an international institution for research.  

Option 2: Use Penn State’s EDGE Collaboration System. Complete your respective EDGE form. You will then be given a live link to the collaboration system (Excel spreadsheet) containing the names of faculty, the courses they teach, the dates of their semester, and possible topics/themes of interest.  

Review the growing list and email Dr. Alandra Kahl at afk12@psu.edu the name of the faculty member to whom you would like to be introduced. An email introduction will be given to begin the conversation. (Faculty are not committing to that partnership with the email; the introduction is simply designed to begin the conversation.) 

9. Will participating students and faculty receive certificates at the completion of the EDGE collaboration?

After the Penn State faculty partner completes the EDGE post-project form, both the PSU and international partner will be emailed personalized EDGE certificates. Additionally, EDGE certificate templates for PSU and international students will be emailed to each partner which can be distributed to their students at their discretion.