Design
Creating an EDGE project takes time. Often instructors meet several months in advance of introducing the project to their students. In addition to learning about one another’s course topics, expectations, teaching style, student composition and other suggested topics found in the Partnering Path of the Journey Map, they develop global learning objectives, determine assessment, and create the EDGE collaborative project.
Module Overview and Sections
In this module, you will…
- Recognize the common elements involved in an EDGE collaboration
- Explore a variety of icebreaker activities that will establish trust within student teams and strengthen student communication
- Articulate the global learning outcomes of your EDGE project
- Design a manageable, collaborative EDGE project to help students achieve the global learning outcomes
Building Rapport
EDGE Task Design
Creating an EDGE Project
Common EDGE Collaborative Elements Long Description
The image is titled “Common EDGE Collaborative Elements” and displays five key steps for EDGE (Experiential Digital Global Engagement) projects, organized horizontally with distinct colors, corresponding icons in circular shapes above arrows pointing to the next step, and descriptions for each step go from left to right.
- Planning Meetings (Teal, light bulb icon):
- “Educators often meet several weeks or months (average 3–6 months) in advance of introducing the EDGE projects to their students.”
- Student Preparation (Purple, notepad icon):
- “Includes cultural competence training and cross-cultural communication tips to prepare students for their cross-cultural interactions.”
- Icebreakers (Pinkish-purple, table with people icon):
- “Improves communication.”
- “Establishes trust.”
- “Promotes curiosity about culture.”
- EDGE Project (Red, computer monitor icon):
- “Work collaboratively in international teams.”
- “Explore solutions through different cultural lenses.”
- Assessment & Debrief (Blue, target icon):
- “Assess global learning objectives.”
- “Discuss future improvements to the project.”
Building Rapport through Ice Breaker Activities
Icebreakers are an essential component of an EDGE collaboration since they help to build rapport, foster trust, and orient students to cross-cultural interaction and collaboration. These activities can help students overcome initial apprehension, familiarize themselves with the technology and format, and begin developing intercultural curiosity.
Purdue University’s Center for Intercultural Learning, Mentorship, Assessment and Research (CILMAR) created and maintains the HubICL platform, Hub for promoting intercultural learning, as well as providing opportunities and resources for engaging with, adapting to, and bridging across cultural difference. Instructors can create a free account to explore additional resources, access detailed instructions, and download activity guides. Below are several icebreaker examples adapted from the HubICL Digital Toolbox.
Type of Activity and Objective
Quick Activities Examples (5-10 Minutes)
Medium-Length Activities Examples (10-20 Minutes)
1. Relationship- or Team- Building Activities
Objective: Foster connections and trust among participants by encouraging personal sharing and mutual understanding. Help participants recognize the value of diverse perspectives and talents within a group.
Air Handshake Mingle: Participants greet each other using non-verbal gestures like air handshakes or waves. (Best with Zoom or Microsoft Teams breakout rooms)
Emoji Introduction: Participants introduce themselves using emojis that represent their personality, interests, or background. (Best with Zoom chat or Slack threads)
Birds of a Feather: Participants group themselves virtually based on shared traits or interests (e.g., favorite hobbies or genres of music). (Best with Polls or chat features in Zoom)
Story Swap: Participants pair up to share a personal story and later recount their partner’s story as their own. (Best with Zoom or Microsoft Teams)
Five Nosy Questions: Students answer unusual or personal questions (e.g., “What’s a hidden talent you have?”) in small groups. (Best with Breakout rooms in Zoom)
A Day in My Life: Participants share photos or videos showcasing a typical day in their lives.
Two Truths and a Lie: Students share two true facts and one false statement about themselves, with peers guessing the lie.
Personal Map: Students create and share a digital “map” of places that are significant to them.
Virtual Photo Mosaic: Participants contribute photos of cultural symbols to a shared Padlet or Jamboard, then analyze themes collaboratively. (Best with Padlet, Jamboard, or Google Slides)
2. Technology Familiarization
Objective: Help students practice using digital platforms they will use during the project.
Platform Tour: A guided activity where students explore tools like Zoom, Padlet, or Slack.
Shared Collage: Use collaborative tools like Canva to create a group collage on a chosen theme.
Scavenger Hunt: Design a digital scavenger hunt to encourage exploration of course resources.
3. Cultural Exploration
Objective: Introduce cultural contexts and develop curiosity about global perspectives.
No Touch Greetings: Participants explore non-touch greetings (e.g., bowing, hand-to-heart gestures) and their cultural significance. (Best with Video conferencing tools)
Local Expressions: Participants share idioms or expressions from their culture and explain their meanings. (Best with Live Zoom discussions or shared Google Docs)
Language Exchange: Teach each other key phrases in their native languages.
Cultural Artifact Sharing: Students upload photos of meaningful cultural objects and share their stories. (Best with Padlet or Google Jamboard.)
Food Connections: Participants describe a dish from their region and its cultural significance.
Digital Postcards: Participants create and share digital postcards about their local environment or culture using tools like Canva. (Best with Canva for creation, Zoom for sharing)
Object Stories: Participants pick a nearby object with cultural or personal significance and share its story. (Best with Zoom or Microsoft Teams)
4. Topic-Focused Icebreakers
Objective: Link icebreakers to the course content for immediate relevance.
Quick Poll: Use tools like Mentimeter to gauge opinions or knowledge about a course-related topic.
One-Word Association: Students share one word they associate with the course theme (e.g., “sustainability,” “justice”).
Collaborative Brainstorm: Groups create a mind map of ideas related to the course objectives.
5. Humor and Fun
Objective: Create a relaxed atmosphere and reduce initial tension.
Virtual Background Challenge: Students set a fun or meaningful virtual background and explain its significance.
Emoji Introduction: Introduce themselves using only emojis, followed by interpretation from others.
Virtual Scavenger Hunt: Participants find and share objects that match given prompts (e.g., “something that makes you happy”). (Best with Video conferencing tools.)
Online Games: Incorporate games like Kahoot! or trivia quizzes related to intercultural topics.
Tips for Selecting Icebreakers
Icebreakers are the foundation for successful EDGE projects, laying the groundwork for collaboration, cultural understanding, and meaningful interactions. By selecting appropriate activities and leveraging digital resources, facilitators can create engaging and impactful interactions for their students. Here are some general tips to help you get started.
- Align with Objectives: Choose activities that support the learning goals of the course.
- Consider Group Dynamics: Adapt activities to suit group size and composition (e.g., small groups vs. full class).
- Account for Accessibility: Ensure all participants can engage fully, considering time zones, technology, and language.
- Relationship-Building Activities: Use these at the beginning of the session to create rapport.
- Cultural Exploration Activities: Incorporate these when introducing intercultural themes.
- Team-Building Activities: Apply these during group project phases to enhance collaboration.
- Humor and Fun: Add these anytime to energize participants and reduce stress.
Here is a great article about the benefits of introducing and modeling humor in COIL collaborations:
Dewey, L. A., & Sidek, ‘A. A. (2024). The laughter effect: Enhancing cross-cultural learning and cohesiveness in a virtual environment. Journal of Virtual Education, 7, Special Issue IVEC 2023. https://doi.org/10.21827/jve.7.41429
EDGE Project Task Design
To help students gain global and intercultural competency, projects should require them to collaborate as part of an international team. While teaching students to work together is always challenging, doing so with peers from different countries can be even more difficult. However, preparing students for global work is a key part of our role as educators, and such activities offer invaluable experiences for all participants. (Be sure to visit the Preparing Students path for more information.)
Effective task design is crucial, as many collaborative activities fail to be truly collaborative. For instance, if students are asked to co-write an essay, they often divide the work, resulting in a codependent rather than a collaborative effort. True collaboration requires interdependence, where completion depends on knowledge, information, or artifacts that only peers can provide and cannot be found online. As you design the collaborative task, keep the global learning objective and its assessment in mind.
Expert Advice
Keep the project simple! Collaborating across distances, cultures, languages, and time zones introduces many challenges. Ensure the project meets global learning objectives and maintains academic rigor but avoid overly complex projects that could be difficult even without these additional challenges.
Tiffany MacQuarrie, Associate Director for Global Academic Engagement (formerly associate teaching professor of English), Penn State University Park
Backward Curriculum Design Long Description
The image is titled ” Backward Curriculum Design “ and is centered in bold in the middle of a circular flowchart with three steps in a clockwise sequence. The arrows between the circles form a continuous loop, emphasizing the cyclical nature of the backward design process.
Each step is represented by a colored circle and corresponding text:
- Top Circle (Purple): “Develop global learning objectives.”
- Right Circle (Teal): “Decide how to assess students’ understanding and skills.”
- Left Circle (Peach): “Design EDGE project and activities to achieve global learning objectives.”
Backward Curriculum Design
The Backward Curriculum Design the 3-step process to ensure that activities are designed with the end goal in mind: what do you hope that your students will be able to know or do because of the EDGE collaboration? What knowledge, skills, or attitudes do you want to see developed?
This process requires a subtle shift from thinking about what you want to teach to focus instead on what you want your students to learn.
Developing Global Learning Objectives
Just as course learning objectives are the foundational building blocks upon which we design our course activities and instruction, equally critical to the EDGE project are the global learning objectives. It is important to first ask yourself WHY you want to do an EDGE project and WHAT you want your students to gain from such an experience.
Determine what key skills, knowledge, or attitudes you want your students to acquire. Then, either develop 1-2 global learning objectives or adapt exist course learning objectives to contain global learning elements. (Include the global learning objectives in your syllabus.) If stuck, consider one or more of these cross-cultural knowledge, skills, or attitudes (Bidhan et al., ):
- Openness – demonstrate a willingness to consider new perspective
- Cultural worldview – demonstrate how culture contributes to one’s view of the world
- General connection of experience to personal growth – connect cultural experiences to one’s own personal life and incorporate different cultural perspectives for personal growth and development
- Connection of cultural experiences to academic context – connect cultural experiences to academic context, concepts, and course content
- Cultural self-awareness – gain insight into own cultural rules and biases.
- General transfer of knowledge and skills – transfer skills and knowledge learned in one cultural context to apply to another cultural context
- Understanding of global context – recognize how individuals and groups of people affect the larger world
- Effective communication – communicate effectiveness across cultures, including the use of relevant technology.
Characteristics of Global Learning Objectives
As you develop your global learning objectives, be sure that each objective has the following characteristics (Rubin & Guth, 2022):
Student-centered…
state what students will know, do, or feel because of participating in the EDGE project rather than the activities in which they will participate or what the instructor will teach
Essential and significant…
express knowledge, a skill, or an attitude that the student can use in their lives and work and that has enduring meaning
Observable or quantifiable…
can be measured directly through a work product or performance or indirectly through a reflection of survey (253)
Clear and focused…
use simple, jargon-free language and target one enduring understanding, skill, or attitude
Expert Advice
Create a timeline of student tasks and develop a week-by-week project plan for students that will include assignment descriptions and rubrics. Post this information in the syllabus and on the shared platform to provide access for all students.
Tiffany MacQuarrie, Associate Director for Global Academic Engagement (formerly associate teaching professor of English), Penn State University Park
AAC&U VALUE Rubrics
You could also adopt or adapt objectives from one of the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ (AAC&U) 16 VALUE (valid assessment of learning in undergraduate education) rubrics. These rubrics were developed by faculty from colleges and universities across the United States. Each rubric provides criteria for each learning outcome, with “performance descriptors demonstrating progressively more sophisticated levels of attainment” (2009). All rubrics can be downloaded for free.
Most often faculty select objectives either from the Intercultural Knowledge and Competence VALUE rubric or their Global Learning VALUE rubric.
- Global Learning VALUE Rubric ($0.00 download)
- Intercultural Knowledge and Competence VALUE Rubric ($0.00 download)
- Association of American Colleges and Universities. (2009). Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE). Author.
Once you have developed your global learning objectives, you then must determine how to assess if students achieved those objectives. Make sure to check out the Assessment Path.
Finally, you are ready to create the EDGE project.
Creating an EDGE Project
EDGE projects are designed to fit into an existing course. It is not a co-taught course. Since many professors often include group projects in their courses, EDGE would simply be ONE of those projects. After negotiating with your partner professor, it can either be an existing project that you adapt to fit your global learning objectives or a new project that you create after discussion with your partner. It is important to design a collaborative project or activities that are manageable for both you and your students.
After formulating global learning objectives, partner professors 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 that would lend themselves best to cross-cultural critical reflection by students.
Developing project ideas is often the most challenging, especially when partnering across academic disciplines. Faculty often use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) as the focus for their EDGE project since many projects address global challenges and these goals have been adopted by over 190 countries worldwide.
One idea to consider is using AI to assist with project ideas.
Expert Advice
Set aside class time each week to discuss challenges and solutions student groups encounter throughout the project. (If possible, allot regular class time to work on the project.)
Also, encourage students to communicate about the project using messaging apps such as Whatsapp. It often promotes more frequent student communication than other communication channels.
Tiffany MacQuarrie, Associate Director for Global Academic Engagement (formerly associate teaching professor of English), Penn State University Park
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Prompts for EDGE Preparation
It may be helpful to use generative AI to ideate when considering the development of an EDGE collaborative project, especially if this is your first time! Below are several prompts that may be helpful during the ideation stage. Of course, generative AI can be biased and/or inaccurate, so it is strongly recommended that all AI-generated outputs and recommendations be carefully considered and vetted by EDGE instructors before they are adapted for use. Within the examples it uses the term COIL standing for Collaborative Online International Learning that is utilized at other institutions to get more aligned results.
Be sure to work with your EDGE partner that you both are in agreement about the use of AI and to upload files such as the syllabus since some generative AI tools may train on the intellectual property of the files you upload. In addition, be sure to refer to any updated guidelines at Penn State AI Hub – AI Guidelines.
Prompts for interdisciplinary COIL ideation (partner project NOT yet determined)
“I teach [your subject]. Attached is my syllabus. Can you suggest three interdisciplinary project ideas for a COIL project that could integrate well with my course? Please include potential partner disciplines and global learning outcomes from the AAC&U rubric that align with each project idea.”;
“I teach [your subject]. Attached is my syllabus. Can you suggest several academic disciplines that would complement my course for an interdisciplinary EDGE collaborative project? Provide examples of collaborative projects we could work on together, including relevant global learning outcomes from the AAC&U rubric.”
“I teach [your subject]. Attached is my syllabus. Can you suggest some interdisciplinary learning objectives for a potential EDGE project that integrates my course with other disciplines? Provide examples of activities and assessments that can help achieve these objectives, ensuring they incorporate AAC&U global learning outcomes.”
Prompts for EDGE Ideation (partnering projects already determined)
Syllabus Analysis and EDGE Project Ideas
“I am uploading the syllabi for my course and a partner course. Can you create three ideas for EDGE projects that integrate the themes and learning goals from both syllabi? Please include global learning outcomes from the AAC&U rubric that align with each project idea.
Identifying Common Themes and Objectives
“I am uploading the syllabi for my course and a partner course. Can you identify common themes, topics, or objectives between the two courses and suggest three collaborative activities or projects that could help students from both institutions achieve these shared learning goals? Please include global learning outcomes from the AAC&U rubric for each activity.”
Developing a COIL Project Framework
“I am uploading the syllabi for my course and a partner course. Based on the content and objectives, can you create a framework for an EDGE project that includes a brief description, objectives, activities, and assessment methods? Please specify which global learning outcomes from the AAC&U rubric will be addressed through this project.”
Integrating Cultural Exchange
“I am uploading the syllabi for my course and a partner course. Can you propose three ideas for EDGE projects that focus on cultural exchange and intercultural understanding? Describe how each project can help students achieve specific global learning outcomes from the AAC&U rubric and enhance their cultural competency.”
Project Assessment and Evaluation
“I am uploading the syllabi for my course and a partner course. Can you suggest three methods for assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of a EDGE project based on the syllabi? Please include ways to measure the attainment of global learning outcomes from the AAC&U rubric and how to gather feedback from students to improve future projects.”
Prompts to Consider Cultural Dimensions of EDGE
“I am planning a EDGE project that involves students from (insert cities and countries here). Can you help me anticipate potential cultural and communicative differences that may arise between students from these countries? Please provide strategies and activities to address these differences, promote intercultural understanding, and facilitate effective communication.”
Follow up suggestion: Open Piktochart or a similar AI infographic generator. Copy/Paste the outline provided for the previous prompt to generate an infographic focused on key cultural and communicative differences that may arise during the EDGE project.
What non-verbal differences might you anticipate between people from (insert country 1) and people from (insert country 2)?
According to Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions, what similarities and differences might we expect from students in (insert country 1) and students in (insert country 2)?
Prompts for Technology considerations
Create a brief comparative analysis of technology access, trends, and limitations among demographic groups in (insert city and country 1) vs (insert city and country 1) for the purposes of preparing to develop an EDGE project between college age students.
Potential EDGE Project Deliverables
Here’s a varied list of EDGE project deliverables that can be adapted for different academic disciplines:
Online Simulation or Game
Design an online simulation or game that teaches key concepts related to the project. This can be an engaging way for students to apply their knowledge and skills.
Collaborative Cookbook
Compile a cookbook featuring recipes from the students’ cultures, along with stories and cultural significance behind each dish. This can be published as an e-book or a website.
Virtual Reality Tour
Develop a virtual reality tour that immerses users in a specific environment or scenario relevant to the project. This can be particularly effective for fields like history, geography, or environmental science.
Interactive Map
Create an interactive map that visualizes data collected during the project. This can include layers for different types of information, such as environmental data, cultural sites, or historical events.
Policy Recommendation
Develop a detailed policy recommendation report addressing a specific issue. This can be presented to local authorities, NGOs, or other stakeholders.
Digital Magazine
Produce a digital magazine that compiles articles, interviews, and multimedia content related to the project. This can be published online and shared with the academic community.
Online Workshop/Webinar
Host an online workshop or webinar where students present their research and findings to a broader audience. This can include interactive Q&A sessions and panel discussions.
Virtual Roundtable
Organize a virtual roundtable where students and experts discuss key issues related to the project. Record the session and create a summary report or video highlights.
Collaborative Art Project
Develop a collaborative art project where students create pieces that reflect their cultural perspectives on a common theme. The final artworks can be displayed in a virtual gallery.
Interactive Timeline
Create an interactive timeline that highlights significant events, developments, or discoveries related to the project topic. This can include multimedia elements like videos, images, and links to additional resources.
Marketing Plan
Develop a comprehensive marketing strategy for a product or service, including market analysis, target audience, and promotional tactics.
Infographic
Create a visually appealing infographic that summarizes key findings or concepts from the project, making complex information easily understandable.
Social Media Campaign
Design and implement a social media campaign to raise awareness about a specific issue or promote a project outcome, including content creation and engagement strategies.
Podcast
Produce a podcast series where team members discuss their research, findings, and experiences, including interviews with experts or stakeholders.
Elevator Pitch
Prepare a concise and persuasive elevator pitch to present the project’s main ideas and solutions to potential stakeholders or investors.
Strategic Plan
Develop a strategic plan outlining long-term goals, objectives, and action steps for implementing the project’s recommendations.
Website
Design and launch a website to showcase the project, including sections for background information, research findings, team bios, and interactive elements.
Poster
Create a scientific or informational poster that visually presents the project’s research, methodology, and conclusions, suitable for academic conferences or public displays.
Video
Produce a video documentary or presentation that captures the project’s process, findings, and impact, incorporating interviews, visuals, and narration.
Interactive E-Book
Students collaborate to create an interactive e-book that includes multimedia elements such as videos, quizzes, and hyperlinks to additional resources.
Virtual Exhibition
Develop a virtual exhibition or gallery showcasing research findings, cultural artifacts, or creative works. This can be hosted on platforms like Google Arts & Culture or a custom-built website.
Case Study Analysis
Teams analyze real-world case studies related to their discipline and present their findings through detailed reports and presentations.
Digital Storytelling
Create a series of digital stories or narratives that highlight different perspectives on a common theme. This can include written stories, videos, or audio recordings.
Online Debate
Organize an online debate where students from different countries argue different sides of a controversial issue related to their field of study. Record and share the debate for further analysis.
Collaborative Paper
Write a joint research paper that combines data and insights from all participating students. This can be submitted to academic journals or presented at conferences.
Virtual Reality Experience
Develop a VR experience that immerses users in a specific environment or scenario relevant to the course content. This can be particularly effective for fields like architecture, history, or environmental science.
Mobile App Development
Collaborate on designing and developing a mobile app that addresses a specific problem or need within the discipline. This can include features like educational tools, games, or resource guides.
Policy Brief
Create a policy brief that outlines recommendations for addressing a particular issue. This can be shared with local governments, NGOs, or other stakeholders.
Cultural Exchange Blog
Maintain a blog where students share their experiences, reflections, and insights throughout the COIL project. This can include written posts, photos, and videos.
Project Spotlight: Using Cross-Disciplinary Projects to Strengthen Student Collaboration
Tiffany MacQuarrie, Associate Director for Global Academic Engagement (formerly associate teaching professor of English), Penn State University Park
Technical writing and technology students collaborated to create an infographic proposing an app to address a chosen UN SDG. The technical writing students contributed their expertise in visual design, clear messaging, and text balance, while the technology students focused on usability, app features, and user experience.
This international and interdisciplinary collaboration enriched the project and strengthened teamwork by leveraging each group’s subject matter expertise.
Examples of Cross-Disciplinary Projects Long Description
The image is titled “Examples of Cross-Disciplinary Projects” showcases a table of academic subject pairings and their corresponding project outcomes. The table has three columns labeled:
- “ACADEMIC SUBJECT X” (green header)
- “ACADEMIC SUBJECT Y” (yellow header)
- “PROJECT” (blue header).
Each of the 8 rows pairs two academic subjects and describes a collaborative project. For each row, the subjects are on the left and center, connected by a “+” symbol and the corresponding project on the right, connected by an “=” symbol.
- Health & Human Development + English as a Foreign Language
- Project: Presentation comparing accessibility of workplace and leisure spaces in respective local communities.
- Nursing + Psychology
- Project: Presentation on happiness and well-being across cultures (UN’s SDG #3: Wellbeing).
- English Composition + English as a Foreign Language
- Project: Complete a food memoir – shared menus and recipes, translated from Spanish into English.
- Biotechnology + Plant & Microbial Biology
- Project: Created solutions for one or more of the UN’s SDGs to present during Startup Week at Penn State.
- Management + Information Sciences
- Project: Pitch a new venture and product for the Croatian market.
- Rehabilitation & Human Services + Recreation Studies
- Project: Created manuals to assist managers in supervising employees with mental health conditions.
- Business Writing + Engineering
- Project: Created an employment elevator pitch for their student partner.
- Business + Computing & Information Technology
- Project: Write about the impact of globalization on a location in Jamaica and create a virtual reality video/tour based on that location.
