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Abstract
This paper discusses a virtual or borderless classroom exercise conducted by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the University of Hawaii, Manoa (UHM). By reflecting on the experiences and views of the NUS participants, the article explores the possibility of virtual explorations as a substitute for conventional fieldtrips and fieldwork. The findings reveal that online interactions and experiences simulate some of the processes and outcomes of traditional field explorations. Online exercises also permit cross‐country collaboration and trans‐cultural dialogue between students in two campuses. On the other hand, virtual exchanges are limited by their static two‐dimensional medium when contrasted with conventional fieldtrips, which provide multi‐sensory experiences that better allow participants to understand a foreign environment, society and culture.
Notes
Correspondence address: T.C. Chang, Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, 1 Arts Link, Singapore, 117570. Email: [email protected]
The ‘Blackboard’ is a commercially operated software programme that many American universities and educational institutions deploy for posting course information, facilitating student–lecturer interaction, and engaging students in activities such as watching videos or depositing assignments.
Under the “Moving Cultures” project spearheaded by UHM and funded by the Ford Foundation, a total of seven collaborations were set up between UHM and six institutions in the Asia‐Pacific in the Philippines, Japan, Republic of Palua, New Zealand and Singapore. The “tourism component” detailed in this paper represents one of three thematic areas involving student and staff collaboration in the virtual classroom (the other two themes being migration and cultural connections).