Biography:
Keith H. Sakuda is a professor of management and international relations at the University of Hawai‘i – West O‘ahu. His research interests are international virtual exchange, cross-cultural management, and social entrepreneurship. He has also held faculty appointments at Chongqing Technology & Business University (China) and Kansai Gaidai University (Japan) and served as an external reviewer for Hong Kong Baptist University’s College of International Education.
His consulting experiences include sustainable agricultural projects in Hawai'i, Tahiti, China, the U.S., and Japan. He co-founded an award-winning social enterprise which sought to promote food sovereignty in the Pacific Islands through aquaponics and coordinated distributed agriculture.The company was featured in international media, including Fast Company, The Guadian, and National Geographic, and he was invited to speak about it at Harvard University’s Social Entrepreneurship Conference and Fish 2.0 at Stanford University.
Uniting StudentsthroughTechnology: Building an International Classroom through Virtual Exchange
Advances in distance learning technologies and modern communication tools have created opportunities to connect students and faculty from around the world without the need for travel. One of the most powerful methods for connecting students across borders is virtual exchange. Defined as sustained, technology-enabled, people-to-people education activities in which interaction takes place between those who are geographically separated, virtual exchange offers a cost-effective and scalable solution to overcome the geographical, political, cultural, and economic challenges that often prevent students from participating in international exchanges.
Virtual exchange is a more inclusive alternative to providing students with access to an international classroom. Its cost efficiency and scalability allow for greater participation across socioeconomic groups, and as a virtual platform it is less vulnerable to political risks such as visa restrictions and travel advisories. While arguably less immersive than traditional study abroad, its ability to create a more accessible intercultural learning experience makes it more practical for connecting students from around the world.
This presentation will discuss the five-year development of the award-winning program known as international fully integrated virtual exchange (IFIVE). Initially designed as a pre-study abroad program for business students in Hawaii and Japan, it has evolved to be an inclusive alternative to study abroad for those unable to participate in international travel. To date, students from 18 different countries have participated in the program, reflecting the global reach of IFIVE.
Highlights from the program’s Best of Regions presentation at the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) National Conference will be combined with presentations from the World Congress on Education (best paper in the category of inclusion) and the International Virtual Exchange Conference to introduce the IFIVE framework. Student feedback, course evaluations, and pre/post assessments will be used to demonstrate the program’s effectiveness in promoting intercultural learning. Distance learning technologies, “flipped” classroom pedagogies, and interactive activities will be shared during the session.
