Engineering Students' Transformative Learning Experiences from A Virtual International Collaborative Experiential Program

The global nature of the engineering marketplace requires students to have the ability to work across teams of different cultures. Study abroad programs associated with experiential learning have traditionally been used to offer students opportunities that enhance their abilities to contribute to the global workforce. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were several changes in course delivery creating an opportunity for virtual experiences as an alternative to study abroad programs. Such opportunities are being considered as formal courses involving international projects, or as informal opportunities for students to interact with students at other foreign universities. This research paper considers a Virtual International Collaborative Experiential Program (VICEP) involving engineering students from a US Midwestern research R1 institution and engineering students from a similar institution in Ethiopia and Ghana. The paper aims to explore the transformative potential of VICEP using Mezirow's transformative learning framework. The Learning Activities Survey data showed that students underwent various stages of transformative learning and reported changes in their habits of mind.