Question 1

What is CLICK?

Accepted Answer

CLICK - Collaborative Learning for International Capabilities and Knowledge - is our virtual exchange system. Our CLICK system helps you reach your virtual exchange program goals through our signature Explore-Connect-Design training workshop series combined with follow-up support from our coaches and assessment.

Question 2

How can I learn more and get training on how to start CLICKing?

Accepted Answer

Our three core training workshops - Explore, Connect, and Design - empower teachers to create rewarding collaborative learning opportunities for students right in their own classes.

Explore Workshop. Learn how virtual exchange can work for you along with other teachers starting in your CLICK cohort. Continue in Connect to make your match.
Connect Workshop. Teachers learn the keys to collaborative virtual exchange teaching, how to develop a mutual CLICK learning plan. Partners match on shared goals.  
Design Workshop. Teaching partners design their CLICK project together! You and your partner leave the workshop ready to run your project. You and your cohort tap our expertise and wealth of materials throughout the process.

Question 3

What if I want to just want to learn more about Virtual Exchange/CLICK but I'm not ready to find a partner and start a project?

Accepted Answer

Join one of our VE101 info-sessions to learn more and get acquainted with other curious teachers. Click here to register for one of our next Virtual Exchange 101 sessions, a 1-hour, interactive, online session with social overtime following the workshop.

Question 4

What is the schedule for the full CLICK professional development workshops?

Accepted Answer

The three-part training series are typically offered and completed during the Fall and/or Spring semester. In spring 2022, we had one cohort in training with faculty from Northern Essex Community College, University of North Alabama, Coastal Alabama Community College, and the Université de Lorraine. Upcoming Explore-Connect-Design training dates are always available here on our website.

Question 5

What kind of time investment does it take to get started with CLICK Virtual Exchange?

Accepted Answer

Gazelle International’s CLICK system for Virtual Exchange (VE) is designed to get you up and running smoothly and quickly with step-by-step training and support through your first VE project and beyond. Our three part workshop  - Explore, Connect, Design - runs over three facilitated synchronous sessions totaling 12 hours, typically in 90-minute sessions twice a month over 8-9 weeks. Additional teaching partner meetings and asynchronous work to develop and refine CLICK project design range from 3-8 hours. Most of our CLICKing faculty run their first CLICK project in the semester following their training. Gazelle staff and liaisons guide you along the way. CLICK coaches are available online and for live meetings between workshop sessions.

Question 6

What type of support do I get?

Accepted Answer

The Gazelle International team provides teachers with the professional development workshops and materials to design your projects. After the training, Gazelle International’s coaches continue to support you and your teaching partner as you run your first CLICK project. Coaches remain available as you repeat the curriculum or adapt it in subsequent semesters.

Gazelle coaches also provide pre and post student assessments so you know your results and have student feedback.  Teachers can also use the data to report back to their institutional leaders and colleagues and some have even used them for conference presentations.

Question 7

How much time does it take to create a CLICK project?

Accepted Answer

Once you have your teaching partner, the CLICK Design phase takes six hours participating in four interactive workshops on zoom plus anywhere from 2-6 hours outside the workshop refining ideas and materials with your partner. Some partners are really fast and others take more time to develop their materials and learning activities. Our examples and workbooks along with shared lessons and insights of your training cohort provide an efficient and interesting way to design successful CLICK projects.

Question 8

How much time does it take to complete the project?

Accepted Answer

CLICK projects run from 4 weeks to a full semester. The teaching partners decide the duration needed to achieve their shared learning goals and also meet their core learning outcomes. The project can be done during a specific set of weeks or spread across parts of the partner classes over a longer period.

Question 9

How do I get a partner and how are they selected?

Accepted Answer

Sign up for an Explore Workshop to meet other teachers and international partners. Together, learn more about how CLICK works. Then join a Connect Workshop (2 sessions) with teachers from the US and campuses abroad. We end the second Connect session with two or more speed-dating rounds where you pick your top three partner choices. Usually everyone gets their first or second choice.

Question 10

What countries and types of campuses do teaching partners come from?

Accepted Answer

In recent years, our teaching partnerships have included faculty in USA Community Colleges in CT, FL, MA, TX, WA, and WI, two year technical institutes in The Netherlands  and France much like Community colleges, as well as colleges and universities in Mexico and France including a French Polytechnic. Our programs are open to institutions and faculty from anywhere in the world. Does your institution want to explore the possibilities? Have colleagues abroad who might want to join us? Let us know.

Question 11

Can I do this with someone from my discipline or is this an interdisciplinary project?

Accepted Answer

Both can work well. We have examples of both types, e.g. both partners teach marketing or engineering or biology.  Or some partners teach in closely linked fields, e.g English for business collaborates with business-finance.  Interdisciplinary ranges broadly, e.g. Art with English for Engineering; Health Sciences and Network Management; Communication with Spanish language; Nursing with Quality Control. The possibilities are endless.

Question 12

Do I have to change the outcomes for my class?

Accepted Answer

No. The partner teachers design the learning activities so that both sets of students meet their home-class requirements while also gaining intercultural and global experience by developing final projects together working in US-abroad teams. Students receive credit for the course from their home campus.

Question 13

How many students are involved in each project?

Accepted Answer

Our CLICK projects have had anywhere from 5 to 30 students from each country, for a total of 10 to 60 in a project’s “collaborative third learning space”. Sometimes teachers start smaller in their first project and then expand as they feel more comfortable and repeat the project in another semester.

Question 14

Can I claim this anywhere?

Accepted Answer

Depending on your institution, you may be able to get release time, claim this in tenure and promotion materials, for diversity or experiential teaching contributions or/and as part of a service segment of additional responsibilities that are part of a collective bargaining agreement. Speak with your Academic Dean or Program Director about how your institution handles this.

Question 15

Are there funds available to support the startup of a CLICK project?

Accepted Answer

This will depend on your institution. Some CLICK teachers have been able to use professional development funds and some teaching and learning centers have grants or stipends that can be used for this purpose.

Question 16

Are there travel funds available for students and faculty?

Accepted Answer

Several of our CLICK teachers have received funds for themselves and their students to travel to meet a partner or bring the partner to their institution. There may be funds available through your home institution as well as individual or group-focused grant sources.

Question 17

Who is the main contact? Who oversees the program and who supports the projects?

Accepted Answer

For training and CLICK project teaching support, Dr. Nancy Ruther, Principal of Gazelle International, is the main contact and each project team has a designated CLICK learning liaison. Your institution may also delegate a representative or coordinator.

Question 18

How do all these parts fit together?

Accepted Answer

Check out this video to see how the CLICK system works from the teachers standpoint. All the moving parts aim to help you move systematically to find a great partner, design your project together and run it successfully.  And for an example of the big picture from our work with Connecticut, see our video from the Fall21 CT Showcase.

Question 19

What is Gazelle International and what is your vision for higher and international education?

Accepted Answer

We are a US-based nonprofit created in 2015 to bring high quality international education to more students. We are based in Connecticut, near New Haven, home of Yale University where our Founder worked for many years.  See this video where she shares her vision.

Question 20

Where did the name come from? Is there a story?

Accepted Answer

Our name, Gazelle International, evokes innovative leaders breaking out to lead!  It was seeded in our founder’s mind during a conference on developing African Higher Education at Yale. Read the quick story here.

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