Can college students’ global competence be enhanced in the classroom? The impact of cross- and inter-cultural online projects

This study examines college students’ global competence acquisition at a US and Korean university and assesses the effect of cross- and inter-cultural online projects implemented simultaneously at both universities. The data were collected through a pre- and post-survey of the participating students. The findings were as follows: (1) overall, the projects significantly increased students’ intercultural communication skills and knowledge of the other country, (2) among three antecedents, the global mass media had mixed effects on the global competence and the effect of the projects, (3) mass migration was identified as a significant influence on students’ global competence and the effect of the projects, and (4) language barriers, technology, and time differences were found to be the main challenges of the project.