L2 virtual exchanges and laboratory experiments in engineering education: new horizons for sustainable, transversal and linguistic development

Abstract

[EN] The progress of meaningful learning within virtual environments that prioritise sustainability, capacity building and interculturality has been a challenge despite extensive research efforts. Engineering and foreign language educators recognise the importance of combining Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), transversal competences, and second language (L2) acquisition through laboratory experiments. To address these targets, a cooperative training scenario can be employed. This Sustainable Active Virtual Learning - SAVL - model adaptation not only complies with the provisions of the university curriculum but also generates quality instruction opportunities. Therefore, by following this approach in the first term of 2023, we conducted a quantitative and qualitative study on seven inter-university virtual collaborations, each related to a specific material science laboratory task. 25 engineering students from the third year of the Aerospace Engineering Degree at the Spanish Technical University of Valencia /"Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)" and 5 counterparts from the second and third year of Material Science at the Ukrainian Dnipro University of Technology (DUT) actively participated in collaboration via online meetings retransmitted from UPV laboratory facilities. Small groups of 5-6 international learners performed technical tasks and delivered reports while communicating in English. Their feedback and task assessment created a favourable background for enhancing curricular settings in both polytechnic institutions. The experimental findings support collaborative interactions for achieving the central pillars of Agenda 2030 - people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership - and bringing new meaningful training opportunities to future engineers. Additionally, as internet-based educational exchanges continue to grow, our research can benefit instructors, students and universities by overcoming geopolitical disadvantages and conflicts.