Showing papers on "Intercultural learning published in 2023"
TL;DR: In this article , a case example of two partner institutions and business faculty who creatively used a collaborative online international learning (COIL) experience during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and transition to online learning to internationalize an undergraduate business class and use existing technology to offer a case study project to further students' global mindset.
Abstract:
Purpose
This study aims to provide a case example of two partner institutions and business faculty who creatively used a collaborative online international learning (COIL) experience during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and transition to online learning to internationalize an undergraduate business class and use existing technology to offer a case study project to further students’ global mindset.
Design/methodology/approach
Using open-ended qualitative comments from an American college and a Peruvian university, researchers uncovered key themes from a virtual COIL-based learning experience offered as part of an international business class.
Findings
Student end-of-course evaluation comments from both countries validated the success of the learning experience and value of working together with other students and faculty in a virtual setting.
Research limitations/implications
Areas for future research are provided to extend these initial exploratory findings. However, the implications are clear that the methodology is also appropriate in nonpandemic situations and can quickly bring a global mindset to remote corners of the globe and ensure all students experience the “virtual” study abroad, even when there are travel limitations or budget restrictions for students or the institutions.
Practical implications
The implementation detail provided can be easily replicated by other institutions with a global mindset and internationalization goals.
Social implications
The proliferation of COIL-based experiences will impact how study abroad experiences are defined and offered in the future.
Originality/value
While researchers have documented COIL experiences in the academic literature, their use during the COVID-19 pandemic, as often the only solution for on-going internationalization, has not been thoroughly studied or documented. In addition, the class activities further used team-based international workplace pedagogy, authentic engagement and technology.
2 citations
TL;DR: This paper explored South Korean university students' views of the importance of intercultural communication in their personal lives, on campus, and in society and found that intercultural communicative competence is becoming increasingly important as the world becomes more interconnected online.
Abstract: ABSTRACT The aim of this phenomenological study was to explore South Korean university students’ views of the importance of intercultural communication. It also sought to obtain participant recommendations on how to improve awareness of intercultural communication in their personal lives, on campus, and in society. Intercultural communicative competence is becoming increasingly important as the world becomes more interconnected online and through intercultural exchanges that take place in a variety of capacities. This study was conducted during the spring semester of 2020 at a university in central South Korea. Participants included 14 South Korean university students who were enrolled in an intercultural communication class that was conducted online and designed for English language learners. Data comprised individual interviews, a focus group, and essays. Data analysis centred on examining commonalities and key statements made by participants. In terms of why it is important to study intercultural communication, results highlighted the need for people to be understanding and knowledgeable about diverse cultures, have respect for other people and cultures, and ensure that past intercultural conflict does not happen in the future. Students provided a wide range of recommendations for improving their awareness of intercultural communication. This paper concludes with practical implications.
1 citations
TL;DR: Intercultural Perspectives on Information Literacy and Metaliteracy (IPILM) as discussed by the authors is a discourse-oriented learning environment that engages students from diverse cultural backgrounds to participate in collaborative knowledge construction.
Abstract: Intercultural Perspectives on Information Literacy and Metaliteracy (IPILM) is a discourse- oriented learning environment that engages students from diverse cultural backgrounds to participate in collaborative knowledge construction. The objective is to evolve a thematic approach to course design that includes elements of open pedagogy, information literacy, and metaliteracy. IPILM invites participation from educators and learners from around the world and has witnessed an increase in participating countries. This paper describes the concept of IPILM and demonstrates the implementation of this approach in practice. The initiative was well received by students and is both feasible and sustainable as an intercultural learning endeavor. IPILM is an ongoing project and a work in progress that is an adaptable model which may be transferred to disparate fields of teaching and learning or adopted by international communities of instructors.
TL;DR: In this article , a study aimed to integrate the intercultural approach of language teaching through the exploration of the cultural meanings in Rhythm and Blues (r&b) music and found that the students identified some cultural manifestations in r&b music and its potential to examine other cultures.
Abstract: The interconnected and changing social, political and economic reality of the postmodern era pushes for a perspective of language teaching that addresses the intercultural dimension of communication in the EFL classroom. This need added to the persistence of ethnocentrism, hate discourses, and discrimination demand an active role of teachers and students as intercultural mediators. This goal can be achieved with the integration of the intercultural dimension in language teaching. Therefore, this study aimed to integrate the intercultural approach of language teaching through the exploration of the cultural meanings in Rhythm and Blues (r&b) music. In this way, data collection included a survey, focus group sessions, students’ artifacts and observations. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis and some themes explored were the cultural dimension of R&B, the affordances of music to discover other cultures, the students’ conception of culture, and the relevance of culture in EFL. Finally, findings showed that the students identified some cultural manifestations in r&b music and its potential to examine other cultures. Similarly, the participants discovered the importance of culture in language learning and its role to enhance their pedagogic experiences.
TL;DR: This article examined whether and how instructional design that highlighted cultural metacognition can facilitate learners' intercultural competence development in an English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom at the tertiary level in Chinese mainland.
Abstract: The soaring demand for intercultural competence (IC) in the globalized world has made it a key concern in foreign language education. Most existing training on IC has often focused on providing immersive intercultural experiences, equipping learners with cultural knowledge, and simulating intercultural situations. However, some of these approaches may not be feasible in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms, nor are they effective to prepare learners to cope with the complexities and uncertainties in novel intercultural situations unless there specifically involves higher-order thinking. Thus, this study took a perspective of cultural metacognition and examined whether and how could an instructional design that highlighted cultural metacognition facilitate learners’ IC development in an EFL classroom at the tertiary level in Chinese mainland. Fifty-eight undergraduate students enrolled in an English Listening, Viewing, and Speaking course were involved in the instruction, and questionnaires and focus groups were employed for the data collection. A paired sample t-test revealed that there was a significant enhancement in students’ intercultural competence in terms of affective, metacognitive, and behavioral dimensions, but not in the knowledge dimension. Thematic analysis indicated that the instructional design was effective in supporting students’ intentional knowledge acquiring, developing positive intercultural attitudes, and promoting the translation of cognition into actions. The findings thus confirmed that the instructional design featuring cultural metacognition can be used in domestic EFL contexts, such as College English classrooms at the tertiary level in Chinese mainland, as an effective way of enhancing learners’ IC. This study also offered additional evidence of how students’ IC development was achieved through a range of metacognitive processes, which may provide implications for teachers to design their IC instructions in similar EFL educational settings.
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors evaluated the effectiveness of intercultural learning modules introduced to a faculty and staff study abroad program and found that participants of all years taking part in daily journaling with program mentors and individualized goal-setting led to positive IDI growth in comparison with the control group.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of intercultural learning modules introduced to a faculty and staff study abroad program. Using data from 2014-2018 of Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) scores, this study compared control (2014-2015) and treatment (2016-2018) IDI mean score differences due to the new modules introduced in 2016. The results indicate that the introduction of five intercultural learning modules and individualized goal-setting led to positive IDI growth in comparison with the control group. Despite program participants of all years taking part in daily journaling with program mentors, these results suggest that participating in intercultural learning modules before, during, and after travel and setting individualized intercultural goals were key to intercultural learning. In addition, this study provides evidence that best practices for student study abroad programs can also be applied to faculty and staff intercultural professional development.
18 May 2023
TL;DR: The authors conducted a qualitative study to find out how undergraduate English as a foreign language (EFL) students in Vietnam perceived intercultural sensitivity, which is seen as an affective component of intercultural competence, is crucial to cultivating one's favorable emotions about cultural differences experienced in intercultural communication.
Abstract: Intercultural sensitivity, which is seen as an affective component of intercultural competence, is crucial to cultivating one’s favorable emotions about cultural differences experienced in intercultural communication. This qualitative study was conducted to find out how undergraduate English as a foreign language (EFL) students in Vietnam perceived intercultural sensitivity. The results showed that although the majority of students had not previously heard the phrase “intercultural sensitivity” before taking part in the survey, their intuitive understanding of the term was rather close to that of the literature. The participants were well aware of the evaluation of their intercultural sensitivity level. EFL students had different strategies for improvement of intercultural sensitivity depending on their study level and intercultural awareness. All participants, especially those who were learning a second language, believed that intercultural awareness is crucial. The study findings point to the recommendation that educators strive to further integrate intercultural sensitivity instruction and learning to improve EFL students’ capacity for intercultural communication.
19 May 2023
TL;DR: The authors presented a qualitative case study detailing the intercultural communication competence development of seven Chinese foreign language learners who participated in Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) activities at a regional U.S. university with a group of native Chinese speakers.
Abstract: This dissertation is a qualitative case study detailing the intercultural communication competence (ICC) development of seven Chinese foreign language learners who participated in Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) activities at a regional U.S. university with a group of native Chinese speakers. Multiple qualitative data sources - including semi-structured interviews, observations, questionnaires, and reflection journals - were collected over two years. Drawing on sociocultural and transformative learning theories, this study disclosed four findings that practitioners and researchers can build upon to promote language development and intercultural learning in foreign language coursework through virtual exchange.
11 Mar 2023
TL;DR: In this article , the authors explored the possibilities to support science and mathematics teachers in implementing intercultural learning through a professional development course and found that the course strengthened teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and extended their teaching practices with opportunities created by cultural diversity among their students or in their subjects.
Abstract: Abstract Our current multicultural societies require that education addresses diversity and promotes cultural awareness and intercultural learning. Mathematics and science education can also contribute to this aspect of citizenship education and create a culture of belonging for all students. Professional development that integrates intercultural learning with educational practices is still uncommon in the field of science and mathematics teacher preparation and support. This study explores the possibilities to support science and mathematics teachers in implementing intercultural learning through a professional development course. The course was developed in a European setting, based on a theoretical analysis, and tried out with 319 teachers from six participating countries. The impact of the course on teachers’ take up of intercultural learning was measured with a pre-post questionnaire. We found that the course strengthened teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and extended their teaching practices with opportunities created by cultural diversity among their students or in their subjects. In addition to that, teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and the perceived cultural diversity in class appeared to be influencing factors for teachers’ practices. Based on our findings we recommend that the combination of intercultural learning with educational practices of mathematics and science might be a suitable gateway to provide new intercultural learning opportunities for students.
TL;DR: Intercultural education is an approach that responds to societal change arising from the contact, noncontact, and conflict among cultural groups as discussed by the authors , which envisions the prospects and challenges of living together in pluralistic societies.
Abstract: Intercultural education is an approach that responds to societal change arising from the contact, noncontact, and conflict among cultural groups. It envisions the prospects and challenges of living together in pluralistic societies. Globally, intercultural education has prominent origins in various European societies. Scholars and practitioners have also developed and practiced intercultural education in parts of North America and Latin America. As an epistemology, interculturality underpins intercultural education in recognizing and promoting equitable relations across cultural groups. At its forefront is the attention to equality issues in culturally diverse societies, which espouses the mutual accommodation of majority, minority, and Indigenous populations through dialogue and shared cultural expressions. Intercultural education seeks to prepare learners to live in diversity by supporting their understanding of inequalities, fostering respect, developing intercultural communicative skills, and resolving conflict. In practice, intercultural education involves developing skill sets and cultivating values related to intercultural competence, intercultural communication, intercultural dialogue, intercultural encounter, and intercultural sensitivity individually and collectively with the support of communities and institutions. While it continues to be promising in terms of supporting societies to engage with changes in cultural demographics and promoting interactions among different groups, intercultural education is not invulnerable to persistent and emerging societal problems, particularly those that have been legitimized politically, such as anti-immigration and nationalist movements that fuel racism and xenophobia. Intercultural education can at times be confined to the intellectual ambit of the diverse societies in Europe or the Global North. It is also prone to risks in its neo-assimilationist and technocratic tendencies, putting to question its explanatory value in addressing structural and evolving forms of racism. A need for intercultural education theorists, proponents, and practitioners would be to confront racial injustices that operate in novel ways. This need suggests the efforts to restore the humanity, respect, and social justice that sustain societies to thrive on the peaceful coexistence and cooperation among different cultures.
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors present statistical connections between online international learning and the inclusion of intercultural and international dimensions in the curriculum, based on a survey that included 1367 Slovene academics (19.7% of the entire population).
Abstract: Online international learning and the inclusion of intercultural and international dimensions in the curriculum are closely connected concepts, not only in theory but also in strategic documents and teaching practice. This article presents statistical connections between online international learning and the inclusion of intercultural and international dimensions in the curriculum, based on a survey that included 1367 Slovene academics (19.7% of the entire population). According to the χ2 and Mann–Whitney tests, it was determined that academics who actively include students in any kind of online international learning with institutions from geographically distant areas, and those academics who consider the ICT support at their home institutions as satisfactory for the implementation of online international learning, statistically significantly more often incorporate international and intercultural elements into the study process, covering internationalised learning outcomes, internationalised learning and teaching activities, and internationalised assessment and evaluation tasks.
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors investigated the effect of adaptive online learning on the development of intercultural experience in higher education and found that the knowledge that a student receives in the process of learning a foreign language should be obtained as a result of their own mental efforts, the mobilization of previously acquired knowledge, in order to solve problematic tasks.
Abstract: The authors of the article identify previously unsolved parts of the issue to which the article is devoted. The article substantiates the need to introduce a competency-based approach to higher education; features of the formation of new interstate, interethnic relations, one of the necessary conditions of which is knowledge of foreign languages, which contributes to the assimilation of world cultural values, the establishment of socio-communicative and professional contacts.The directions of motivation growth in case of introduction of adaptive teaching methods are considered. The results show that adaptive online methods support the interest in learning in the case of direct participation in these activities. The means of interactive virtual learning, which is proposed to be introduced in the process of forming intercultural competence of students-translators, requires adaptive approaches, but the results of such approaches have not been studied.A number of researchers has studied problems of motivation in the field of academic and student mobility. Interview methods were used to identify motivational factors in order to adjust the development of intercultural experience.The author proves that the knowledge that a student receives in the process of learning a foreign language should be obtained as a result of their own mental efforts, the mobilization of previously acquired knowledge, in the process of solving problematic tasks, thus forming a person's foreign language competence, which is connected with intercultural competence.
TL;DR: The authors conducted a qualitative study on the affordances of an international campus for intercultural learning and found that although faculty believed that students should avail themselves of IC opportunities, they did not actively encourage engagement in on-campus activities.
Abstract: This paper reports on a qualitative study which is part of a larger project on the affordances of an international campus for intercultural (IC) learning. The research examined two MA programs at a US postgraduate institution, TESOL and International Education Management, and two groups of participants, nine students and eight faculty members. The participants discussed intercultural interaction and learning opportunities outside coursework in semi-structured interviews. A thematic content analysis showed heavy workload as an obstacle to more meaningful on-campus interaction, the lack of the points of entry to host-country student groups for incoming (international) students, and challenges for off-campus encounters. The findings pointed to a disconnect between faculty and student perceptions: although faculty believed that students should avail themselves of IC opportunities, they did not actively encourage engagement in on-campus activities. The paper discusses the IC learning assumptions attached to a highly international program profile in comparison to the support in place, arguing that active on- and off-campus activities, coursework, and teacher guidance should work in unison to allow for IC learning.
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors examined what factors contribute to intercultural learning during the study abroad experience, drawing on Mezirow's theory of transformative learning and data from the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI).
Abstract: ABSTRACT This study examines what factors contribute to intercultural learning during the study abroad experience, drawing on Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning and data from the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). Using data from 1,858 US students studying abroad in 27 countries over 6 years (2014–2020), this study constitutes the largest of its kind to date. Additionally, a powerful matching method is used to compare a sample of students enrolled in an Intercultural Communication and Leadership (ICL) course developed by the Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE) with a control group of study abroad students not enrolled in the course. Findings show that cultural mentorship via trained, skilled instructors is more important than other factors associated with intercultural learning while abroad. Furthermore, the findings highlight why international education faculty and administrators should advocate for study abroad in non-English-speaking locations and immersion in cultures that are more dissimilar to the dominant cultural context of US students. The highest learning potential in study abroad occurs when students experience heightened moments of cultural disorientation in unfamiliar cultural contexts and have experienced facilitators to guide them through reflection around intercultural differences.
TL;DR: This article found that students showed an increase in openness toward cultural and intercultural skills and showed no changes in hostility or tendency to overgeneralize their beliefs, while participants participated in several intercultural interactions with a partner and reflected on their experiences in writing and in video.
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors examined the sustainable component of virtual exchange (VE) and presented a newly designed model of exchange for undergraduate students of the EURECA-PRO alliance, which is one of the few recent examples of online pre-mobility that can be found in Europe.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into Virtual Exchange, a relatively underdeveloped tool for the internationalisation of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that offers a sustainable, easily-accessible opportunity to enhance students’ intercultural communicative competence (ICC). Several studies have reported a lack of authentic intercultural learning and skills in university students who come back to their home institution after a study abroad experience (Batardière in J Virtual Exchange 2, 2019, [1]). With this in mind, it has been argued that students need a preparatory phase to reflect and acquire skills to cope with the difficulties of studying abroad and the knowledge to fully benefit from the stay. In addition, students whose financial or personal situation does not allow them to go on exchange should also have the chance to become interculturally aware and skilled. This paper examines the sustainable component of virtual exchange (VE) and presents a newly designed model of exchange for undergraduate students of the EURECA-PRO alliance. This project is underway at the Universidad de León and is one of a few recent examples of online pre-mobility that can be found in Europe. It is a multicultural free programme, firmly committed to a sustainable accessible-to-all education that fosters the development of intercultural sensitivity, transversal or soft skills, democratic citizenship, foreign language learning, and collaborative learning. The results of the research will be expressed at a later time when data have been gathered and analysed.
TL;DR: In this paper , a convergent mixed-methods study combined survey (n = 104) and interview data was used to investigate international student experiences through the lens of international students.
Abstract: Universities in Canada are increasingly attracting international students, but few studies have examined their experiences. This research identified the key supports and barriers for international students in order to make policy-relevant recommendations. This convergent mixed-methods study combined survey (n = 104) and interview (n = 14) data to investigate international student experiences through the lens of international students. Exploratory factor analyses revealed writing and mathematics skills and relationships with faculty and students as key factors for success. Frequency analyses revealed that racism was a persistent barrier. Assistance, access, diversity and equity issues were also raised. Open and axial coding of qualitative data corroborated these findings and revealed three dimensions of internationalization according to international students’ perspectives: Exchange; Understanding, Sharing, and Support; and Transformation. Recommendations to universities included offering bursaries to international students from underrepresented regions, developing intercultural awareness of faculty, and providing program-specific student support centres with peer mentors.
TL;DR: This article used an interpretative phenomenological analysis related to the lived experience of eight graduate students who participated in two intensive international service learning (ISL) projects in Timor-Leste or Guatemala.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine growth in intercultural competence after graduate students participated in an international service learning (ISL) experience. One method for developing intercultural competence is service learning, where students apply learning in real-world settings through a cycle of action and reflection. This study used an interpretative phenomenological analysis related to the lived experience of eight graduate students who participated in two intensive ISL projects in Timor-Leste or Guatemala. Results included the student point of view (emic) narrative as an ethnographic crafted profile for each participant to demonstrate the process of intercultural competence development across individual and interaction processes. Students demonstrated knowledge gains after the experience, and several internal and external outcomes in their post-reflective narratives. Despite visiting different countries, the two groups of students demonstrated similar intercultural outcomes along the theoretical framework, indicating that despite contextual differences in experience, this framework maintains a robust perspective for analysing student experiences during ISL. The Process Model of Intercultural Competence served as a framework to assess intercultural competence. The process began with personal attitudes, openness to intercultural learning, and curiosity. Interpersonal outcomes developed with knowledge/comprehension through skills such as listening, observing, and interpretation. Developing flexibility, empathy, and adaptability promoted an informed frame of reference for a desired internal outcome. The external outcome resulted in behaving and communicating effectively from experience. Measuring intercultural diversity as a learning outcome from ISL can ensure adequate preparation for international development professionals.
TL;DR: The authors explored the connection between collaboration on multimodal texts and student teachers' development of intercultural and pedagogical awareness through a multiliteracies approach, finding that co-creation both generated and scaffolded intercultural dialogue and that, the disruption caused by the pandemic was experienced by students as an expansive learning opportunity.
Abstract: Although co-creation of artefacts is a common practice in virtual exchange (VE), there are still few studies that explore the connection between collaboration on multimodal texts and student teachers’ development of intercultural and pedagogical awareness. Based on a trinational VE, coincidentally developed during the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020, this case-study explores how COVID-19, as the impromptu context for VE, fostered preservice teachers’ intercultural and pedagogical perspectives. Through a multiliteracies approach, findings indicate that co-creation both generated and scaffolded intercultural dialogue and that, the disruption caused by the pandemic was experienced by students as an expansive learning opportunity.
TL;DR: This article investigated the extent to which ICU transcends the appreciation of cultural diversity or "other" cultures and found that there was little evidence of interculturality beyond the cultures of immigrants.
Abstract: The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) indicates that education for global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity should be embedded at all levels of curricula. In this paper, we share findings from an analysis of curriculum documents in Victoria, Australia and Québec, Canada that identified learning related to this goal and explored the potential depth of intercultural understanding (ICU) this may lead to. While we view ICU as linking directly to the SDG4 aim of developing learners’ global citizenship, we also investigated the extent to which ICU transcends the appreciation of cultural diversity or ‘other’ cultures. Our findings suggest that in both contexts, ICU could be categorised into three key dimensions: a focus on similarities and differences, a focus on reflection and self, and a focus on transformation. In addition, there was little evidence of interculturality beyond the cultures of immigrants. Given the history in both contexts, we identify that interculturality must also involve more inclusion of Indigenous cultures within the curriculum for all students to ensure transformative intercultural outcomes are maximised.
TL;DR: The authors examine an oft-observed "interaction problem" in the internationalizing classroom for adding some reflections on universities' internationalisation-interculturality praxis. But they also suggest that the interaction problem is possibly rooted in educators' discursive construction and runs the risk of promoting an intercultural learning premised on closure, and they suggest that it is crucial for educators to recognise themselves as intercultural actors (rather than experts) and reflexively engage with situated knowledge about interculturate emerging from local practices.
Abstract: In this article, we examine an oft-observed ‘interaction problem’ in the internationalising classroom for adding some reflections on universities’ internationalisation-interculturality praxis. Drawing on existing research and examples, we scrutinise the ‘path’ (multicultural interaction) and the ‘goal’ (intercultural learning) entailed in the ‘problem’ through the theoretical lenses of dialogicality, space and boundary. Our exploration suggests that the ‘interaction problem’ is possibly rooted in educators’ discursive construction and runs the risk of promoting an interculturality premised on closure. Students’ experiences show that they may indeed engage with organic processes of intercultural learning whilst interacting with cultural Others, but the knowledge they consciously take away may remain confined to givens. For intercultural learning to be transformative, we suggest that it is crucial for educators to recognise themselves as intercultural actors (rather than experts) and reflexively engage with situated knowledge about interculturality emerging from local practices.
TL;DR: In this article , the authors examined collaborative online international learning (COIL) programs implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, and discussed the potential and significance of COIL during a global crisis.
Abstract: This study examines collaborative online international learning (COIL) programs implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, and discusses the potential and significance of COIL during a global crisis. In the COIL-conductive environment induced by the pandemic, the author implemented four COIL programs with partner institutions located in different countries as part of his seminar courses at a Japanese university. COIL is an equitable and partnership-based learning format that effectively uses technological tools. The professors collaboratively designed joint sessions that attended to different learning styles, which led to an equitable intercultural experience. Technology provided students with the ability to control their learning environment, which helped them to actively participate in intercultural communication and collaboration. Through joint lectures, interactive sessions, and collaborative research projects, students developed global competency and a sense of bonding unabated by the global crisis.
14 Jun 2023
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors discuss and analyse metaphors that emerge in the process of building education without walls in the OLIVE international project in the Middle East and present new perspectives on mentoring by considering the need to decolonize engagement with learning through both intellectual and embodied-affective elements.
Abstract: Nowadays, efforts are being made in Finland to develop education across borders through projects that seek to deal with global learning crises. Palestine, being engaged in high-intensity struggle and faced with emergencies in education, is one example of such an initiative. Both actual and virtual walls exist in the collaboration between Palestinian and Finnish universities. By using conceptual metaphor theory and Ricoeur’s metaphor theory, this paper discusses and analyzes metaphors that emerge in the process of building education without walls in the OLIVE international project. Project activities support online teaching and learning methods. Drawing from the experience of first-stage implementation, the paper brings forward metaphors that emerge in developing mentoring. The study explores new perspectives on mentoring to conceptualize the metaphor by considering the need to decolonize engagement with learning through both intellectual and embodied–affective elements. This is done by providing a framework for immersive learning. As a result, one can conclude that mentoring is not only cognitive but also an embodied metaphor with affective elements and needs immersive learning environments. Mentoring is fluid, as the roles of mentors and mentees interchange and intertwine. Mentoring takes place in groups, between and among peers, students, teachers, and researchers both on-line and on-site.