From Cultural Knowledge to Empathic Perspective-Shifting: A Study of Intercultural Understanding in a Short-Term Virtual Exchange among Asian University Students

Abstract

Virtual exchange (VE) has become an increasingly important approach for promoting intercultural learning in higher education, particularly where physical mobility is limited. However, less is known about how short-term intercultural interaction contributes to different dimensions of intercultural understanding and empathy. This study examines how university students’ intercultural understanding and empathy changed after a short-term online intercultural exchange activity and identifies which dimensions of intercultural competence were most visible in their written reflections. The activity connected students from three universities in different cultural contexts through guided online intercultural conversations. Data consisted of pre- and post-activity questionnaire responses and written reflections collected across three interaction sessions. Nineteen students with matched pre- and post-activity questionnaire responses were included in the quantitative analysis, while 23 students’ coded reflections were examined qualitatively. The questionnaire contained 29 Likert-scale items related to intercultural understanding, empathy, openness, communication, cultural awareness, and respect for diversity. Negatively worded items were reverse-scored, and paired-samples analysis was used to compare composite pre- and post-activity scores. Results showed a statistically significant positive change in students’ intercultural understanding and empathy. The largest gains appeared in students’ confidence introducing their own culture, comfort discussing cultural topics, effort to understand their own culture, empathic response to people from other cultures, and ability to adapt communication. Qualitative findings showed that knowledge was the most visible dimension in reflections, followed by internal shift, attitudes, interpreting/relating, and discovery/interaction. The findings suggest that short-term online intercultural exchange can support measurable gains in confidence, empathy, and intercultural awareness while also revealing the need for stronger scaffolding of active discovery and interaction strategies. The article contributes to intercultural competence and virtual exchange research by integrating pre/post measurement with coded reflective evidence of students’ intercultural learning.