Learning Justice Across Borders: Virtual Exchange and Disciplinary Learning in Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Law
摘要
Globalization has fundamentally reshaped crime, justice, and legal systems. As a result, students in criminology, criminal justice, and law must develop the ability to analyze justice issues beyond national boundaries. Many academic programs, however, are still working to meet this growing need for internationalization. This chapter examines virtual exchange (VE), referring here to the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) model, as a practical and accessible approach for integrating international perspectives directly into disciplinary coursework, drawing on qualitative materials generated through normal educational practice. Specifically, it explores how VE strengthened three interrelated forms of disciplinary learning—contextual understanding, comparative reasoning, and applied disciplinary synthesis—across two iterations of a VE project connecting criminology students in the United States with criminal law students in Ecuador. Findings suggest that, within the participating courses, VE supported students’ ability to situate justice systems within their social, political, and historical environments, move beyond surface-level comparisons toward deeper cross-national analysis, and apply international perspectives to policy evaluation, reform discussions, and professional roles. In addition to strengthening core disciplinary outcomes, VE was also associated with development of intercultural communication skills, professional competencies, and international networks that enhanced students’ readiness for work in an increasingly global justice landscape. The chapter concludes by discussing teaching takeaways drawn from the implementation of VE in these courses and offering practical guidance for faculty interested in using VE in criminology, criminal justice, and legal education.