Virtual Exchange in Teaching Statistics and Data Science: A Study of Two Experiences between Scotland and the United States

Virtual Exchange (VE), a pedagogical practice in which students from different countries collaborate to complete a series of activities, is a technique that can strengthen students’ skills in several areas, including their ability to collaborate effectively in international teams upon graduation. This paper explores the integration of VE activities in statistics and data science education, highlighting the benefits of intercultural communication and active learning in improving students' data analysis and communication skills. Two VE projects between the University of Florida (UF) and the University of Edinburgh (UE) are detailed. VE project 1 involved business graduate students enrolled in a statistics course and undergraduates in different programs from UE creating and refining survey questions and data visualizations. VE project 2 featured graduate students from both universities presenting their coursework projects on statistical modeling and data visualization. Instructors’ perceptions of the effectiveness of these practices are described in terms of subject learning, communication skills, and the overall quality of the collaborative experience. A thematic analysis of students’ reflections on intercultural competencies and the investigative cycle is also provided. The study highlights the potential of VE activities to enhance statistical learning outcomes and intercultural knowledge competencies in data science education. Findings suggest that VE projects in statistics and data science could benefit from incorporating a broad cultural context and structured feedback mechanisms.