Soliya’s Virtual Exchange Pedagogy
Soliya’s Virtual Exchange (VE) pedagogy is specifically designed to foster authentic connections and learning through dialogue.
Through constructive engagement across differences, participants build confidence, empathy, understanding, and the skills to communicate and collaborate with individuals who hold different views, values, cultures, and life experiences, establishing habits of constructive civic discourse.
Constructive Online Engagement on Real-World Topics
We're striving to build engagement that goes beyond feel-good conversations. Instead, we aim to foster communication that supports and welcomes discussions on real-world topics—issues that both connect and divide today’s youth.
Communication Values: Engaging with Difference
Learning through dialogue requires not only hearing other perspectives but also making an active effort to understand where those differences stem from. We create spaces for deeper exploration across cultures, values, and beliefs.
Dialogue-Based Learning
Soliya’s pedagogy emphasizes dialogue as a primary tool for learning and engagement. Instead of focusing solely on knowledge transfer, it encourages participants to actively listen, share perspectives, reflect on their assumptions and biases, and draw from personal experiences.
Real-World Dialogue
Participants engage in both synchronous and asynchronous exchanges to discuss global and social issues that matter to them. Through this process, they develop global awareness and build critical 21st-century skills, including leadership, empathy, and collaborative problem-solving.
Facilitated Dialogue
Trained facilitators ensure effective learning in virtual exchange groups. By practicing neutrality and multipartiality, they ensure all voices are present and heard. They are equipped to address diverse group dynamics and mitigate inherent power imbalances. Facilitators guide the group’s learning process, empowering participants through meaningful engagement.
“A Micro-Model” of Society
By bringing together people from diverse backgrounds in a collaborative, safe space, Soliya’s approach creates a "micro-model" of society. This environment allows participants to challenge their stereotypes, explore the origins of differences, and apply this model of constructive interactions to larger social settings.
Curriculum & Group Needs
Facilitators continuously assess the needs of their groups and adapt weekly sessions accordingly. They have access to a comprehensive curriculum that includes ice-breaker activities, group formation processes, conflict resolution tools, and discussion guides on a variety of polarizing topics.
Activation of Learning
Participants in Soliya’s Virtual Exchange immediately apply their learning through diverse practices. They are encouraged to engage in thought-provoking conversations, gaining hands-on experience in communication and collaboration that extends beyond the program and academic settings.