Revista Multidisciplinaria Perspectivas Investigativas
Multidisciplinary Journal Investigative Perspectives
Vol. 6(3), 1-11, 2026
https://doi.org/10.62574/rmpi.v7i3.539
1
Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through
Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American College Students
Fortalecimiento de la competencia comunicativa intercultural mediante
telecolaboración entre estudiantes colombianos y estadounidenses
universitarios
Alan Martínez-Murillo
alanmurillo.est@umecit.edu.pa
Universidad Metropolitana de Educación Ciencia y Tecnología (UMECIT), Panamá, Provincia de
Panamá, Panamá
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2994-6843
ABSTRACT
Globalization requires that foreign language learners develop intercultural communicative
competence beyond mere linguistic proficiency. Therefore, the study aimed to identify the
factors that contribute to strengthening intercultural communicative competence through
telecollaboration between Colombian and American university students. To this end, a
convergent mixed-methods design was applied to a twelve-week telecollaboration program with
45 participants, combining the ICAI Questionnaire, learning journals, recordings of synchronous
sessions, and focus groups to triangulate the evidence. The results showed statistically
significant increases (p < 0.001) in the six dimensions assessed, particularly in intercultural
critical awareness and adaptive behavior, compared to minimal changes in the control group.
The thematic analysis revealed that intercultural empathy was the most frequently recurring
category, followed by the critical examination of stereotypes.
Descriptors: higher education; language teaching; intercultural communication; educational
technology. (Source: UNESCO Thesaurus).
RESUMEN
La globalización exige que los estudiantes de lenguas extranjeras desarrollen competencia
comunicativa intercultural más allá del dominio lingüístico. Por tanto, el estudio persiguió como
objetivo determinar los elementos que contribuyen al fortalecimiento de la competencia
comunicativa intercultural mediante la telecolaboración entre estudiantes universitarios
colombianos y estadounidenses. Para ello, se aplicó un diseño de enfoque mixto convergente
en un programa de telecolaboración de doce semanas con 45 participantes, combinando el
Cuestionario ICAI, diarios de aprendizaje, grabaciones de sesiones síncronas y grupos focales
para triangular la evidencia. Los resultados evidenciaron incrementos estadísticamente
significativos (p < 0.001) en las seis dimensiones evaluadas, particularmente en conciencia
crítica intercultural y comportamiento adaptativo, frente a variaciones mínimas del grupo
control. El análisis temático reveló que la empatía intercultural constituyó la categoría más
recurrente, seguida de la revisión crítica de estereotipos.
Descriptores: educación superior; enseñanza de idiomas; comunicación intercultural;
tecnología educativa. (Fuente: Tesauro UNESCO).
Received: 3/6/2026. Reviewed: 9/6/2026. Accepted: 9/7/2026. Published: 9/7/2026.
Research Articles Section
Multidisciplinary Journal: Investigative Perspectives
Multidisciplinary Journal Investigative Perspectives
Vol. 6(3), 1–11, 2026
Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
Students
Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
Students
Alan Martínez-Murillo
2
INTRODUCTION
Globalization has significantly transformed the landscape of higher education, creating new
demands for foreign language learners. Today, it is no longer sufficient to acquire linguistic
competence; it is essential to develop intercultural communicative competence that enables
them to interact effectively, respectfully, and appropriately in multilingual and multicultural
contexts. In this regard, telecollaboration—understood as collaboration between geographically
distant individuals using digital technology-mediated communication tools—is a strategy that
promotes authentic language learning and, simultaneously, the development of intercultural
competencies.
In the Latin American context, particularly in Colombian institutions of higher education, foreign
language programs face significant challenges, including limited access to native speakers, the
heterogeneity of technological resources, and difficulties in creating spaces for authentic
interaction. Given this scenario, international telecollaboration represents a viable and scalable
alternative to address these needs. However, its implementation requires a comprehensive
understanding of how this modality influences the development of the different dimensions of
intercultural communicative competence.
Various previous studies (Byram, 1997; Liddicoat, 2016; O’Dowd, 2018) have provided solid
theoretical frameworks for understanding intercultural competence in language teaching and
learning. However, there is still a scarcity of research that empirically documents how
telecollaboration fosters the development of aspects such as critical awareness of cultural
stereotypes, the ability to interpret cultural behaviors, and the transformation of attitudes toward
otherness. Furthermore, a knowledge gap persists regarding academic exchanges between
Colombia and the United States, where historical, political, and socioeconomic particularities
shape specific intercultural dynamics.
In response to these limitations, this study aims to contribute to existing knowledge through a
detailed analysis of the changes in intercultural communicative competence experienced by
Colombian and U.S. college students who participated in a structured telecollaboration program.
To this end, quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches are integrated to
understand the multidimensional nature of the changes in this competence.
Thus, the following research question is posed: What factors contribute to the strengthening of
intercultural communicative competence through telecollaboration between Colombian and
American college students?
Therefore, the research objective was to determine the factors that contribute to strengthening
intercultural communication skills through telecollaboration between Colombian and American
college students.
METHOD
Research Design
A mixed-methods study with a parallel convergent design (Creswell, 2014) was conducted. The
quantitative component employed a quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control
group, while the qualitative component was analyzed using thematic analysis. This approach
allowed for the triangulation of quantitative data on changes in intercultural communicative
competence with narratives derived from the participants’ experiences. The total research
period was 15 weeks, divided into a two-week baseline phase, a twelve-week intervention
phase, and a one-week final evaluation phase.
Participants
The sample consisted of 45 college students: 23 from a Colombian institution of higher
education and 22 from a U.S. institution. All were enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs in
foreign languages or bilingual education and possessed a minimum B1 level of linguistic
competence in the language of the exchange, in accordance with the Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages. Their ages ranged from 19 to 25 years.
Multidisciplinary Journal: Investigative Perspectives
Multidisciplinary Journal Investigative Perspectives
Vol. 6(3), 1–11, 2026
Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
Students
Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
Students
Alan Martínez-Murillo
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Assignment to groups was based on the academic organization of the participating institutions
and the students’ voluntary availability, without a randomization procedure; therefore, the study
adopted a quasi-experimental design. The control group consisted of 12 students (6
Colombians and 6 Americans), who continued to follow the regular curriculum for their courses.
The experimental group consisted of 33 students (17 Colombians and 16 Americans), who
additionally participated in a structured telecollaboration program.
Intervention and Implementation
The intervention consisted of a twelve-week telecollaboration program with synchronous and
asynchronous activities conducted weekly. Each week included: (1) a 90-minute synchronous
session via structured videoconferencing on pre-determined topics; (2) asynchronous exchange
of reflections in moderated forums over a period of three to five days; and (3) completion of
collaborative assignments in shared documents.
The content was organized according to a progression aimed at developing intercultural
communication competence: weeks 1–3, exploration of cultural identities; weeks 4–6,
comparison of cultural values; weeks 7–9, analysis of intercultural dilemmas and conflicts; and
weeks 10–12, development of intercultural action projects.
Open-source platforms were used, specifically Jitsi for video conferences and Moodle for
managing forums, supplemented by Google Docs as a cloud-based collaborative tool for the
joint creation of documents. Before the intervention began, all participants received training on
intercultural communication, netiquette, how to use the digital platforms, and ethical
considerations related to virtual interaction. Additionally, the sessions were recorded only after
obtaining informed consent from all participants.
Data Collection Instruments
Multiple instruments were used to strengthen methodological triangulation.
Intercultural Communication Competence Questionnaire (ICAI). An adapted version of the
Intercultural Competence Assessment Instrument (Fantini, 2009) was used, consisting of 32
items on a five-point Likert scale. The instrument was linguistically and culturally adapted to the
study’s context through expert review and administered at the beginning and end of the
intervention.
Weekly learning journal. Students wrote structured reflections of between 200 and 400 words
on their experiences with intercultural interaction.
Recordings of synchronous sessions. Approximately 24 hours of videoconferences were
analyzed to identify patterns of interaction, strategies for resolving misunderstandings, and
processes of shared construction of intercultural meaning.
Exit survey with open-ended questions. At the end of the intervention, participants answered
questions designed to identify perceived changes in their cultural perspectives.
Analysis of collaborative artifacts. Documents produced jointly by the international pairs were
examined using indicators related to intercultural negotiation, shared knowledge construction,
and collaborative problem-solving.
Focus group. A focus group was conducted with a purposive subsample of eight participants
from each country, selected based on their level of participation during the intervention and the
richness of their intercultural experiences.
Data Analysis Procedure
In the quantitative phase, the scores obtained before and after the intervention were compared
using a two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA), with time (pretest and posttest) and group
(control and experimental) as variables. In addition, effect sizes were calculated using partial
eta-squared (η²p) to estimate the magnitude of the observed changes.
Multidisciplinary Journal: Investigative Perspectives
Multidisciplinary Journal Investigative Perspectives
Vol. 6(3), 1–11, 2026
Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
Students
Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
Students
Alan Martínez-Murillo
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In the qualitative phase, thematic analysis was applied following the procedure proposed by
Braun and Clarke (2006). Two researchers independently performed inductive coding of the
learning journals, identifying six main categories: (1) cultural knowledge; (2) interpretive skills;
(3) discovery and interaction; (4) intercultural attitudes; (5) critical intercultural awareness; and
(6) behaviors and adaptation. The reliability of the coding process was estimated using Cohen’s
kappa coefficient (κ = 0.82), an indicator that demonstrated near-perfect agreement between
the two coders.
The open-ended responses from the final survey were examined using lexical frequency and
co-occurrence analysis, supplemented by manual thematic analysis, while the quantitative and
qualitative results were integrated during the interpretation phase to contrast and complement
the evidence obtained from both methodological approaches.
RESULTS
Quantitative Analysis of Change in Intercultural Competence
Table 1 and Figure 1 present the results of the change in intercultural communicative
competence scores between the baseline and the post-intervention assessment for the
experimental group. Overall, statistically significant increases were observed across all six
assessed dimensions, indicating a strengthening of intercultural communicative competence
following the telecollaboration program.
Figure 1. Changes in dimensions of intercultural competence before and after the intervention.
Source: Author’s own.
When examining the distribution of results based on Figure 1, an increase is observed in all
assessed dimensions following the program’s implementation. The most significant changes
were observed in intercultural critical awareness, discovery and interaction, and adaptive
behavior, reflecting a greater development of the ability to understand other cultural
perspectives, navigate interactions with interlocutors from different contexts, and respond with
greater sensitivity to intercultural situations. This behavior demonstrates that the
telecollaboration experience led to improvements in the various components that make up
intercultural communication competence.
Multidisciplinary Journal: Investigative Perspectives
Multidisciplinary Journal Investigative Perspectives
Vol. 6(3), 1–11, 2026
Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
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Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
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Table 1. Pre-post ICAI results by dimension.
Dimension
Pre-Mean (SD)
Post-Mean (SD)
Change
p-value
Cultural Knowledge
3.2 (0.8)
4.1 (0.6)
+0.9
<0.001
Interpretive Skills
3.1 (0.9)
4.3 (0.5)
+1.2
<0.001
Discovery and Interaction
2.9 (1.0)
4.2 (0.7)
+1.3
<0.001
Intercultural Attitudes
3.4 (0.7)
4.5 (0.4)
+1.1
<0.001
Intercultural Critical Awareness
2.6 (1.1)
4.0 (0.8)
+1.4
<0.001
Adaptive Behavior
3.0 (0.9)
4.3 (0.6)
+1.3
<0.001
Note: SD = Standard deviation. N = 33 (experimental group).
Table 1 corresponds to what is shown in the previous figure; the data reveal statistically
significant differences (p < 0.001) between the initial and final measurements across all
analyzed dimensions. The greatest difference was observed in critical intercultural awareness
(+1.4), followed by discovery and interaction (+1.3) and adaptive behavior (+1.3). These results
indicate more pronounced progress in those components related to the critical understanding of
cultural differences and adaptation during communication. Additionally, the dispersion of scores
decreased in the final assessment, suggesting that progress was shared by most of the
participating students. Overall, the results show significant differences between the
experimental group and the control group, with the experimental group achieving substantially
greater improvements across all assessed dimensions.
Figure 2. Comparison of changes in intercultural competence: experimental group vs. control
group. Source: Author’s own.
Figure 2 provides a comparative perspective, and the differences between the two groups are
evident; while the control group showed only minor variations during the study period, the
experimental group recorded greater increases in all dimensions of intercultural communicative
competence. This difference allows us to attribute the observed changes to the implementation
of the telecollaboration program, given that both groups shared similar academic conditions,
differing only in the inclusion of the intervention; therefore, the results support the positive effect
of telecollaboration on the development of intercultural communicative competence among
college students.
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Multidisciplinary Journal Investigative Perspectives
Vol. 6(3), 1–11, 2026
Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
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Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
Students
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Analysis of Student Journals
The analysis of the 156 entries in the learning journals identified six thematic categories
describing the transformations experienced by the students during the telecollaboration process.
In this regard, the frequency of the codes revealed a recurring presence of references related to
intercultural empathy, trust during communication, and a positive appreciation of cultural
differences—aspects that occupied a central place in the participants’ reflections.
Figure 3. Distribution of thematic codes in learning journals. Source: Author.
Consequently, Figure 3 shows that the distribution of codes reflects a balanced representation
of the six identified categories, although those related to intercultural attitudes, discovery and
interaction, and critical intercultural awareness are more prevalent in the students’ accounts.
This pattern suggests that the telecollaboration experience went beyond the learning of cultural
content and fostered processes of personal reflection, the questioning of stereotypes, and the
construction of new ways of understanding cultural diversity.
Word clouds of open-ended responses
The responses to the open-ended question about personal transformations resulted in a word
cloud in which terms such as trust, understanding, diversity, and transformation stand out; the
high frequency of these expressions highlights the aspects that students considered most
relevant during their intercultural exchange experience.
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Multidisciplinary Journal Investigative Perspectives
Vol. 6(3), 1–11, 2026
Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
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Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
Students
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Figure 4. Word cloud: perceptions of change in understanding cultural diversity. Source:
Author’s own.
The word cloud presented in Figure 4 shows the frequency of the words represented. It
indicates that the experiences were primarily associated with increased confidence in
communication, a broader understanding of other cultural realities, and a positive view of
diversity. The predominance of these terms reflects that participants attributed the changes they
experienced to both the academic exchange and direct interaction with peers from different
sociocultural backgrounds. At the same time, reflections on intercultural challenges revealed a
vocabulary in which expressions associated with initial difficulties coexisted with others linked to
learning, adaptation, and the resolution of communicative situations. This combination allows us
to understand the process of intercultural adjustment as a progressive experience rather than as
a phenomenon free of obstacles.
Figure 5. Word cloud: challenges and opportunities in intercultural interaction. Source: Author’s
own.
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Multidisciplinary Journal Investigative Perspectives
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The graphic representation shown in Figure 5 demonstrates that the students recognized the
existence of initial barriers, particularly those related to cultural differences, communication
styles, and expectations regarding interaction. However, the most frequently occurring words
also include references to learning, cooperation, and mutual respect, indicating that these
difficulties gradually transformed into opportunities to broaden intercultural understanding and
strengthen communication skills as the intervention progressed.
Table 2. Examples of student testimonials by category.
Category
Description
Cultural
Knowledge
Acquisition of knowledge about
the practices, values, and
history of the other country.
Interpretive
Skills
Ability to explain behaviors
without resorting to
stereotypes.
Discovery and
Interaction
Initiative to explore differences
and build mutual
understanding.
Intercultural
Attitudes
Openness to differences and a
willingness to learn from other
cultures.
Critical
intercultural
awareness
Reflection on one’s own
beliefs, prejudices, and mental
frameworks.
Adaptive
behavior
Adjusting communication
based on the context and the
person I’m talking to.
Source: Author.
As shown in Table 2, the participants’ testimonies reveal that the observed transformations were
not limited to the acquisition of knowledge about other cultures but also encompassed changes
in how they interpreted differences, interacted with people from other contexts, and reflected on
their own prejudices. Taken together, the qualitative evidence supports the quantitative results
obtained with the ICAI and shows that telecollaboration fostered a comprehensive development
of intercultural communicative competence, expressed at the cognitive, attitudinal, and
behavioral levels.
THEORETICAL REFLECTION ON THE RESULTS
Viewed in this light, the results obtained demonstrate that telecollaboration between university
students in Colombia and the United States fostered the strengthening of intercultural
communicative competence across its various dimensions; consequently, the improvements
observed in both quantitative indicators and qualitative results support the potential of digitally
mediated collaborative environments to promote meaningful intercultural learning. Given that
these results align with those reported by O’Dowd (2018) and Helm and O’Dowd (2014), it can
be argued that structured virtual interaction facilitates the development of the knowledge, skills,
and attitudes necessary for intercultural communication. Furthermore, this study provides
empirical evidence in the context of an exchange between Colombian and U.S. university
students a scenario that has received less attention in the specialized literature.
Changes in Intercultural Knowledge and Skills
In this regard, with respect to cultural knowledge and interpretive skills, the results show
significant increases between the initial and final assessments (3.2 vs. 4.1 and 3.1 vs. 4.3,
respectively); Consequently, these changes indicate that the students broadened their
Multidisciplinary Journal: Investigative Perspectives
Multidisciplinary Journal Investigative Perspectives
Vol. 6(3), 1–11, 2026
Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
Students
Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
Students
Alan Martínez-Murillo
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understanding of the practices, values, and forms of social organization present in their
interlocutors’ culture, while developing a greater ability to interpret behaviors within their
sociocultural context, thereby avoiding explanations based on stereotypes. From this
perspective, as Byram (1997) argues, intercultural competence does not depend solely on the
acquisition of knowledge, but also on the ability to critically interpret and relate cultural
phenomena. Since the results obtained support this approach, the learning journals show that
participants began to explain cultural differences by considering historical, educational, social,
and institutional factors. To illustrate this, one of the students stated: “It’s not that Americans are
direct by nature; that pattern emerges from educational and business structures that reward
precision and efficiency.” In other words, this type of reflection demonstrates a shift from
simplified interpretations toward more complex analyses of intercultural reality.
Changes in Attitudes and Intercultural Awareness
In contrast, the greatest variations were observed in the dimensions of intercultural attitudes
(3.4 versus 4.5) and critical intercultural awareness (2.6 versus 4.0); thus, these results suggest
that the telecollaboration experience not only broadened the students’ knowledge but also
encouraged them to reexamine their own beliefs, prejudices, and ways of understanding cultural
reality. Given that Byram (1997) and Guilherme (2002) argue that critical intercultural
awareness involves the ability to reflectively examine both one’s own culture and that of others,
the testimonies collected demonstrate this process of reconstructing perspectives. As one
American student describes it: “Talking with my Colombian classmates, I realized how much the
American news system simplifies complex conflicts into ‘good versus bad’ narratives. I hadn’t
recognized this before because that was simply the reality I knew.” That is, the reflection cited
above demonstrates a questioning of previously assumed interpretive frameworks and aligns
with what Mezirow (2000) describes regarding transformative learning, where meaningful
experiences lead to a critical review of previously accepted assumptions.
Empathy as the Cornerstone of Intercultural Learning
In other words, another relevant aspect concerns the role of intercultural empathy during the
learning process; for this reason, the analysis of the diaries revealed that this category was the
most frequent, with 189 entries out of a total of 948 identified codes—a figure representing
approximately 20% of the total. From the perspective of intercultural psychology, Bennett (2004)
notes that understanding other cultures requires developing the ability to recognize different
perspectives without losing one’s own cultural identity. Complementarily, Levinas (1969) argues
that the encounter with the other constitutes an ethical experience based on the recognition of
the other’s uniqueness. As a result, the testimonies analyzed reflect precisely this process, as
the students shifted from perceiving their conversation partners as homogeneous
representatives of a culture to recognizing them as individuals with unique experiences,
concerns, and life stories.
Such is the case of a Colombian participant, who stated: “My American classmate spoke about
his concerns regarding the cost of higher education. I thought Americans had everything figured
out, but when I heard him explain the financial difficulties he was facing, I realized that he, too,
faces complex situations. That conversation changed the way I think.” That being the case, this
account illustrates how direct contact fostered the development of empathy and helped
overcome oversimplified notions about the reality of the other.
Mechanisms Explaining the Effectiveness of Telecollaboration
Given the information presented, we can analyze some of the elements that appear to
contribute to the relative effectiveness of telecollaboration compared to traditional teaching
tactics in the control group. First, the interaction took place with real people, not with abstract
models of other cultures; this feature allowed for the creation of authentic relationships for
exchange and facilitated learning processes similar to those that occur within communities of
practice (Lave and Wenger, 1991), where knowledge is generated through social interaction,
while discussions within the context of telecollaboration activities continually challenged
participants’ prior ideas with concrete experiences.
Multidisciplinary Journal: Investigative Perspectives
Multidisciplinary Journal Investigative Perspectives
Vol. 6(3), 1–11, 2026
Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
Students
Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills Through Telecollaboration Between Colombian and American University
Students
Alan Martínez-Murillo
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This confrontation encouraged the reevaluation of stereotypes and the construction of
interpretations more aligned with the diversity of cultural realities observed during the exchange;
in short, the relational aspect of communication enhanced the students’ engagement with
intercultural communication; in contrast to the conventional classroom process, the interaction
involved a direct relationship with another person—a situation more open to expressing and
reflecting on how one’s self-generated discourse can lead others to consider different points of
view. The main contribution of these elements is to explain why telecollaboration produced
broader and more stable effects on students’ intercultural communicative competence than
traditional teaching methods.
CONCLUSION
Three key elements came together to develop intercultural communicative competence in
Colombian and American students: sustained contact with real interlocutors, which replaced
abstract representations with authentic relationships; systematic reflection through journals and
forums, which fostered critical review of prior stereotypes; and intercultural empathy, the most
frequently mentioned theme in the students’ narratives. Since these elements worked
synergistically, the students not only developed their own cultural knowledge but also modified
their attitudes and critical awareness toward difference, confirming telecollaboration as a
positive pedagogical tool for intercultural education at the university level.
FUNDING
Non-monetary
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
There is no conflict of interest with individuals or institutions linked to the research.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To the Santa Elena Peninsula State University.
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