The study investigated the learning experiences and outcomes of students participating in a virtual team-based multinational collaboration project. The participants in the project were 172 undergraduate students enrolled in three apparel programs located in three different countries: Australia, South Africa, and the United States. To explore student learning experiences and outcomes, 66 anonymous reflective essays were analyzed. As a result of the interpretive analysis, the three topical areas emerged: Discovering New Knowledge, Acquiring New Skills, and Personal Development. Results indicate that participation in the unique learning experience helped students acquire new knowledge and skills, become more mature, and, ultimately, feel better prepared to enter the global apparel industry. Based on our findings, we propose three components that are necessary for a successful preparation of students for the careers in the global apparel industry: (a) obtaining both general and industry-specific knowledge, (b) acquiring professional skills, and (c) personality growth and development.
AlexanderB. (2006). Web 2.0: A new wave of innovation for teaching and learning?Education Review, 41, 33–44.
2.
AltesK. (2009). Social media. Journal of Property Management, 74, 44–47.
3.
AubertB. A.KelseyB. L. (2003). Further understanding of trust and performance in virtual teams. Small Group Research, 34, 575–618.
4.
BabbieE.MoutonJ. (2001). The practice of social research.
Cape Town, Republic of South Africa: Oxford University Press.
5.
BatlesB. B.DicksonM. W.ShermanM. P.BauerC. C.LaGankeJ. S. (2002). Computer-mediated communication and group decision making: A meta-analysis. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 87, 156–179.
6.
BirnbaumD. (2005). Birnbaum’s global guide to winning the great garment war.
New York, NY: Fashiondex.
7.
CasamayorA.AmandiA.CampoM. (2009). Intelligent assistance for teachers in collaborative e-learning environments. Computers & Education, 53, 1147–1154.
8.
DeardorffD. K. (2006). Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education, 10, 241–266.
9.
DekkerD. M.RutteC. G.Van den BergP. T. (2008). Cultural differences in the perception of critical interaction behaviors in global virtual teams. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 32, 441–452.
10.
DeVossD.JaskenJ.HaydenD. (2002). Teaching intracultural and intercultural communication. A critique and suggested method. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 16, 69–94.
11.
DickersonK. G. (1999). Textiles and apparel in the global economy.
3rd ed.Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
12.
EsterbergK. G. (2002). Qualitative methods in social research.
Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
13.
FinegoldA. R. D.CookeL. (2006). Exploring the attitudes, experiences and dynamics of interaction in online groups. The Internet and Higher Education, 9, 201–315.
14.
FoxR. (2003). Technology and change. An examination of staff beliefs and use of ICT. Staff and Educational Development International, 7, 85–94.
15.
FrazierB. J.CheekW. K. (2005). Fashion industry career matrix: Encouraging students to explore fashion-related careers. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 23, 375–384.
GrosseC. (2002). Managing communication within virtual intercultural teams. Business Communication Quarterly, 65, 22–38.
18.
HakeemS. A. (2001). Effect of experiential learning in business statistics. Journal of Education for Business, 77, 95–98.
19.
HakkinenP.JarvelaS. (2006). Sharing and constructing perspectives in web-based conferencing. Computers & Education, 47, 433–447.
20.
HertelG.GeiserS.KonradtU. (2005). Managing virtual teams: A review of current empirical research. Human Resource Management Review, 15, 69–95.
21.
JarvenpaaS. L.LeiderD. E. (1999). Communication and trust in global virtual teams. Organization Science, 10, 790–815.
22.
JohnsonJ. P.LenartowiczT.ApudS. (2006). Cross-cultural competence in international business: Toward a definition and a model. Journal of International Business Studies, 37, 525–543.
23.
KarpovaE. E.CorreiaA. P.BaranE. (2009). Learn to use and use to learn: Technology in virtual collaboration experience. The Internet and Higher Education Journal, 12, 45–52.
24.
KimmonsJ. V.SpruiellP. R. (2005). Using problem-based learning in a multidisciplinary setting. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 23, 385–395.
25.
KolbD. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as a source of learning and development.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
LaBatK. L.SokolowskiS. L. (1999). Three-stage design process: Applied to an industry-university textile product design project. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 17, 11–20.
28.
LeHewM. L. A.MeyerD. J. C. (2005). Preparing global citizens for leadership in the textile and apparel industry. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 23, 290–297.
29.
LooiC.ChenW.NgF. (2010). Collaborative activities enabled by group scribbles (GS): An exploratory study of learning effectiveness. Computers & Education, 54, 14–26.
30.
LureyJ. S.RaisinghaniM. S. (2001). An empirical study of best practices in virtual teams. Information & Management, 38, 523–544.
31.
MaliowskiS. R.ThompsonM. E.TheisJ. G. (2007). A model for research into course management systems: Bridging technology and learning theory. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 36, 149–173.
32.
MaznevskiM. L.ChudobaK. M. (2001). Bridging space over time: Global virtual team dynamics and effectiveness. Organization Science, 11, 473–492.
33.
MerryfieldM. (2003). Like a veil: Cross-cultural experiential learning online. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 3, 146–171.
34.
MunozC.HuserA. (2008). Experiential and cooperative learning: Using a situation analysis project in principles of marketing. Journal of Education for Business, 83, 214–233.
35.
NemiroJ. E. (2004). Creativity in virtual teams: Key components for success.
New York, NY: John Wiley.
36.
OnrubiaJ.EngelA. (2009). Strategies for collaborative writing and phases of knowledge construction in CSCL environments. Computers & Education, 53, 1256–1265.
37.
PaulS.SeetharamanP.SamarahI.MykytynP. P. (2004). Impact of heterogeneity and collaborative conflict management style on the performance of synchronous global virtual teams. Information & Management, 41, 303–321.
38.
PaulinsV. A. (2005). Teaching apparel merchandising/retail industry career exploration and professional development by involvement of students in survey research. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 23, 216–228.
PuntambekarS. (2006). Analyzing collaborative interactions: Divergence, shared understanding and construction of knowledge. Computers & Education, 47, 332–351.
41.
RoebuckD. B.BrockS. J.MoodieD. R. (2004). Using a simulation to explore the challenges of communicating in a virtual team. Business Communication Quarterly, 67, 359–367.
42.
SmithC.BathD. (2006). The role of learning community in the development of discipline knowledge and generic graduate outcomes. Higher Education, 51, 259–286.
43.
SoH.SeahL. H.Toh-HengH. L. (2010). Designing collaborative knowledge building environments accessible to all learners: Impacts and design challenges. Computers & Education, 54, 479–490.
44.
SpiggleS. (1994). Analysis and interpretation of qualitative data in consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research, 21, 491–501.
45.
ThompsonC.LocanderW.PollioH. (1990). The lived meaning of free choice: An existential phenomenological description of everyday consumer experiences of contemporary married women. Journal of Consumer Research, 17, 346–361.
46.
Van ManenM. (1990). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy.
New York: University of New York Press.
47.
WellerM.PeglerC.MasonR. (2005). Use of innovative technologies on an e-learning course. The Internet and Higher Education, 8, 61–71.
48.
WilsonJ. M.StrausS. G.McEvilyB. (2006). All in due time: the development of trust in computer-mediated and face-to-face teams. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 99, 16–33.
49.
YuH.JinB. (2005). Enhancing international dimensions in apparel and merchandising curricula in the USA. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 9, 232–243.
