Johnson receives grant for virtual exchange research

Dr. Lauren C. Johnson, assistant dean and associate professor in the University of North Georgia's (UNG) College of Education, was awarded a $12,050 grant to support her efforts for research in virtual exchange.

The grant was part of the second iteration of "Strengthening the Field: Catalyzing Research in Virtual Exchange" presented by the Stevens Initiative at the Aspen Institute. Through this effort, five independent research teams researched issues such as virtual exchange's impact on student outcomes. The initiative helps lead the virtual exchange field in research and knowledge sharing, serving as a central place for collecting and sharing promising practices and other resources.

Johnson and Dr. Andy Carolin, senior lecturer at the University of Johannesburg, explored the use of a virtual exchange to facilitate dialogues on societal issues that impact education between students at their universities. Their research explores how virtual exchange supports pre-service teachers in navigating and engaging in social justice education to both enrich higher education institutions and inform their own practice as educators.

Virtual exchange involves online collaboration, often between classes and groups in different countries.

Lauren Johnson

UNG assistant dean and associate professor

Johnson participated in the Stevens Initiative Virtual Exchange Academy in 2021.

Carolin said South Africa and Georgia have similar histories of racism and structural inequality that continue in different ways into the present day.

"Through the virtual exchange, we hope to facilitate deeper engagement around social justice issues across comparative contexts," Carolin said. "It is essential that we prepare university students to be able to engage critically with different systemic factors that shape access to quality education."

Johnson, along with Dr. Sheri Hardee, College of Education dean, has implemented a pair of programs that prepare minority teachers to enter classrooms in their home districts. Realizing Inspiring and Successful Educators (RISE) is a partnership between the Hall County School District and UNG in which the school district pays for Hispanic graduates to train as teachers in UNG's College of Education and work as paraprofessionals in the K-12 school system at the same time. The district then offers the students a job upon graduation from UNG. The second program is the Aspiring Teachers Program (ATP) with the Gainesville City School System, which provides students of color an opportunity to earn their teacher certification experience at UNG and come back to their home district to teach.

Johnson earned a 2019 Diversity Champion Award from UNG for her efforts with the RISE and ATP programs.