Global Learning is related to the concept of being a Global Citizen. It is defined by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) as ". . . a critical analysis of and an engagement with complex, interdependent global systems and legacies (such as natural, physical, social, cultural, economic, and political) and their implications for people's lives and the earth's sustainability."

Global Learning benefits the student with a wider perspective. They are shown different cultures and context for the information they are studying. This gives them the ability to evaluate the information from a different perspective. This type of learning gives students the gateway to experiencing the people of other cultures to foster a deeper understanding of our interconnectedness. Global learning also opens the student's eyes to issues impacting areas outside of their culture and gives them the opportunity to collaborate in solving these issues.

The concept of global learning ties into the ideas of Differentiated Learning and Personalized Learning, from this week's lessons, in two ways. The first is taking into consideration the learning of all students. Global Learning allows us to see that students from different cultures and contexts would benefit from individualized learning tailored to their culture. The second is that each student has different exposure to the Global Community. Some students have very little exposure, so their learning will be different from those who are regularly in contact with the Global Community. Taking both into consideration will use Global Learning concepts to maximize its benefits for students.

eLearning technologies make this much more possible today than ever before and continues to open possibilities for the future. Today Students can have video chats with students around the world, with the internet the same students can view activities and events happening globally, and with Ubiquitous Learning students from all over the globe can be in the same virtual classroom. In the future, language translation will revolutionize this concept. Students from all over the world can be in the same classroom, speaking and typing in their native language and having discussions with other students from completely different cultures and languages. Virtual reality technology can also eliminate barriers to interactions.

Media embedded July 15, 2020

Resources:

https://www.aacu.org/global-learning/definitions

https://globalaffairs.ucdavis.edu/ge4a/global-learning

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_citizenship