The Global Competence Curriculum – Three Perspectives
AIEA panel session, Monday, Feb. 15, 3:15 – 4:30 p.m.
John Heyl – VP Global Education, CEA Global Education
CEA, a private global learning company, emphasizes Global Competence as a key goal for its study abroad students. CEA’s challenge is twofold: Students study with CEA for a relatively short period of time – typically one semester, and CEA’s goals for Global Competence are not articulated with those of sending institutions. CEA is addressing these issues with three initiatives: (1) Establishing a foundation course – “Intercultural Communication and Global Competence” – as part of every Global Campus curriculum, and, where feasible, at partner universities. (2) Assessing students at the beginning and end of their study term abroad for advances in global skills and attitudes. (3) Developing closer ties with sending institutions so that CEA’s approach reinforces campus-based Global Competence goals.
Gil Latz – Vice Provost for International Affairs, Portland State University
The presentation illustrates how Portland State's institutional commitment to community/civic engagement has naturally led to the articulation of student learning outcomes in the global context. Background for the current campus-wide discussion is a set of learning outcomes for all PSU students adopted by the PSU faculty in 2008-2009, which includes a commitment to assure that students “develop the skills and attitudes to function as ‘global citizens.’” There will be consideration of the transferability of the PSU strategy through case study analysis of Vietnam as an example of how engaged courses and engaged research is being pursued in increasingly global settings. A concluding objective is to encourage participants to reflect on their campus' engagement and internationalization agendas to expand understanding of global citizenship through student learning and faculty research. View Gil Latz's presentation from the event...
Elspeth Jones - International Dean, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
Leeds Metropolitan University is committed to developing the global perspectives of all students and has adopted a range of approaches to internationalising both the formal and informal curriculum. This presentation will illustrate the use of a strategic institutional framework to support curriculum internationalisation at course level, which also assists in developing skills and understanding of ‘cross-cultural capability’ by staff who are teaching on the programmes. This not only relates to transnational cultures but can be used to support multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion within the home student community. It will also consider some successes in internationalising the ‘informal’ curriculum and how Leeds Met evaluates this through free-standing Global Citizens’ Awards. Evidence of evaluative measures will be given which, typical of such evaluation in the UK, is qualitative rather than quantitative.View Elspeth Jones' presentation from the event...
Christa Olson - Associate Director, Center for International Initiatives, American Council on Education (ACE)
View Christa Olson's Comment on the event...
Note: For a review of 44 global/intercultural competence assessment tools, see Alvino E. Fantini, “Assessing Intercultural Competence – Issues and Tools,” in Darla K. Deardorff (ed.), The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Competence, pp. 456-476 (SAGE, 2009). The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Competence may be obtained through contacting SAGE publishers.
Susan Herrera's doctoral dissertation, "Effectiveness of study abroad in developing global competence and global consciousness: essential outcomes for internationalizing the curriculum", is available in full text at http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0022495. Dr. Herrera, Director Global Education Centers, Office of International Affairs, North Carolina State University, may be contacted at susan_herrera@ncsu.edu, Tel. 919.830.8992, Cell 904.307.1913.
