In recognition of today’s interconnected world, institutions want to thoroughly prepare students for graduation and employment. To achieve that, students must have an understanding of the world in which we live.
As part of her job as senior director for global learning and curricular change at the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), Dr. Dawn M. Whitehead interacts with representatives of institutions that seek to integrate global learning into existing curriculum.
“If you look at mission statements or vision statements for almost any university at this point — two-year, four-year, highly selective, open admission — you’ll find the word ‘global’ in that mission somewhere,” Whitehead says. “Typically, it’s relating to the fact that we want students to be citizens of the world. We want students to be willing and able to engage with differing perspectives.
“It also speaks to what the workforce is telling us.”
This year, AAC&U published a study of employers — both for-profit and nonprofit — and 70 percent of the employers indicated their organization is globally connected.
“If we want students to really be prepared, they have to be able to solve problems with people whose views are different from their own,” Whitehead says. “That is another factor that contributes to this new push for a globalized educational experience.”
Later this month, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), which has engaged in global learning for 40 years, will host its first annual Institute on Project-Based Learning in collaboration with AAC&U. Teams from colleges and universities from around the country, which applied to be able to take part, will spend three days learning how to integrate project-based learning into their curriculum with a focus on global learning and interaction.
