Mind the Gap

There is growing awareness that global learning is not confined to university, credit-bearing off campus international programs, and that institutions of higher learning have, up until now, conceived of global education too narrowly. Global learning through study abroad and off-campus domestic study fits into a larger context of students’ educational experiences. You can find global learning as part of other high-impact practices; domestic off-campus programs, undergraduate research, and service- or community-based learning all can be global learning opportunities. On-campus global learning can occur in the disciplines and in the core curriculum as well. Language and culture, anthropology, sociology, and other departments, multicultural centers, and diversity and inclusivity offices, to name a few, also teach students to be global learners. Global learning pertains to the many staff and faculty educators who intentionally encourage students to engage with and successfully navigate difference. Thus, there is a growing need for bridging across disciplinary and administrative silos, silos that are culturally bound within academia. The gaps between these silos matter as students seek to integrate off- and on-campus learning. Higher education needs a new, holistic assessment of global learning.

This book investigates not just student learning, but also faculty experiences, program structures, and pathways that impact global learning, and expands the context of global learning to show its antecedents and impacts as a part of the larger higher education experience. Chapters look at recent developments such as short-term, off-campus, international study and certificate/medallion programs, as well as blended learning environments and undergraduate research, all in the context of multi-institutional comparisons. Global learning is also situated in a larger university context.

A Series on Engaged Learning and Teaching Book. Visit the books’ companion website, hosted by the Center for Engaged Learning, for book resources.