Educating global citizens

Today's Inside Higher Ed includes a link to an audio podcast in which Peter Stearns (George Mason University) discusses some of the main ideas from his book, Educating Global Citizens in Colleges and Universities. The link above takes you to a brief note about the book and the link to the podcast follows that note.

I'm posting this item for two reasons. First, the general/liberal education programs at many colleges and universities include some kind of global/world community element. At my university, for instance, every undergraduate degree program includes one or more courses intended to "engender in students a greater appreciation of their membership in a world community marked by vast diversities of every type."

Second, one of the proven high-impact educational practices (HIEPs) that are being promoted by people like George Kuh and organizations like AAC&U is the one called "Diversity/Global Learning." I call it a proven HIEP because by now there's a significant amount of research showing that, carried out properly, programs falling into this category stimulate increased student engagement and enhance student success. Here's Kuh's brief description of "Diversity/Global Learning."

Many colleges and universities now emphasize courses and programs that help students explore cultures, life experiences, and worldviews different from their own. These studies - which may address U.S. diversity, world cultures, or both - often explore "difficult differences" such as racial, ethnic, and gender inequality, or continuing struggles around the globe for human rights, freedom, and power. Frequently, intercultural studies are augmented by experiential learning in the community and/or by study abroad.