How Students Benefit From Global Learning?

Welcome back to my blog! This week I am reading chapter 4: The Impact of Global Learning of Julie Lindsay’s The Global Educator. The book discusses based on the main four sections:

  1. Global learning’s impact on the educator. 
  2. Global learning’s impact on the student.
  3. Global learning’s impact on the community. 
  4. Golas, challenges, and enablers to global learning. 
A picture that three students holding hands with books around the them and the world implies that people are learning globally with no barriers.
A picture implies students are learning globally without barriers.

In this blog post, I am going to focus on global learning’s impact on students studying Psychology. 

What do you think global learning can change a student? 

According to Lindsay, global learning increases changes for students to engage and partner with all educators and learners worldwide. Students can then hear and share life experiences and cultural differences with each other. Throughout the detail explanations, global learners become more open-minded, trying their best to stand on other’s shoes and finding out both similarities and differences. A journal article, written by Carie L. Forden and Amy M. Carrillo (2014), states that applying global learning to a Psychology course using an online platform brings good impacts on students. The U.S.A. students collaborate with college students in Egypt through the Facebook page to finish assignments. At the end of the semester, students report an overall better understanding of course conceptscultural diversities, and declining in prejudice. Besides, some students also find that they understand themselves more

Back to Lindsay’s point of view, she believes the introduction of global learning on the online platform increases students’ interest in travel and international study. I agree with it that students are inspired to step out and experience the real-world. Hearing from others is a kind of passive learning, in contrast, traveling by themselves is actively viewing and feeling everything around you. Here is the study abroad program website of the University of California, Davis. One of the programs is going to Berlin to study Personality Psychology. The program includes not only lecture classes and exams but also guest speakers, social events with German psychologists and students, and museum visits. Students will have plenty of time and opportunities to explore the city. There are also other education abroad programs recommended to Psychology majors, which mostly have no language prerequisite. However, if you are interested in learning a new language and practice in a native speaking environment, you are welcome to take the language course. 

With some personal experiences, I understand Lindsay’s idea that global learning help with future employment. I studied in Hong Kong for more than twelve years, and I am now studying in the U.S. for almost four years. I always included both places for my future career plan that I am interested in working in both regions with their specific pros and cons. I had a summer internship in Hong Kong last year. It was an excellent experience that I learned a lot about myself, the working culture in a non-governmental organization, and I met different professionals. Now, I am applying for an internship in the U.S. working in the Human Resources department. I am designing to do an independent study during my internship as an HR staff. Therefore, at the end of the semester, I will have both national and international working experiences with people from different backgrounds and cultures. 

International students share their thoughts about studying Psychology in a foreign county.

It is impossible to tell you all the benefits of global learning here, with only a few examples. Luckily, I am sure that global learning does widen students’ horizons and provide them with more opportunities to make their lives colorful. 

Thank you, everyone, for visiting my blog and please feel free to share your ideas and experiences with me.

Please don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for more related information and discussions.
Twitter: @PoYeeWong4

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