College of DuPage faculty provide students global opportunities inside the classroom
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, College of DuPage Field Studies, Study Abroad and Global Education department worked diligently and creatively to transition study abroad opportunities to the virtual format after international travel was restricted due to safety concerns.
Virtual learning allowed COD faculty members to conceptualize education abroad in new ways through out-of-the-box thinking, said Maren McKellin, Manager of COD's Field Studies, Study Abroad and Global Education.
"When we were grounded due to the pandemic, we still had an obligation to provide our students with opportunities and experiences that broadened their knowledge of culture, people and places," she said. "To not prepare our students for a global workplace would be a disservice to them. We live in a globalized, very connected world. Employers not only appreciate but expect their workforce to have some sort of global competence."
McKellin and her team quickly pivoted and began hosting live global chats featuring faculty and experts speaking about the international impact of the pandemic, interviewed students sharing their study abroad experiences from years past, and made a concerted effort to stay connected with students via social media.
But something else also began to happen. Several faculty members across various academic disciplines began to incorporate virtual global exchanges into their curriculum to give students an opportunity to feel more connected in such isolating times.
COD French and Italian Instructors Mirta Pagnucci, Elana Kranz and Shannon Caldwell already were invested in incorporating global education into their classrooms. Through a Global Initiatives Grant funded through the COD Foundation, their proposed project "Let's Go Global" was piloted in the fall of 2020.
"The timing of our pilot program coincided with the start of fall semester in which all students were remote," Pagnucci said. "It gave us the unique opportunity to see how virtual international exchanges could work in a time when students weren't able to travel internationally. Many students are seeking the opportunity to submerge themselves in another culture and for those who can't travel, virtual exchanges can have an incredible impact."
Through an online learning platform, students met with a native speaking coach on a regular basis throughout the course, providing them with authentic conversation and comprehension practice.
Participating in a semester-long global exchange allowed COD student Guillermina Hernandez to feel like she was immersed in Italian culture.
"It was such a great experience to practice and learn from a native speaker," she said. "My coach really pushed me to use what I was learning in class since Italian was the only way we could communicate. It truly made me feel like I was in Italy trying to get around in an Italian city."
As a member of the African Studies Committee, COD Associate Professor of Biology Jor-El Hardy has wanted to incorporate African culture and knowledge into his environmental biology classroom for years. The pandemic proved the right time to launch a pilot virtual exchange.
"There is so much value in learning about other countries, and in the sciences, exploring biodiversity is crucial," he said. "I wanted my students to understand how water resources are treated differently in Ghana than in the United States, so we connected virtually with a Ghanian who works at a water treatment facility for a semester-long learning experience. It's all about information sharing and insightful discussions. For my students to be able to ask questions and learn from someone across the globe is so valuable."
COD English Professor Lisa Higgins' Honors English Composition class also is participating in a virtual study abroad project in conjunction with students from various African countries.
"We are giving students the opportunity to actively engage in live real-world conversations to broaden their connection to another culture and language," she said.
Hardy and Higgins encourage other faculty to consider incorporating a global perspective into their curriculum.
"Many students don't have the means or the inclination to participate in study abroad programs, yet we still have a responsibility to provide a global perspective no matter the academic discipline," Hardy said. "The past year has yielded a good foundation to build on and we want to ensure these programs are sustainable in a post-COVID world."
To learn more about the College of DuPage Field Studies, Study Abroad and Global Education, visit www.cod.edu/field or www.facebook.com/CODFieldStudies/.