By Emily Davis Malewitz, OSU College of Liberal Arts
As a language instructor, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about ways to incorporate global learning into my teaching and help my students develop strong intercultural skills. Language classrooms are, of course, a natural fit for international education, and we often think of the best-known international opportunities for students—study abroad, international internships, and conversation exchanges—within the context of language learning. It makes sense: language courses are expressly designed to prepare students to interact with a wide variety of people inside and outside of the U.S., so they naturally include global experiences.
But there’s a growing need for globalization of the curriculum across all disciplines as well. In our increasingly interconnected world, the problems facing engineers, supply-chain managers, teachers, biologists, and farmers don’t stop at our borders; the same issues that affect our communities here in Oregon affect communities worldwide. We need input, collaboration, and perspective from people across the world to tackle these twenty-first century challenges. And in the current global climate—when much of our country’s soft power has been eroded by severe cuts in funding for humanitarian initiatives and international institutions—our classrooms (both virtual and face-to-face) have become even more important spaces to cultivate connection, curiosity, and empathy.
Global Learning in the Classroom
The American Association of Colleges and Universities defines global learning as “the process of diverse people collaboratively analyzing and addressing complex problems that transcend borders and engaging in actions that promote collective well-being.” And while we’re all aware of the considerable benefits of study abroad programs and international internships—the sorts of personally transformative experiences that change our perceptions of ourselves and our world—this definition proposes something more: global learning isn’t just traveling or working abroad or learning another language. More fundamentally, it means working together across differences to solve shared problems.
So how can we incorporate global learning into our classrooms—regardless of modality—on a daily basis? Not every student will go abroad, even with OSU’s commitment to accessible study abroad for all—but we can still help all of our students engage meaningfully with the global dimensions of our fields. Here are a few strategies to consider:
- Incorporate international case studies relevant to your discipline.
- Establish partnerships between your students and an international colleague’s students for virtual projects or discussions.
- Invite international guest speakers to class via Zoom.
- Add global learning benchmarks to your course and program outcomes.
- Feature news reporting and scholarly work from non-American sources to de-center our own worldview and highlight what’s important to international communities.
- Discuss the broader impacts of natural and social science research on non-American communities and stakeholders.
As we think about the importance of international education in the college classroom, we may consider that the university’s Strategic Plan outlines three major goals, and the first of them is to be “a university focused on big discoveries that drive big solutions.” Initially, this goal might seem to be fully research-focused, but big solutions to big problems can start with big connections in the classroom. Learning about and from other people makes us more empathetic, helps us stay open-minded, and teaches the value of collaboration with others who might see things differently than we do; these are the qualities our students require to be the innovators and forward-thinkers that our world needs them to be.
International Education Week: Join us in celebrating Oregon State University’s global achievements, impacts, and community during International Education Week, Nov 17-21. See the full calendar of International Education Week events.
About the author: Emily Davis Malewitz is a Senior Instructor of Spanish at Oregon State, where she teaches a wide variety of courses across modalities. She is honored to serve as a CTL Teaching Excellence Fellow, focusing on globalization across the curriculum, for the 2025-2026 academic year.
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