{"id":5444,"date":"2025-11-18T08:03:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T16:03:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/osuteaching\/?p=5444"},"modified":"2025-11-18T16:10:47","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T00:10:47","slug":"big-connections-big-solutions-global-learning-across-the-curriculum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/osuteaching\/2025\/11\/18\/big-connections-big-solutions-global-learning-across-the-curriculum\/","title":{"rendered":"Big connections, big solutions: Global learning across the curriculum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Emily Davis Malewitz, OSU College of Liberal Arts<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Weatherford<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As a language instructor, I\u2019ve 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\u2014study abroad, international internships, and conversation exchanges\u2014within 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there\u2019s 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\u2019t 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\u2014when much of our country\u2019s soft power has been eroded by severe cuts in funding for humanitarian initiatives and international institutions\u2014our classrooms (both virtual and face-to-face) have become even more important spaces to cultivate connection, curiosity, and empathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Global Learning in the Classroom<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The American Association of Colleges and Universities<\/a> defines global learning as \u201cthe process of diverse people collaboratively analyzing and addressing complex problems that transcend borders and engaging in actions that promote collective well-being.\u201d And while we\u2019re all aware of the considerable benefits of study abroad programs and international internships\u2014the sorts of personally transformative experiences that change our perceptions of ourselves and our world\u2014this definition proposes something more: global learning isn\u2019t just traveling or working abroad or learning another language.  More fundamentally, it means working together across differences to solve shared problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how can we incorporate global learning into our classrooms\u2014regardless of modality\u2014on a daily basis? Not every student will go abroad, even with OSU\u2019s commitment to accessible study abroad for all\u2014but we can still help all of our students engage meaningfully with the global dimensions of our fields. Here are a few strategies to consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n