Jami Leibowitz , Ph.D. Leslie Pagliari , Ph.D.

1. Jami Leibowitz, Ph.D. Leslie Pagliari, Ph.D. Global Academic Initiatives

2. We Live In An Interconnected World

3. The Situation Strangers in a new culture see only what they know. Arab Proverb We cannot build our own future without helping others to build theirs. William Clinton

4. Why Global Academic Initiatives / Global Understanding? • 79% of U.S. population agree that college students should have a study abroad experience. • Approximately 4% of U.S. college students study abroad. • Approximately 2% of ECU students study abroad. • 100 % of students will face challenges associated with a globalized world

6. What About the Other 95+%? • The world is diverse - need to understand • Students info: movies and television • Stereotypes and misunderstandings abound • Risks and fears of foreign travel are real Project Goal: use regular internet technologies to bring international students and faculty into the same virtual classroom

7. International Education and Research via a Virtual Collaborative Environment • Promoting • Discovery • Exploration • Engagement • Collaboration • Understanding • Within and Between Cultures

8. Building Relationships since 2003 Over 50 partner institutions in over 30 countries. Impacting approximately 2500 students worldwide this year. Algeria, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, The Gambia, Germany, India, Iraq, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, UK, USA

9. Andrew Heiskell Award Innovation in International Education

10. OUR GOALS • Use simple, widely available Internet technology to provide students an easily accessible, meaningful international experience. • Create a virtual collaborative environment where students can develop a deeper, first hand understanding of other cultures and themselves. • Provide an environment where students can develop the skills necessary to become global workers and citizens. • Create opportunities for international collaborative research. • Encourage continued international education.

11. Benefits to Our Students • Develop “global competence” and broader understanding of global perspectives • Learn to effectively communicate with people for whom English is a second language • Better understanding of own culture • Cost/time effective; minimize ”risks & fears” • Complements study abroad program • Better job opportunities for students who have global work and communication experiences

12. Global Academic Initiatives • Global Understanding Course • Shared Discipline Specific Courses • Course Modules • Lecture Series • Individual Lecture Exchange • Global Discussions • Special Events • Research

13. “Regular” Internet Based • Minimum 256K Upload and Download • Videoconferencing • Chat • Webconferencing • Wiki • Standard H.323 Protocol • IRC • Sabameeting • Confluence Tools • Inexpensive, Sustainable & Reliable Plan to Fail!

14. Global Understanding Courses • ANTH 1050 • COMM 1050 • ENGL 1000* • FORL 1060 • INTL 1050 • MIS 4963* • POLS 1050 • PSYC 1070 • SOCI 3000* • Work with 3 +1 cultures over the semester for approximately 4 – 5 weeks each. • General Education Credit in multiple disciplines (3 SCH) • Facilitated student discussion. • Collaborative project. • Develop a better understanding of other cultures from peer students living within those cultures. • Academically and Disciplinarily Independent. • The Core—Shared format, topics, procedures • Dual Structure—Link vs. Local Time

15. Discipline Specific Courses Global Climate Change Global Leadership and Global English

16. Course Modules Youth Theatre 27

17. Medical Lecture Series • Series for medical students • Various topics each semester • Universities from Ethiopia, Moldova and Iraq attend via teleconference • Example Topics • Cardiac Physical Examinations • Type 2 Diabetes • Asthma • Pulmonary Vascular Diseases • Anxiety Disorder

18. Lecture Exchanges Peru  ECU Peruvian Cuisine Malaysia  ECU Traditional Malaysian Music and Instruments ECU  Pakistan Language and Culture ECU  Poland: The Super Mother Role in India and the US Poland  ECU: The Super Mother Role in Poland in the context of the EU ECU  Mexico: The U.S. Electoral Process and the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election. Mexico  ECU: The Mexican Electoral Process and the 2012 Mexican Presidential Election ECU  China American Folklore and Urban Legends Nigeria  ECU Patriarchy, Women’s Rights and Widow Inheritance in Nigeria China  ECU: Public Archaeology in China ECU  China: Public Archaeology in the U.S.

19. Global Discussions ECU and Chile COAD 1000 Class

20. Special Events Dancing with the World International Education Week Women’s Studies Panel 1:09

21. Research: International Collaboration

22. Global Partners in Education

23. Global Partners in Education Journal

24. Solutions that Meet the Need • Attitude, Behavior, and Cognitive components • Face to face provides rich communication • Multiple cultures promote balanced view • All countries participate - beneficial to all cultures • 9 years of formal assessment improves course • Cost and time effective and self sustaining • Administratively independent & local standards • Plan to fail contingencies ensure ongoing class

25. OUR OUTCOMES • Increased intercultural communication skill. • Increased intercultural awareness and competency. • Increased participation in international programming. • Self-awareness, confidence, personal growth, maturity, leadership, critical thinking, inquisitiveness.

26. Table 1: Pre- Post Course Differences Scale: 1: Strongly Disagree; 2: Disagree; 3 Neither agree or Disagree; 4: Agree; 5: Strongly Agree

27. Table 2: Post Course Student Opinion Scale: 1: Strongly Disagree; 2: Disagree; 3 Neither agree or Disagree; 4: Agree; 5: Strongly Agree

28. Challenges? • Communication • Comprehension • Accents • Meaning • Timing • Semester Schedule • Time Zones • Different Academic Goals • Different Standards • Technology • Access • Proficiency • TECHNOLOGY FAILS!

29. Support • Technical • Technical Support Provided for Each Interaction • Server and Wiki Maintenance and Troubleshooting • Administrative • GU Classes: Master Scheduling, Maintaining the Core, Partner Evaluation, Program Assessment • Other GAI Activities: Coordinating • Teaching • Resource Development • Training / “Hand-Holding”

30. Things to Think About • Where does this fit within your University / Program? • How will you get / provide support? • How will you get participants? • What tools can you use? • Are you willing to work in an uncertain environment?

32. Leibowitzj@ecu.edu Jami Leibowitz Leslie Pagliari pagliaril@ecu.edu