Global Collaboration in Teacher Education: A Case Study

Abstract

Effective online collaboration is a valuable instructional approach appropriate for 21st century teaching and learning. This paper describes a case that involves two higher education student cohorts from the United States and Australia engaged in a global collaboration to promote an authentic teaching and learning experience. The collaboration aims to involve students in sharing, reflecting and synthesizing new knowledge to make a comparative analysis between education systems from the two countries. The global collaboration is matched against an Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills framework to comprehend and justify this approach as part of a teacher education course. This case advocates the value of having future teachers using online resources in a global context as a way to effectively integrate new content with various technology resources to develop new learning and new relationships beyond their own culture.

Global Learning Using Biology PBL: A Texas-China Collaboration in Middle Grade Genetics

“…This study of a global collaboration in middle school biology presented a unique opportunity for students to gain perspective of a different culture, as well as increased perspective of their own, while investigating and sharing data with international peers. Recommended changes based upon this experience concern planning, technology use, and teacher preparation, which has often belied global collaboration projects (Neal et al, 2013…”

“…According to Lindsay and Davis (2013), "Global competition for jobs means that today's students must not only be well-educated, creative problem solvers, but also be equipped to collaborate globally" (p. 3). Yet, students are afforded few opportunities to collaborate with their international peers, due to challenges in cross-cultural communication (Shih & Cifuentes, 2003), minimal or non-existent pre-service teacher preparation in global classroom activities (Neal, Mullins, Reynolds, & Angle, 2013), and curricular pressures of mandatory testing, including time constraints and mandated curricula (Au, 2007). Educators need tangible strategies in which they can provide their students opportunities to collaborate globally, through the use of internet-based technologies, with engaging content that also meets state standards and assessment requirements.…”

Developing Global Awareness and Twenty-First Century Skills Using PBL on Ocean Pollution

“…Global collaboration is defined as a set of interactions, with diverse levels of complexity, based on shared task goals and activities engaged internationally (Lee & Tsai, 2011). Global collaboration is a valuable pedagogy for 21st century education (Neal, Mullins, Reynolds, & Angle, 2013), ascribed to fostering global-mindedness (Zahn, Sandell, & Lindsay, 2007) and global citizenship, where individuals take personal and social responsibilities for life and career planning and for a better world (Neal et al, 2013). Global collaboration can enable teachers and students to connect people globally without leaving their country or losing their identity (Lindsay & Davis, 2012) as well as improve people's understanding about diversity and appreciation of it (Lock & Redmond, 2006).…”

“…Twenty-first century skills are defined in a variety of ways, but largely concern the skills, students must cultivate to be effective users of technology, communicators, problem solvers, and global citizens (Dede, 2010). The Assessment and Teaching of Twenty-first Century Skills (Griffin, Mcgaw, & Care, 2015, Partnership for Twenty-first Century Learning [P21], 2007) has produced a framework for 21st century skill development with standards that fall into four categories: ways of thinking, ways of working, tools for working, and living in global world (Neal et al, 2013). As PBL engages students in intellectually challenging problems and focuses on research, brainstorming, discussion, and presentation (Larmer, Ross, & Mergendonner, 2009), it too develops students' skills of critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication that are needed in 21st century (Larmer, Mergendonner, & Boss, 2013).…”

Collaborative Learning to Foster Critical Reflection by Pre-service Student Teachers within a Canadian–South African Partnership

“…The above quote shows an awareness that a moral teaching practice should have impact beyond the classroom or school context (Neal et al, 2013); moral teaching will therefore ensure that learners are prepared to apply their knowledge and skills as lifelong literacy learners. Such an awareness holds promise for transformative learning (Mezirow, 1991(Mezirow, , 1998.…”