DePaul University Newsline > Multimedia > Global learning conference draws international experts in online collaboration

Global learning conference draws international experts in online collaboration

Nov. 9, 2017

Only a small percentage of U.S. college students will study abroad, but many will enter fields that require intercultural competence. In October, DePaul University hosted the Global Learning conference for faculty and staff who use collaborative online international learning to bring global experiences into college classrooms. The event was co-sponsored by State University of New York, which has held these types of gatherings for more than a decade.

DePaul has its own collaborative online international learning initiative, the Global Learning Experience, which has helped more than 100 faculty through workshops and direct support. For more information visit http://go.depaul.edu/gle.

Jan Costenbader, left, instructional technology consultant at DePaul; and Lisa Torrescano, assistant director of instructional technology and program development in DePaul's School of Nursing, swap notes between sessions. (DePaul University/Kathy Hillegonds)

The Global Learning Conference gathers faculty and lecturers, instructional technologists and designers, international education and study abroad managers and others to share knowledge about this growing field. (DePaul University/Kathy Hillegonds)

"In a time when the political narrative is often hostile and closed, this model can open students to other cultures and ways of learning," said GianMario Besana, associate provost for global engagement and online learning at DePaul. "Collaborative online international learning pedagogy and technology help faculty collaborate with colleagues at institutions in other parts of the world, and together they create transformational experiences where students connect and learn." (DePaul University/Kathy Hillegonds)

In the opening keynote presentation, Mohamed Abdel-Kader, left, executive director of the Stevens Initiative, and Daniel Obst, resident and Chief Executive Officer at AFS Intercultural Programs, discuss how a challengeing global political environment can impact collaborative online international learning. (DePaul University/Kathy Hillegonds)

Nick Thomas, right, assistant professor in DePaul's School of Hospitality Leadership, designed and implemented a 110-student global learning experience with colleague Yuan "Kate" Liu, not pictured, at the Shandong College of Tourism and Hospitality in Jinan, China. He presented on the successes of their online course, which focused on technology trends within the hospitality industry. (DePaul University/Kathy Hillegonds)

Keynote speaker Denise Lewin Loyd, associate professor of business administration at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, discusses how to unleash the power of diversity. (DePaul University/Kathy Hillegonds)

As a composer and sound designer, Robert Steel, right, has worked on many film and TV projects where "everything was done virtually" by communicating online and sending large files back and forth. An associate professor in the School of Cinematic Arts at DePaul, Steel and his colleague, Kenny McAlpine of Albertay University in Dundee, Scotland, present on lessons learned in a collaborative sound design course. (DePaul University/Theophilus Jamal)