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EDST 632: Global Education

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Delivery mode: Grouped study.

Credits: 3

Centre: Master of Arts Integrated Studies

Program: Master of Arts Integrated Studies

Introduction

Educational Studies 632: Global Education provides students with the opportunity to explore their place in the world community by learning about education and global issues from what may be termed a Southern perspective-that is, from the perspective of the underdeveloped, developing world. The course encourages students to seek links between their individual lived experience and local, national, and global events and conditions. There are five themes highlighted in the course, each of which attempts to connect the individual level to the global: alternative media, development, the environment, human rights, and global conflict and peace education. We will analyze these topics from an action-oriented perspective, which will help students to implement the practical aspects of these areas in their everyday life and work.

We take up alternative media first, because it is important to have a critical understanding of the ways in which mainstream media detracts from a balanced perspective of our world, inevitably affecting the conditions of the South. We then focus on development, the environment, and human rights, because these themes demonstrate how much of our mainstream information, through education and the media, is defined and presented from a Western Euro-American globalized perspective. This kind of perspective often ignores critical unique aspects of the histories and specific conditions of Southern counties and complicates a fair and balanced implementation of universal laws and principles shaped and shared by the various world cultures, religions, and spiritual philosophies. Finally, the course addresses past, present, and ongoing global conflicts and the impact that they have on the state of peace in the world in its entirety. We examine events such as September 11, 2001, the war in Afghanistan, and the war in Iraq under a critical lens and through the varied perspectives of different lived experiences and peoples.

By the end of this course, students should be able to clearly understand their impact on the world and ways in which they can positively contribute to creating a more equitable and sustainable world. The course is also designed with the hope that students will learn something new, challenge themselves, engage with others in the course, and have fun.

Course Structure

EDST 632: Global Education consists of six parts that comprise fifteen units.

    Part I: Introduction to Global Education

    Week 1 Unit 1: What Is Global Education?

    Part II: Alternative Media

    Week 2 Unit 2: Introduction to Alternative Media

    Week 3 Unit 3: Alternative Media

    Week 4 Unit 4: Alternative Media: Conclusions

    Part III: Development

    Week 5 Unit 5: Introduction to Development

    Week 6 Unit 6: Development

    Week 7 Unit 7: Development: Conclusions

    Part IV: The Environment

    Week 8 Unit 8: Introduction to the Environment

    Week 9 Unit 9: The Environment

    Week 10 Unit 10: The Environment: Conclusions

    Part V: Human Rights

    Week 11 Unit 11: Introduction to Human Rights

    Week 12 Unit 12: Human Rights: Conclusions

    Part VI: Global Conflict and Peace Education

    Week 13 Unit 13: Introduction to Global Conflict and Peace Education

    Week 14 Unit 14: Global Conflict and Peace Education

    Week 15 Unit 15: Global Conflict and Peace Education: Conclusions

Evaluation

To receive credit for this course, students must participate in the online activities, successfully complete the assignments, and achieve a final mark of at least 60 per cent. The Master of Arts-Integrated Studies grading system is available online at the MAIS home page. Please note that it is students' responsibility to maintain their program status. Any student who receives a grade of "F" in one course, or a grade of "C" in more than one course, may be required to withdraw from the program.

The following table summarizes the evaluation activities and the credit weights associated with them.

Course Activity Weighting
Weekly online discussion participation 20 %
Assignments 1 to 5: Sets of answers to questions 20% on the five global education issues (5 x 4%) 20 %
Midterm essay 20 %
Global education research package 40%
Total 100%

Course Materials

Textbooks

  • Goldstein, Tara, & Selby, David. (2000). Weaving connections: Educating for peace, social and environmental justice. Toronto: Sumach Press.

Athabasca University materials

The course print materials also include a reading file.

The course electronic materials include

  • a course Moodle home page
  • a digital reading room
  • a study guide
  • an assignment file
  • a study schedule

Athabasca University Library: Students are encouraged to browse the Library's Web site to review the Library collection of journal databases, electronic journals, and digital reference tools: http://library.athabascau.ca.