GOLE Program Encourages Learning on an International Scale

Global learning is essential for achieving racial equality and creating 21st-century “effective global problem-solvers,” according to an April report issued by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 

The Global Online Learning Exchange (GOLE) program at St. John’s University offers students and faculty flexible and equitable access to global intercultural learning and opportunities to develop virtual global collaboration skills. Technology makes it possible for St. John’s students, under the guidance of two instructors who co-teach, to engage in structured interactions, cross-cultural exchanges, and collaborations with other students in different parts of the world without leaving their home. 

“The virtual classroom exposes students to multiple worldviews and fosters peer-to-peer learning, intercultural awareness, and competency development,” said Zoe Petropoulou, Ph.D., Associate Professor of French, Department of Languages and Literatures, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and a GOLE professor. “Student engagement opportunities are formed through well-structured activities where students create their own artifacts to demonstrate learning, and are the main components of a successful virtual exchange initiative.” 

“GOLE courses do not replace study abroad programs,” she explained. “Instead, they motivate students to explore opportunities to study abroad. GOLE is an excellent way for internationalizing the curriculum at home.”