Learning to serve together : creating an inter-continental classroom for service-learning

Abstract

Within an increasing interconnected global society, it is important for undergraduate university students to be educated as competent/fluent global citizens. International service-learning is an effective tool for developing cross-cultural competencies and relationships, and many universities have programs that bring their students to serve in communities abroad. At the same time, technological advances have made telecommunication tools available and affordable. The confluence of these three factors raises an intriguing thought: what if two service-learning courses in two countries were linked, such that students learn together digitally , from their own campuses, and then serve together, in a third country? This paper describes a pilot global classroom service-learning course designed and cotaught by instructors at the University of Maryland at College Park (UMD) and Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). The expertise of the PolyU team is in computer science and engineering, while the UMD team has much experience with education, leadership and social development. The service project, which took place in Rwanda in May 2016, was designed to take advantage of the expertise from both sides.