K-12 School Computer Networking/Chapter 25/Creating a global classroom for the K-12 student through distance learning

Imagine a ten year old, a fourth grader, sitting at home in Kalamazoo, Michigan learning algebra, ancient history and geography with his classmates located in places such as Marseille, France; Manchester, England; Conakry, Guinea and Penang, Malaysia. Some questions that come to mind include: how would they come together in a common classroom? In what language would they communicate? Who will design the curriculum? What times of the day will they meet? What will be the effect of such interactions on a child’s intellectual development? These are all valid questions, and the purpose of this paper is to address how creating a global classroom via computer-mediated distance learning mechanism will transform the educational development of a K-12 student in the 21st century.

We live in a complex world where educational systems appear to bridge divides by universally including subjects such as the physical sciences, but they still keep us separate because those subjects are taught in different classrooms and under different circumstances. To promote the understanding of other socio-cultural perspectives while gaining the knowledge to compete in the 21st century, a K-12 student should be given an option to share the classroom with people from other countries.

Creating a global classroom online
The most practical means of bringing students from different countries to learn together in the same classroom is through the World Wide Web. By harnessing the enormous power of the web, educators can create a learning environment once considered a fairy tale. With the use of personal computers connected through complex telecommunications networks running across the globe, students can engage one another in a virtual classroom. Although they are somewhat handicapped by the inability of class members to see one another. This online format almost assures that the K-12 student will learn at his/her convenience if classes are virtual and will also avoid commuting to school when he/she attends classes through this medium.

Management and control of course design
Perhaps the most contentious issue will be the entity that will manage the design, review and distribution of academic content in the global classroom. This will determine the language of instruction and the curriculum in general. The solution to any potential conflict arising from the issue of control will be for all participating countries to adopt English; a language widely spoken around the world, to be the main language of instruction; except where classes in other languages are being taught.

The design of course curricula should not be left to only one country. Rather, it should be jointly managed by a committee representing all the participating countries. The intent of creating a global classroom is to give a child a truly global education. Therefore, anything less than full cooperation from all participating countries may defeat the purpose of the idea. The subjects to be offered and the contents should be evaluated by all concerned parties. Courses requiring practical collaboration among students should incorporate collaboration tools such as wikis etc.

Establishing educational balance
Essentially, creating a global classroom does not mean that the K-12 student will take all classes online. In order to balance the child’s academic experience, a portion of his/her education can be delivered in a traditional classroom. What this does is ensure that the child maintain a degree of social interaction in a physical environment while still being a member of a global classroom in an online environment. The committee charged with developing the curricula must recognize that the online education should be only a part of the child’s academic experience. Therefore, at least one third of the education of a student who is participating in a global classroom may need to be taken on-site, while the remaining two thirds will be online for the sole purpose of achieving the balance described earlier.

We need to make certain the distinction between global schooling and home schooling. In the former as proposed in this paper, the student is taught by a teacher located in a different country other than his/her home country, while in the former, the teacher is the student’s parent primarily.

Feasibility of course offerings
It’s unrealistic to think every course is capable of being offered through the global classroom, due to factors ranging from language barriers to the requirements of the courses. Courses in the liberal arts can be easily taught along with math. The biggest challenge will come from the physical sciences, i.e. physics, chemistry and biology.

The designers of the curriculum must ensure that the courses being offered provide the best opportunity for quality learning. There should be little incentive to push all the course work of the student to the web when some of these courses may be better taught in a traditional classroom.

Enforcing discipline in a cross-boundary classroom
So, who will enforce discipline in the global classroom? Given differences in cultures and academic practices, it is easy to see potential conflicts when a child in England is subject to the disciplinary style of the German academic system. The best solution to this potential conflict is to empower the same management team described earlier to create a set of acceptable disciplinary measures that are country-neutral and can be accepted by all participating countries.

It’s important for there to be discipline in the classroom because students can easily go off course if they operate unchecked. There must be set deadlines for submitting assignments and a code of conduct on how to relate to people in the global classroom.

Synchronous Vs Asynchronous learning
Synchronous online learning refers to the real time conduct of class sessions, while asynchronous learning refers to a non-real time class arrangement. In a synchronous setting, the students and teacher log on to the internet and hold classes as though they were all in the same location – the only exception being that they can’t see one another.

Potential impact on a child’s education
The first impact of a global classroom on a child’s education is to broaden the student’s world view. For a student that would have been exposed to an insular educational system to be absorbed into a wider academic space is phenomenal. The K-12 student will certainly not see the world the same way a counterpart without the same experience and opportunity will view the world.

In a multicultural world, a student who seeks to thrive in the 21st century must be able to draw upon knowledge that originates from outside his/her national boundaries. A K-12 student may pride themselves as being a global citizen after such an extraordinary journey.

Potential impact on cross-cultural understanding
The robust exchange of academic ideas in a global classroom will promote understanding and tolerance among the student body. Never will students view their counterparts from other parts of the world through the lens of stereotypes. The American kid who belongs to the same class as a child in Malaysia will not need anyone to define who Malaysians are to him. More often than not, ignorance of other people fuels suspicion and negative response. In the process, unreliable information about such people or parts of the world are disseminated to an unsuspecting public that may accept it as the truth.

A student in the global classroom is transformed by experience into a knowledge and truth seeker, who will not simply accept what he’s told about people and cultures around the world. The enormous benefits of these interactions to global fellowship and peace cannot be overemphasized.

Conclusion
Throughout this paper, attempt has been made to address each of the questions posed at the beginning. While those questions were answered in various sections and in no particular order, it is crucial to continue to raise awareness about the issues surrounding a proposed global classroom. For instance, the issues of adopting a common language for instruction and establishing a framework for multilateral management of courses are worth revisiting to minimize conflict.

It's key to note that adopting the idea of a global classroom will raise the quality of education and bridge cultural divides. It will give a universal meaning to some of the best known subjects that have been taught for generations across the globe. For instance, the K-12 student will discover that the methods of solving problems in algebra and geometry are the same in Lagos, Nigeria as they are in Perkasie, Pennsylvania. The purpose of the global classroom is not to wish away socio-cultural differences among nations, but it will promote a greater degree of accommodation of diverse views than currently exists. As a result, this medium of education offers the best chance for us to create the next generation of global leaders and thinkers who, though residing in different countries and territories, share a common bond and destiny to make the world a better place.