Abstract

abstract:

General education curricula and learning outcomes have gained increased attention in undergraduate education. Often missing in the discussion, however, is discussion of today's globally diverse learning environment. This reflective article begins with some of the original ideas of general education in the early nineteenth century. It connects these ideas with today's global discourses, concluding with the idea we must redefine global citizenship in current general education curricula, specifically in the area of English Language Learning (ELL). The article further describes how diverse knowledge perspectives and the multiplicity of meanings, derived from students' bicultural backgrounds, can form the foundation of a content-based curriculum around the theme "The City in World History." The purpose of this curriculum is to help students orient in historical time and place and allow a sharing of perspectives, which helps form connections between their own reference framework and the ones of their peers. Preliminary results show enhanced learner motivation and a stronger sense of belonging in the academic learning environment, which may lead to greater students' academic success. Ultimately, through such a learning experience, students may position themselves as citizens of the world regardless of their cultural backgrounds.

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