What does it mean to be a global learner?
Global learning starts by simply being interested in learning about the world and how it works. But being a global learner is not one-dimensional. There’s no defined checklist, but all global learners share a set of characteristics and skills.
A society of global learners is more open-minded, engaged, respectful, and tolerant. They are aware of different people and cultures and seek to understand them. And, in a world more connected than ever, global learners are far better equipped to solve international problems, according to World Savvy.
It’s incredibly important to cultivate global learning in schools. A student’s local community plays a big role in shaping their attitudes and behaviors, so having students collaborate with people of different backgrounds can be a powerful opportunity for global change, as stated in an article by The British Council. Global learners have experience interacting and working with diverse groups of people, and they draw on these experiences when they go about their daily lives.
DigiPals gives students the opportunity to become global learners by connecting them with a peer of a different background. DigiPals facilitates their collaboration, offering tools to make their conversations meaningful.
Globalization has rendered today’s business environment more complex and more international, which inherently also makes it more competitive, says Prof. Liao at IESE Business School. A student’s global competence is inextricably linked to their future success and happiness, both in and out of the workplace.
Additionally, the ability to collaborate creatively with people from other cultures is vital, according to Harvard Business School Professor Roy Y.J. Chua. Chua stresses the importance of actively seeking out new multicultural experiences. However, he says, such experiences must be meaningful.
"It's not just going to a foreign movie or eating culturally different food," says Chua. "You want to deeply involve yourself in cross-cultural interactions."
DigiPals offers a unique way for students to participate in such cross-cultural interactions in the classroom.
By writing about themselves and asking questions to their pen pals, they gain multicultural awareness and experience, making them more tolerant, more compassionate, and more effective in the workplace. Having a pen pal also teaches students empathy, kindness, and mutual respect through a multicultural exchange of ideas.
At DigiPals, our mission is to create more human harmony worldwide. By starting with students, we are hopeful that we can develop a globally competent society capable of enacting positive change on our world.
