Challenge Question
How can an online UN debate simulation platform improve cross-cultural communication and be made truly plurilingual?
Partner: Globally Networked Learning
Project Summary
The goal of this project is to create a web application to be housed on the York International website that replicates the UN simulation/debate model. Whereas English is almost always privileged in international environments, this web application will involve the mobilization of plurilingual competencies, allowing students to debate asynchronously in their preferred language (French, English, Spanish, other languages as needed). This initiative addresses the larger issue of the relationship between citizenship and language, and it invites students to ask how the languages we know and use affect our approaches to problem solving and debating. We intend for this application to be used by students and instructors in the context of internationally co-designed courses or other experiential learning environments that require global engagement. Thanks to live prompts on key elements of public speaking (i.e. verbal and non-verbal aspects), participants will be able to better analyze and reflect on the relationship between language use and approaches to tackling problems and resolving disputes (multilingual discourse/rhetoric analysis). Team members might have knowledge or interest in web/app design, international studies, political science, and linguistics. Experience with web development, front-end development and frameworks, back-end frameworks, databases, and libraries such as jQuery and React would be an asset. Students with working knowledge of French, Spanish, or other languages are encouraged.
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Partner Video
Organizational Profile
Globally Networked Learning (GNL) refers to an approach to research, learning, and teaching that provides students, faculty, and non-academics from all over the world with a platform to collaborate with one another. Participants are able to engage in knowledge-making processes and concrete learning projects that enhance experiential education with the aid of various forms of technology, including learning management systems, video conferencing software and hardware, cloud computing, and social media. The GNL project at York University began in 2015 and currently operates under York International, bringing researchers, instructors, and students together to imagine and experiment with the idea of ‘global thinking’ as a critical skill for globally networked working environments. Sponsored by York International and the GNL team, participants are brought together to collaborate on projects that bring diverse perspectives to produce a richer, more nuanced understanding of the issue(s) at hand. GNL environments support student-centred learning and teaching for the twenty-first century university. They support the development of global competencies among both students and instructors who need to adapt, thrive, and succeed as global citizens engaged in complex, intercultural problem-solving. As a form of experiential education that transcends borders, the promise of GNL can be reinforced through open pedagogy, development of digital literacy and production, and other forms of innovative knowledge-making practices across cultures.
Partner Website
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Additional Resources
Key Words
- Foreign Languages
- Global Communication
- Digital Platform
- York University