Intercontinental Masters program in Adult learning and Global Change A collaboration between four un

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Intercontinental Masters program in Adult
learning and Global Change A collaboration
between four universities over four continents
LiU, Linköping
UBC,Vancouver
UWC,Cape Town
Monash, Melbourne
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Confronting Globalization The Challenges of
Creating Space for Global Learning

• Staffan Larsson and Madeleine Abrandt Dahlgren,
• Linköping University, Sweden
• Shirley Walters,
• University of the Western Cape, South Africa
• David Boud,
• University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
• Thomas J. Sork,
• The University of British Columbia, Canada

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An intercontinental program

• A global perspective on learning in a cross
  cultural environment
• Encourages critical perspectives on globalisation
  and reflective and strategic practices

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The course modules

• Locating Oneself in Global Learning
• Adult learning Contexts and perspectives
• Work and learning
• Fostering learning in practice
• Understanding Research
• Global/Local learning
• Local Options

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The Purpose and Challenge

• A collaborative effort to create a web-based
  masters programme built on cooperation rather
  than competition
• Courses are developed and taught in collaboration
  between the four partner universities
• Students across four continents form a joint
  study group

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The Purpose and Challenge, cont.

• Finding ways to use the case as a platform for
  understanding possibilities and restrictions in
  bringing four university systems together

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Our data consist of

• Minutes of planning meetings
• E-mail conversations
• Interviews with course convenors
• Diary notes of the key actors

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Findings Encountering and resolving structural
obstacles

• Information technology, realities and
  possibilities
• Financial conditions
• Local decision-making processes
• Systems for examination and grading

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Information technology- facing reality

• Structural obstacles
• Limited bandwidth and restricted economic
  resources in South Africa

• Solutions
• Refraining from technologically demanding working
  formats
• Finding additional funding to supply South
  African students with computers

Agency pattern Adjustment and Reinforcement
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Financial conditions

• Structural obstacles
• Differences regarding systems for funding
  programmes
• Differences regarding access to resources

• Solutions
• Excluding financial issues from the integrative
  part of the programme
• Joint efforts to find external funding

Agency pattern All for one
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Local decision-making

• Structural obstacles
• Different definitions of the structure and
  content of a Masters degree
• Differences in local requirements of texts needed
  for approving the programme

• Solutions
• Creating optional paths through the programme
• Subordinating all partners to the most demanding
  requirements

Agency pattern All for one
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Local decision-making, cont.

• Structural obstacles
• Differences in tempo and complexity of procedures
  at each university slowed approval processes

• Solutions
• One partner had to contribute their part of the
  teaching in the programme, without being able to
  admit any students for the first intake

Agency pattern One for all
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Systems for examinations and grading

• Structural obstacles
• Two institutions used a pass/fail system (LiU and
  UTS)
• Two institutions used a graded system (UBC and
  UWC)

• Solutions
• Using the European Credit Transfer System as the
  common grade-currency converter

Agency pattern Having our cake and eating it too
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Conclusions

• Cultural sensitivity as essential in the
  development of collaboration across continents
• University structures lack preparedness for
  collaboration
• The model of collaboration more important than
  the specifics of a certain programme or delivery
  medium

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Thank you!
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The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)

• A EXCELLENT outstanding performance with only
  minor shortcomings
• B VERY GOODAbove the average standard, but with
  some shortcomings
• C GOODGenerally sound work with a number of
  notable shortcomings
• DSATISFACTORYFair, but with significant
  shortcomings
• E SUFFICIENTPerformance meets the minimum
  criteria
• FX FAILSome more work required before the
  credit can be awarded
• FFAILConsiderable further work is required

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The Grade-currency-converter