Problem-Solving, Decision-Making, and Negotiations in an Interdisciplinary Environment: The 2007 Doves GlobalEd Project

1. Problem-Solving, Decision-Making, and Negotiations in an Interdisciplinary Environment: The 2007 Doves GlobalEd Project

2. Roots ofthe GlobalEd Project ICONS: International Communication and Negotiation Simulations University of Maryland - 1980s College Students GlobalEd at the University of Connecticut 2001- present, twice a year Middle and high school students across the United States Funding: Teachers for a New Era at UConn The Doves GlobalEd Project Spring 2007 Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot middle and high school students participating in the Doves Olympic Movement Program Funding: United Nations Development Program.

3. The GlobalEd Project at UConn • Problem-based learning online simulation. • Embedded in the social studies curriculum. • Groups of students negotiate treaties concerning current word issues, while they represent real-world countries. • Students are assigned to “issue area” groups (4-5 students). • Synchronous “life” conferences and e-mail communication. • Simulation controllers (SIMCON).

4. Issue Areas of the Simulation Global Environment Human Rights World Health International Economics Conflict and Cooperation

5. Current Issues in the Simulation • Conflict and Cooperation • National Missile Defense Systems • Global Environment • Global Climate Change • International Economics • The Global Digital Divide • World Health • HIV/AIDS in Africa • Human Rights • Women’s Rights

6. Students form across the USA

7. Algeria Brazil China France Germany Japan Kenya Nigeria Pakistan Russia South Africa United Kingdom United States (USA is played by a college team) Countries in the Simulation

8. The Doves GlobalEd Project

9. The Doves GlobalEd Project • GlobalEd simulation in Cyprus - March/April 2007. • 3 consecutive weeks- Saturday afternoons • run as an extracurricular activity for the students • 10 country-groups • 3 issue areas • Teachers and students received workshops and hands-on experience with the GlobalEd system prior to the simulation.

10. Nigeria Iran China Pakistan Germany Brazil France India Kenya Japan Global Environment Alternative Energy Sources Conflict and Cooperation United Nations Peacekeeping Human Rights World Hunger The Doves GlobalEd Project

11. Method Participants • Students (N = 121) • 39 males (37%); 66 females (63%) • grades 6 – 13 • age 12-18 years old • 55% Greek-Cypriots; 35% Turkish-Cypriots. • 96% speak English. • 100% plan to go to college. • 70% access the Internet every day outside of school. • Teachers (N = 14) • 6 males (46%); 7 females (54%) • 6 Greek-Cypriots; 3 Turkish-Cypriots; 4 Turkish.

12. Method cont’d Instrumentation • Global Citizenship pre/post-simulation • Student Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors (K-A-Bs) and Self-Efficacy concerned with being a global citizen • Interest pre/post-simulation • Interest in international studies • Social perspective taking • Gains from the GlobalEd simulation (post only) • Self-efficacy pre/post-simulation • Academic self-efficacy • Negotiation self-efficacy • Teacher post-simulation • Gains from the GlobalEd simulation

13. Selected Findings…

14. Selected Subscales Subscale Reliabilities and Paired t-Tests

15. Social Perspective Taking *p < .05, * *p < .01

16. Academic Self-Efficacy *p < .05, * *p < .01

17. Negotiation Self-Efficacy * p < .05, **p < .01

18. Global Citizenship Self-Efficacy * p < .05, **p < .01

19. Student Transfer as Perceived by Students * p < .05, **p < .01

20. Student Transfer as Perceived by Teachers * p < .05, **p < .01

21. Themes of What Students Reported Learning from the Simulation • Knowledge about international issues and about foreign countries’ history and politics. • Negotiation skills. • Conflict resolution strategies. • Ability to consider the perspectives of others. • Ability to communicate in English.

22. Student Sample Comments • “Indirectly, GlobalEd has improved my ability to look at things from different perspectives! I became more aware of the importance of "compromise" and the importance of not forgetting about my principles at the same time.” • “Because of GlobalEd I can now put myself to other side's position and feel and understand what they want or think.” • “GlobalEd helped us see things through other people's eyes. I learned that every single person's opinion is important and we must try to learn how to understand them better.” • “Discussing about peace keeping I remember the national Cyprus problem that is bringing peace in Cyprus which did not happened yet.” • “I learned that to convince people to go your way you must tell them all their benefits.” • “I have learned that when dealing with foreign countries and people, you must learn to see things from all perspectives.”

23. Theme from Teachers’ Comments “…students understood to look another county’s perspective which will help them understand the issues in Cyprus.”

24. Student Sample Comments about their Overall Experience • “I absolutely loved GlobalEd and gained a lot from it. Please do this here again; I'd love to participate again and please let it be for a longer time period this time!” • “GlobalEd is a superb program and I 'd like to do it with people from everywhere in the world.” • “It was a perfect experience that I have ever had. I would absolutely want to be in again!” • “It was such a beautiful event that I have been in before. Excellent work. I definitely want to do it once more.” • “I believe that the GlobalEd simulation program was useful, it made us get closer, change ideas and different points of view, argue. It also made us more social. It was a good thing that this program worked in Cyprus and it would be a good idea if this program took place again in Cyprus.” • “It was a very useful and exciting experience! I had the chance to learn more about Kenya and get to know the way that politicians react.”

25. The GlobalEd Project at UConn http://www.globaled.uconn.edu/ • Teacher Testimonies to the GlobalEd Project http://www.globaled.uconn.edu/TeachersComments.htm • The Doves GlobalEd Project http://www.dovesolympicmovement.com/projects/globaled/globaled.html