Project Summary :
In this GLE project, students learn basic theoretical knowledge and practice principles on Community Psychology (CP) while completing a community exploration project. These online learning and experiential learning practices combine practical skills, encouraging students to apply CP principles to address real-world issues, promoting cultural competencies development and fostering a global perspective in their approach to problem-solving. During the course, students meet weekly for a lecture on CP and participate in Learning Communities (LC) to discuss with peers and faculty ideas and progress on their individual photovoice project. A crucial aspect of their learning involved understanding the role of context and the dynamics of power and privilege, especially in their community exploration and interactions with community groups part of their class project and with class peers during LC sessions.
Project Length:
Technology Tools Used:
- Zoom
- Desire2Learn (D2L)
- Padlet
- Google Documents
Communication Type/ Interaction Mode :
Learning Outcomes :
- Students distinguished cultural differences in human behavior and social issues through an ecological framework, which involved recognizing the influence of the environment on human behavior and appreciating the benefits of interpreting behavior within the context of person–environment interactions.
- Students developed the ability to identify the root causes of social problems that negatively impacted the well-being of specific populations while utilizing an ecological perspective and discerning the strengths and assets inherent in these populations.
- Students were trained as global citizens through insights into the roles played by culture.
- Students used information on cultural competencies to learn beyond their country of origin and communicated effectively, both orally and in writing, with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Faculty Feedback:
"The GLE class format provided the bases for peer-to-peer interactions between students from different cultures promoting a reach learning ecology allowing students to reflect and identify the root causes of social problems that negatively impact the well-being of specific populations, while understanding the fundamental concepts, values, and principles of CP. GLE’s learning context allows students to reflect on cross-cultural perspectives while discerning the community assets and needs inherent in the population explored as part of their class projects."
~ Luciano Berardi
"Completing the GLE class project had enhanced students’ comprehension of social and community real life issues in Chicago and Buenos Aires cities through an ecological framework (CP theory) which involves recognizing the influence of the environment on human behavior. LC discussion on projects allowed students to appreciate the benefits of interpreting behavior in the context of person-environment interactions."
~ Pablo Gonzalez-Caino
Luciano Berardi
Institution: DePaul University
Discipline: Psychology
Course name: Introduction to Community Psychology
Pablo Gonzalez-Caino
Institution: Universidad Argentina de la Empresa
Discipline: Psychology
Course name: Introduction to Community Psychology