GLL – Group summary on global/local learning

COURSE: Global/Local Learning– GLL

FORUM: Samarbeta

TOPICS: local global learning

Step 1 – Part 2: Group summary on global/local learning

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Characterising Global/Local Learning

Samarbeta Group

27^th August 2009

Local and global learning are interconnected

Global influences can support local contexts to ‘transcend limitations’ to adapt to changing conditions.

• Global standards also need to be adapted to local contexts to make them effective
• Personal learning lies at the root of any meaningful process of learning.

Power relations affect how the global affects the local and the local affects the global.

• Crossing borders requires personal critique of positive/negative consequences of our influence
• Structural inequalities and oppressive global systems limit learning possibilities and access locally even while emphasizing the importance of (unattainable) global opportunities.
• There is a risk that global/local learning will evolve within a society in a way that culturally disempowers local community, contributing to continued economic injustices and environmental degradation.
• The costs of global influences, cultural transformations, are borne more heavily by marginalized groups which has led to social separation.
• Individuals are increasingly responsible for managing their own personal development and education in order to prepare for a complex, changing, and often unknown future.

The spatial dimension of local/global learning is altered by information technology.

The interplay of local and global learning defines the space for learning for individuals; i.e. personal learning.

• Web technologies, co-creation, and on-line learning have empowered more people in knowledge creation, sharing, access and dissemination.
• Localized networking and collaboration helps people access global possibilities.
• Global/local learning influences and affects where, what, how and why we learn.
• Learning and dialogue may help to create a paradigm shift that emerges from and later supports critical reflection with the functionality of a system feedback loop.

Local/global learning has revived learning in civil society

Learning and sharing in local communities and across borders can be effective in building social movements and partnerships working for social change.

• ICTs have the power to “enlarge the space of what is possible” in social movements.
• Global/local learning lies at the root of true development, understood as a process of personal and societal growth.