Abstract:

Global education seems to appear on the horizon as more and more businesses from various locations sought to expand and to better develop their human capital through technological, economic, and business/management advancements. However, as more technology was introduced into the domestic and global arenas – both the areas of business and education realized a need for change. However, who are the true change agents in this transition or renaissance of global education in today’s marketplace, as well as the individual workplace. This paper will examine how the impact of online learning has addressed the field of global education and incorporate it into its various curricula in order to better prepare learners both in the areas of domestic and global educational practices, strategies, and connections. We are no longer insulated from other regional or global areas, even if the current leaders of one’s nation may attempt to limit our reach, but rather as educational change agents we are now empowered to be the “Good Shepherds of the Global Educational Movement (GEM)” and make changes that will impact both our current and future learners. However, the greater questions underlying this research is how can such online technology, teaching methodologies, and preparation of online educators make a notable change and help to motivate, empower, and evaluate such impact and change?

Through the use of the Barrett (2013) Virtual Change Learning Model (VCLM), consists of three parts:
1) relevance;
2) reality, and
3) re-use.

This model helped to accomplish a more “needed” change to the learning process for adult learners in order to help learners see relevance in learning, visualize or experience some aspect of reality or relationship of the given topic/concepts, as well as how they can re-use or later apply their learning. However, one more dimension has been added to the VCLM, namely, the fourth part has been named “re-evaluation” in terms of a final checks-and-balances, as well as a form of self-evaluation for the learner as well. While no single model or theory may encompass all factors of a learning environment, this particular application will be used to explore and examine how virtual learning programs are making changes to their curricula in order to embrace more of a “global lens”, as well as helping to keep their educational capital on target and continuously improving in this area in terms of “watching out for their educational capital” and keep their learning opportunities relevant, real, useful, and reflective for all stakeholders involved.

Keywords:

Global education, online learning, VCLM, change agent.