Community College International Education: Looking Back to Forecast the Future
We must be looking not only into the future but learning from the past. This is the essence of this article. They do not directly address online learning however the do discuss the importance of looking at education in a more global view. It is stated that the college graduates of today need to be more aware and competent of what is going on internationally. In this way, we will be better able to compete in our more and more global society. In here they discussed the different phases of education: recognition, expansion and publication, augmentation, and institutionalization. In these phases one can see that there are many different phases that the educational system has already gone through and more that will be occurring.The significance of international education is discussed in several different views. The political rational began as a part of national security, so that we can better understand other countries around us. The economic rational began simply because without knowledge of what is going on outside our country we will not be able to adequately understand the economic affects that it has on us. The humanist rational helps us understand others in this multicultural society which helps facilitate more tolerance and peace towards others. The academic integrity rational just assumes that if there is no reference to international themes and ideas that the education is incomplete.
One of the final items that is discussed it that educational experiences need to take into consideration geography and access. In this they discussed the physical boundaries of the different community college districts and the access that people have to their facilities. The more available the access the people have, the more likely they are to use the resources and further their education.
Rabyaleau, Rosalind Latiner, & Valeau, Edward J. (2007). Community College International Education: Looking back to forecast the future. New Directions For Community Colleges. 138, 5-14.