Global Learning Experience: DePaul U – U of Dubrovnik Lessons Learned / Lessons Shared

Overall Design Student to student structured conversations on forms of and experiences with “democracy” Croatia is a new democracy (formed in 1995) US is a very old democracy Young university students seek to understand what they share with or do not share with their peers in other places Both sets of students have some formal classwork in comparative politics

Logistics Dubrovnik professor and I agree on an agenda for each session We set a topic and let the conversation find its own direction We use “polycom” and have simultaneous discussions Sessions are at Friday 9am here and 4pm in Dubrovnik Four sessions were held in January 2015 roughly ten students each side Four sessions in January & February 2016 roughly ten students each side DePaul students receive background materials on Croatia and Croatian politics Most students are recruited from PSC 353 Comparing Democracy & Dictatorship All the Croatian students speak English

Their view …

Topics Participation, Representation, Legitimacy, Media, Corruption, Political Competence, Civic Education Dubrovnik students are in the College of Mass Communications and Cultural Studies DePaul students are in Political Science Based upon the 2015 and 2016 experiences, it was agreed both groups would do some informal surveying and compare results. Done.

The Dubrovnik crew …

Next Step … project morphing With enthusiasm, we have agreed to continue our basic format in the Fall 2016 term. We have also agreed to expand our student-to-student cooperation by working during the summer on a game-platformed civics curriculum for Croatian school children. No civics elements exist in the current public school curriculum and we have buy-in from the Croatian Ministry of Education if the game is provided to the system without cost. We will use DePaul’s game design students to work with our PSC students and Dubrovnik’s Mass Communications and Cultural Studies students. Special class designed around the project offered in Fall.

Spending the stipend … The funds provided by Academic affairs were spent to bring the Dubrovnik professor and four of his students to Chicago from September 4-14, 2015 Students paid for their own airfares During that period, we scheduled three discussion sessions and continued the dialogue on democracy; also video The University of Dubrovnik and DePaul have formalized a memorandum of understanding to create a stable trajectory for our continuing relationship Our students have been invited to Dubrovnik. We have administrative issues to work through before that can happen.

Lessons Learned Try to avoid engaging only seniors in the GLE if one sees the program as “on-going” By spending funds on the partner, we cement our commitment to them and their interests Results are often intangible and beyond “metrics” – much like study abroad experiences Interest abroad in such linkages is extensive & intense Communicate purpose clearly … video ? http://condor.depaul.edu/mptvideo/POLITICAL/FARKAS01052015.html

Tips for Success Use DePaul faculty resources! Begin with modest number of participants Engage students in agenda-setting Expect asymmetry Remain flexible Avoid seniors only … carryovers are super valuable