Local learning, global thinking: the power of digital dialogic teaching

In recent years, global awareness has become a key focus in higher education, given the interconnectedness of global societies and the pressing challenges worldwide. This case study explores how an online dialogic teaching approach helped college students develop a stronger sense of global awareness when examining competing media narratives during the COVID-19.

The research drew on archival data from an online media literacy class at a university in China, where students participated in online dialogues and wrote reflective journals. By examining students’ written exemplars, the study found out that the online dialogic approach encouraged students to critically check various media narratives and think more deeply about their roles as both citizens of their own country and the global community. It also allowed them to develop critical media literacy and examine perceived media biases tied to national identity.

The significance of this study lies in its demonstration of how a reflective dialogic approach has the potential to bridge the rift by providing students with an interactive space to dialogue with multiple voices. It also shows the power of digitally mediated communication in amplifying the dialogical dimensions through expanded time and space. This approach offers a fresh perspective on the role that media, higher education, and broader society can play in addressing ideological divide and bringing unity among citizens around the world.

Keywords online dialogical approach, Chinese college students, global awareness

The work titled “ Cultivating Global Awareness Through Online Dialogic Teaching: A Case Study” was published on Frontiers of Digital Education  (published on November 5, 2024).