Global Classrooms are courses with co-developed and co-taught modules that engage Drexel students with students at a university abroad through a range of interactive technologies. Since 2013, Drexel has been a recognized leader in the development of virtual exchange as a tool for intercultural and transnational learning, emphasizing our strengths in experiential learning.

These courses can be at the undergraduate or graduate level and generally already exist in the curriculum, although it is possible that a Special Topics course would be developed for the purposes of a Global Classroom.

The Global Classroom modules generally range from three to ten weeks in the course. Drexel students would receive Drexel course credit and our students from universities abroad are expected to receive credit from their home institution.

Faculty must receive approval from their Department Head and the Drexel Global office to register their course as a Global Classroom. Faculty who develop a Global Classroom for the first time are eligible to receive a professional development stipend.

Please see the resources listed under “Developing a Global Classroom,” including a recorded workshop, My Global Classroom implementation plan, tips for Global Classroom integration.

Step 1: Find an international partner. The Drexel Global Office can assist faculty in connecting to our existing partners. Alternatively, faculty might already have an existing relationship that they would like to leverage.

Step 2: Decide if the Global Classroom modules will be taught asynchronously, synchronously, or in a hybrid combination.

Step 3: Define learning objectives, ensuring that they satisfy the requirements for both courses.

Step 4: Develop the Global Classroom project. Consider ways to engage your students together in mixed teams, with case studies, or multimedia.

Step 5: Register Global Classroom with Drexel Global.

Step 6: Implement Global Classroom.

Step 7: Evaluate Global Classroom (Feedback from students)

To register your course as a Global Classroom, please email global@drexel.edu with the following information:

• Course Name, Course Code, and CRN
• Quarter Course Is Offered
• Partner University and Instructor Name
• Expected Enrollment in Drexel Course
• Description of Global Classroom Module(s)
• (Y/N) Will Learn be used as a central learning management system for students at both institutions? If so, please send names and emails of partner institution students to global@drexel.edu.

Upon receipt of this information, Drexel Global Office will work with the Registrar to tag the course as a Global Classroom.

Read more about past collaborations here and here.

For additional questions, please email global@drexel.edu. Faculty interested in speaking to one of our Global Classroom Ambassadors to discuss the development, concept, and best practices in virtual exchange should contact Ryan Day (rsd55@drexel.edu)

View full list of previous Global Classrooms

Recent Global Classrooms

Student Stories

Drexel University: Hogeschool van Amsterdam (HvA) Global Classroom: Comparing Just Cities

Published Research Works on Drexel Global Classrooms: 

The Global Classroom at Drexel: Connecting Language Learners Through Technology by Rogelio Minana, PhD and Adam Zahn, MS

The Intersection of Muralist Movements and Two L2 Classes by Maria de la luz Matus-Mendoza, PhD

Cataline, Jodi, D’Angelo, Dana C., and Simmons, Emilee, "Executing a Global Classroom." Magna Classroom Online Newsletter (Jan 2017).

Cataline, Jodi, D’Angelo, Dana C., and Simmons, Emilee, “Global Classrooms: Creating International Collaborative Initiatives.” Unplugging from the Classroom, Ed. Sharmila Pixy Ferris and Hilary Wilder. United States: Elsevier Limited, (2017): 31.