A key element of global engagement in teaching and learning is the development of globally engaged curricula. To support educators across disciplines in envisioning how this might take shape within their subject field, the Centre for Teaching & Learning (CTL) has created the following resources for ideas, options, and inspirations.
Working Definition of Globally Engaged Curriculum
In collaboration with the VP Global Engagement Office, the CTL has developed a working definition of globally engaged curriculum to serve as a foundation for ongoing evolvement.
"A Globally Engaged Curriculum, at Queen’s University, reflects broader global and intercultural perspectives in content, learning outcomes, assessment, and instructional strategies. It intentionally engages students with diverse worldviews and ways of knowing to question and disrupt dominant western-centric knowledges, pedagogies, and research practices. A Globally Engaged Curriculum commits to cultural humility, anti-racism, decolonial education, and accessibility in a holistic manner that holds both educators and students accountable. It advocates for the contributions of globally diverse values and practices, and inspires innovative, equitable, and impactful research."
Reorienting curriculum for global engagement fosters classrooms where students:
- develop the ability to work effectively across cultural contexts
- deepen global and intercultural understanding, and
- practice social responsibility by contributing to both local and global communities through equitable approaches.
A globally engaged curriculum invites educators and students to work together through out a course to:
- critically examine dominant Western (Anglo-and Euro-American) ideologies, epistemologies, and methodologies within the discipline
- affirm and integrate diverse ways of being, thinking, and doing
- highlight globally diverse values and practices in the subject area
- connect local and global perspectives in addressing real-world challenges equitably
To clarify this definition, a globally engaged curriculum is built on three pillars, guided by four core values, and enacted through two-fold tasks as illustrated in the graphics.
| Three Pillars | Four Core Values | Two Folds | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Weaving Global Engagement into Curricular Work
Globally engaged curricula can take many forms, reflecting the diverse goals, disciplines, and contexts of courses at Queen’s. To support educators in integrating global perspectives into their teaching, the CTL draws on Wiggins and McTighe’s (1998) backward design alongside Leask’s (2015) approaches to curriculum internationalization, offering both inspiration and practical guidance.
Backward Design
Step 1: Identify expected learning outcomes: What should students know or be able to do by the end of the course?
Step 2: Determine learning evidence: What assessments will allow students to demonstrate whether they have achieved the learning outcomes?
Step 3: Design learning experiences: What instructional strategies and activities will help students reach the learning outcomes?
Step 4: Select course content: Which readings, materials, and resources will best support students in successfully achieving the learning outcomes?
Approaches to Globally Engaged Curriculum
Adapted from Leask (2015), there are three approaches to developing globally engaged curriculum: ‘add-on’, ‘curricular infusion’, and ‘transformation’.
Regardless of the approach, the first and foremost step is to clearly identify the overall course goals and expectations for global engagement, while carefully considering students’ diverse backgrounds, experiences, and learning needs.
| Approach | Link to More Information |
|---|---|
| The Add-on approach, compared to the other two, is often easier for educators to implement, as it does not require fundamental changes to course design. With this approach, educators can introduce one or two learning outcomes focused on intercultural or global perspectives, then align assessment, learning activities, and readings to support these outcomes. | Explore the Add-On Approach​ |
| Curricular Infusion invites educators to rethink and reorient course design to integrate global engagement holistically at every stage of the backward design process—beginning with the clear articulation of learning outcomes. This approach aims to create meaningful global learning experiences that prepares students to contribute locally and globally, guided by equitable and ethical practices. | Explore the Curricular Infusion Approach​ |
| Transformation calls on educators to help students shift their cultural perspectives and navigate multiple worldviews through the curriculum. This approach creates meaningful opportunities to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to address pressing local and global challenges, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). | Explore the Transformation Approach​ |
Leask, B. (2015). Internationalising the curriculum. Abingdon: Routledge.
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as they credit us and indicate if changes were made. Use this citation format: Developing Globally Engaged Curriculum. Centre for Teaching and Learning, Queen’s University