Amy Pickard

Assistant Professor

Where does your international research/engagement take place?
University of Glasgow

Please briefly describe your research/activity?
I facilitated an international collaborative project between adult education graduate students at Indiana University and the University of Glasgow's International Master's Program. Partnerships/small groups that included participants from each program engaged in story-sharing and dialogue regarding globalization and its interrelationship with adult education. Students explored gender, immigration, technology, and citizenship, informed by theory and personal contexts.

Why does your research/activity matter?
This project was significant because it connected IUB Adult Education students with graduate students in their field across a range of international contexts and encouraged a deeper understanding of adult education as situated in a global context. Collaboration with students from other countries added nuance and specificity to students' understanding of contemporary changes in economics, policy, and culture and how these changes influence adult education policy and practice.

What led you to this research/activity?
Participation in the Global Classrooms Fellowship program.

What problem do you hope this research/activity will solve/what are your hopes for this work?
Many, if not most, of IUB Adult Education students are from the Midwestern United States. The University of Glasgow’s Adult Education Program enrolls a wide range of international students and includes a structured, ongoing study-abroad component as part of its coursework. These differences in student population were extremely beneficial in a study of globalization, which was one main focus of this course.

How will your work create change for the better?
Participation in this project helped students understand the systemic nature of many local aspects of practice. Additionally, this project facilitated ongoing collaboration between faculty and students in our program with adult educators around the world.