Integrating Knowledge and Practices: Empowering Students and community with A Glocal Practices Project

Abstract: This study utilized a project-based learning approach to foster the integration of students' knowledge and skills acquired through their major department courses and international experiences. The aim was to enable students to collaboratively design and execute a project with a local association, synthesizing their three years of learning, bridging local and global perspectives, and applying theoretical knowledge in practical contexts. Working as a team, students developed proposals in collaboration with local organizations/associations and participated in service internships. The objectives were to enhance students' awareness of social issues and empower them to identify and implement effective solutions. Furthermore, the program sought to deepen students' understanding of local cultural narratives and historical context. The implementation of glocalization principles within this student-centered approach emphasized the facilitation of collaboration between students and local communities, with the instructor assuming a facilitator role. Critical participatory action research was employed to collect data through students' action logs, following a plan-act-observe-reflect cycle, to document their transformative processes. The findings revealed significant aspects of students' learning, including problem-solving abilities, career readiness, critical thinking skills, and personal accomplishments.

Narrative:

Introduction:
The main objective of this project is to utilize critical participatory action research (CPAR) to integrate faculty research, student participation, and the social responsibility of the university, thereby establishing strong connections with the local community. The objectives were to enhance students' awareness of social issues and empower them to identify and implement effective solutions. Thus this study aimed to explore how the process of this year-long project cultivates students learning through taking actions in social participation.
Literature Review:
Related literature is divided into four main sections as follows:
1. Glocalization: Altback and Knight (2006) define globalization as a driving force in the economic, political, and social realms that promotes greater international engagement in higher education in the 21st century. Patel and Lynch (2013) propose "glocalization" as the optimal choice for internationalization in higher education. They further explain that glocalization provides positive learning experiences and encourages and strengthens learners' global-local experiences through critical academic training and cultural exchanges on global/local socio-economic and governance issues (p. 223). As Patel and Lynch (2013) suggest, higher education should take up the responsibility of providing university graduates with opportunities to become active and responsible global citizens in a turbulent economic environment.
2. Project-based Learning: Project-based learning (PBL) is a learning model that organizes learning around a "project." This approach enhances creative problem-solving abilities, motivational skills, conflict negotiation skills, and more (Heijke, Meng, & Ramaekers, 2003; Deng et al., 2016). Project-oriented learning allows students to engage in "learning by doing" across interdisciplinary fields, fostering the development of their abilities in real-life contexts. This approach focuses on problem-solving during project development, encouraging active participation, self-directed information gathering, and skill acquisition to complete the project (Dai, 2005).
3. Service Learning and Experiential Learning: The term "service learning" combines "service" and "learning," emphasizing that learning occurs through service. In the process of implementing service learning, teachers play an important role. Students apply what they have learned in the classroom, enhance their reflective abilities, appreciate diversity, understand social issues, and develop civic competencies to promote and deepen service-learning curricula (Chiu, 2014). Dewey emphasized the concept of "learning by doing" and advocated establishing the foundation of experiential learning through experiential learning activities. Therefore, in the learning process, teachers serve as guides and catalysts, assisting learners in their learning experiences (Dewey, 1938; Lo et al., 2002; Li, 2004; Wang, 2006; Lin, 2007; Wu, 2009).
4. University Social Responsibility: University social responsibility can be seen as an extension of the concept of corporate social responsibility, aiming to integrate global and local communities to achieve ethical approaches to social, ecological, environmental, technological, and economic development (Chen et al., 2015; Vasilscu et al., 2010). The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 2009) has emphasized the value and contribution of university education to society, stating that universities should be closely related to society. Therefore, universities should adhere to ethical principles, social governance, environmental concerns, and social integration, transforming knowledge while enhancing its inherent value (Giuffre & Ratto, 2014).

Research

Design: This research project is based on the concept of university social responsibility and experiential learning, using a project-based approach to conduct critical participatory action research (CPAR). The focus of this project, aims to guide students to think about and make changes in the current and future state of community agriculture, economy, tourism, education, cultural heritage, and more through thematic reports. The main action involves leading the progress of the project. Data were collected from students’ action logs and reflective papers during the process of the project and by the end of the exhibition. Thematic analysis was conducted to

Preliminary Findings:
From analyzing students' reflective reports, four themes were gathered to show the students’ performance during their learning process:
1. Problem-solving: In the process of "project-based learning," students had to utilize their abilities to identify and solve problems. As one student described, they had to step out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves. Additionally, the experience of studying abroad in their junior year allowed students to connect with the local community and put into practice the idea of "looking at the international scene and turning knowledge into power." Throughout the process, students experienced a sense of "accumulating and growing" or "growth amidst physical and mental exhaustion," but ultimately, they derived joy from "receiving what they had given."
2. Teamwork: Since project-based learning was conducted in a team format, students felt the mutual learning and growth between themselves and their team members and institutions. They concluded that both positive and negative experiences were valuable and contributed to a sense of connection.
3. Critical thinking: Allowing students to face institutions and problems on their own fostered the development of their critical thinking abilities. They learned to "stand firm and think from different starting points," which heightened their awareness of the importance of "broadening their perspectives and connecting internationally." Particularly in the process of interacting with people, they recognized that "creating vivid imagery through written narratives brings about a sense of warmth."
4. Self-fulfillment: In terms of overall performance, students expressed a shared sentiment that "hard work pays off and brings about wonderful results." They experienced the hardships of "a year of effort for a ten-minute stage performance" and enjoyed the glory of "shining on stage." They cherished the memories of the "sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy journey" and understood that the end of the exhibition marked the beginning of sustainability.