Learning to Live in a Global World: Project-Based Learning in Multicultural Student Groups as a Pedagogy of Tolerance Strategy

Abstract

Reforming in the 21 century education has increased: both in its organization and contents. The role of a teacher has shifted from an expert to a designer of reflective and collaborative projects as means of providing students with effective learning contexts. In cultural diversity and assimilation educators are universally concerned with implementation of pedagogy of tolerance principles to grow up a new generation, prepared to communicate successfully in the globalization world. The problem is how we can facilitate tolerant thinking among students. The authors of the present paper generalize their experience of providing cooperative learning environments to MA course students at Zabaikalsky State University, which is in Transbaikal Siberia (Russia). The region borders on Mongolia and China, offering a perfect experimental platform to implement pedagogy of tolerance strategies through creative educational programs. The programs are developed in accordance with the recently adopted international and federal laws and conceptions, to which the authors of the present paper refer. Professor Tatyana Voronchenko, designed multicultural programs for MA and PhD students in World Literature Studies. They are aimed to increase all possible contacts among culturally diverse students. Russian and Chinese, Buryat and Mongolian student groups, involved in project-based studies, are an example to illustrate an effective way of learning to live in globalization word. The authors analyze and describe the students’ experience during project-based studies. They conclude that the students who participated in such projects showed higher tolerance to their neighbors. Project-based learning helps to master professional communication culture, overcoming communication barriers and becoming specialists with higher tolerance, ready to live and work in multicultural society.