Global citizenship education via experiential blended learning

Higher education adopted global citizenship education (GCE) at the beginning of the 21st century since collaboration among culturally diverse people has become crucial. As learners can exert individual agency through digital media, learning that provides them with online and offline spaces can help them construct knowledge, build culture and shape identity collaboratively. A qualitative case study evaluating a blended course under GCE explored learners’ perception shifts regarding identity formations in relation to confidence-trust building. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic using in-depth online interviews and analyses of archival data while triangulating learners’ perceptions with instructors’ observations. Findings showed that individuals shaped their global citizen identities through a loop of reflection and interaction in blended environments. The participants’ comfort zone levels affected different identity formation paths, but despite such differences, everyone became involved in various local community activities and engaged in a lifelong commitment. Synergically linked intrapersonal and interactional communication through blended learning activities solidified self-confidence and collective trust. Global citizen identities have evolved, while members’ relationships have deepened through their individualised experiential learning. The study’s significance lies in reinforcing the importance of experience-oriented GCE in blended learning environments and discovering the critical role of confidence-trust building through a synergic cycle between intrapersonal and interactional communication. Various organisations may adopt the model to shape their members’ consensual visions while reinforcing group cohesion.