Post-Apartheid South Africa

I work in the fields of relief, development, and conflict resolution,
and I teach these topics to students and practitioners around the world.

I am also a researcher at Stanford University focusing on use of
new media and technology in teaching. I've developed methodologies that are especially powerful for introducing students to the depth and breadth of international crisis, along with corresponding efforts to alleviate suffering and solve problems.

For example, first-person accounts provide a compelling window into the human problems that motivate these efforts. First-person accounts inspire students to reach beyond what they've known about the world, connect with others, and delve into peer-reviewed research.

A good case is this program on post-apartheid South Africa, which I produced for my classes at Hunter College in New York City, and which was later distributed across the U.S. by the Discovery Channel.

International Conflict Resolution

New media and technology make it possible to teach difficult topics—and to share first-person perspectives—at unprecedented scale.

With funding from the State Department, I designed and produced a three-part online course in international conflict resolution for the Institute of Peace.

The course included extended case studies on the genocide in Rwanda, the war in Kosovo, multi-party negotiations to end apartheid in
South Africa, international negotiations to implement and maintain the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and interfaith conflict resolution efforts in Nigeria and Guatemala.

Designed for Foreign Service Officers, the course quickly went viral.
It was blended into curricula at universities around the world, and completed by close to 30,000 students and practitioners, including many who took the course from internet cafes and refugee camps.

Faith & Culture in Iraq

Beyond reading books and articles, beyond listening to people talk, students learn more when they can see and hear for themselves—
when they can put together physical environments, ambient sounds, facial expressions, and all of the small but telling cues that coalesce into holistic experience.

A good illustration is this discussion on faith and culture in Iraq.
With funding from the State Department, I designed and produced an interactive program on lessons learned in the early years of the war, which became part of standard training for all Foreign Service Officers during the latter years.

The program included interviews with the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, the Iraqi Ambassador to the U.S., and many others, each illustrated in detail with live footage and sounds.

SENSE Simulation

There is no substitute for the coaching and mentoring of face-to-face teaching and learning. At the same time,
new media & technology offer unprecedented capabilities. The best of both worlds is what we call blended learning.

A good example is the SENSE simulation, developed for NATO to train students and practitioners in the U.S., the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Georgia, Ukraine, and Iraq. The multi-player simulation includes 40-60 roles for
key decision makers, and requires them to engage in collaborative problem solving in a simulated society emerging from conflict.

Along with developing blended learning programs
using SENSE, I led the production of the video orientation, excerpted here.

Virtual Student Exchange

For many decades, colleges and universities have set up exchanges to introduce students to overseas counterparts, to counter stereotypes, and to broaden perspectives. Those who have the opportunity to study abroad develop lifelong interest in other societies and cultures, as well as greater content knowledge and improved cross-cultural communication skills.

But in-person exchange is a difficult and expensive form of educational experience. Fortunately, new media and technology are changing this equation. Recent empirical studies have shown that students gain comparable benefits through virtual student exchange.

In this virtual exchange, we use technology to introduce students at San Jose State University to counterparts from the Modern University for Business & Science in Beirut.