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Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716) was quite a thinker. As a philosopher, he made major contributions to epistemology, logic, the philosophy of religion and metaphysics. He was also an accomplished scientist, historian, and linguist. In mathematics, he built the first (admittedly somewhat unreliable) calculating machine able to perform all four elementary arithmetical operations, and devised the first proper formulation of binary numbers. Although Chinese and Indian scholars had developed several types of rudimentary binary notation centuries earlier, the number system at the heart of every modern computer was put together by Leibniz. As if that were not enough to guarantee his immortality, he also developed calculus independently of Isaac Newton, and it is mostly Leibniz's version that survives in our textbooks, due to his superior notation.
Background Global health education partnerships should be collaborative and reciprocal to ensure mutual benefit. Utilisation of digital technologies can overcome geographic boundaries and facilitate collaborative global health learning. Global Health Classroom (GHCR) is a collaborative global health learning model involving medical students from different countries learning about each other’s health systems, cultures, and determinants of health via videoconference. Principles of reciprocity and inter-institutional partnership informed the development of GHCR. This study explores learning outcomes and experiences in GHCR between students from New Zealand and Samoa. Methods The study used a mixed methods approach employing post-GHCR questionnaires and semi-structured face-to-face interviews to explore self-reported learning and experiences among medical students in GHCR. The GHCR collaboration studied was between the medical schools at the University of Otago, New Zealand and the National University of Samoa, Samoa.ResultsQuestionnaire response rate was 85% (74/87). Nineteen interviews were conducted among New Zealand and Samoan students. Students reported acquiring the intended learning outcomes relating to patient care, health systems, culture, and determinants of health with regards to their partner country. There was evidence of attitudinal changes including cultural curiosity and humility. Some reported a vision for progress regarding their own health system. Students reported that interacting with their international peers in the virtual classroom made learning about global health real and tangible. Mutual benefit to students from both countries indicated reciprocity.Conclusions The study demonstrates GHCR to be a promising model for collaborative and reciprocal global health learning using a student-led format and employing digital technology to create a virtual classroom. The self-reported learning outcomes align favourably with those recommended in the literature. In view of our positive findings, we present GHCR as an adaptable model for equitable, collaborative global health learning between students in internationally partnered institutions.
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