It can be compared to selective comprehension, which means understanding specific information in the text, and detailed comprehension, which means understanding everything. Global, selective and detailed comprehensions have parallels with the three reading skills of skimming, scanning and intensive reading.
Example
The learners have listened to a story and now try to recreate it by putting jumbled sentences into the correct order.
In the classroom
Various activity types can test global comprehension. Learners can be asked to sort out jumbled versions of a text, as in the example, produce or complete summaries, answer comprehension questions that test general understanding, such as ‘true or false statements, and suggest titles.
Further links:
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/theories-reading
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/theories-reading-2