Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Examination Of Students Perceptions Of "Learning" In A Study Abroad Experience And Recommendations For Effective Pedagogy, Scott Dickmeyer, Ronda Knox

Speaker & Gavel

Undergraduate study abroad programs are becoming more popular in our increasingly global society. Students consider the opportunity to study abroad to be a personally impacting educational experience. This study provided empirical data demonstrating that study abroad experiences are unique as students learn in ways that differ from the tradition classroom. Additionally, the results indicate that students struggle with the interdependent terms study and abroad. The experience of living abroad is exceptionally educational as well deeply personal and impacting. However, traditional classroom study practices (reading textbooks, taking exams, etc.) impose obstacles for the experiential learning (living in another culture). As such, …