International and Comparative Education Commons^™

An Introductory Online Interactive Training To Disability Etiquette And Protocol To Promote Inclusion, David Murcko

Capstone Collection

Study abroad is a privilege and an opportunity of a lifetime that not many individuals take full advantage of. Many factors can contribute towards a student’s decision to not study abroad, including but not limited to: finances, academic coursework, family concerns, and not being able to graduate on time. A topic rarely discussed is disclosing medical information. While the amount of students studying abroad is increasing every year, a significant amount of underrepresented minorities desire to embark on that journey of study abroad as well. Unfortunately, advisers are not always well equipped with adequate knowledge of resources. Outdated terminology and …

International Service-Learning And Experiential Education: Reframing A Putney Student Travel Service-Learning Program In The Dominican Republic, Zufan Hagos

Capstone Collection

This paper presents the rationale for and design of a curricular framework for Putney Student Travel’s community service programs. The design is situated as a four-week service-learning program for high school students based in the Dominican Republic. With the exception of region-specific content, the curricular model will be transferable to any of Putney Student Travel’s 13 service-learning programs. Best practices in experiential education indicate that critical reflective thought is the key to harnessing the transformative capacity of international service-learning programs (Bringle, 2010; Whitney & Clayton, 2010). Following Kolb’s (2008) model for experiential learning and Baxter Magolda’s (1999) Model of Epistemological …

Defining And Analyzing Internationalization At The University Of Northern Iowa, Melvin E. Fatimehin

Capstone Collection

Over the last few decades, internationalization has become an important topic in higher education. More institutions are incorporating global learning into their mission and vision plans and increasing internationalization initiatives at their respective institutions. This capstone focuses on the internationalization efforts of the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), a large four-year public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The capstone analyzes internationalization at UNI using the American Council on Education’s (2012) Center for Internationalization and Global Engagement Model for Comprehensive Internationalization. This capstone highlights existing strengths and weakness of internationalization at the University of Northern Iowa and sheds light on the …

Diversifying The Curriculum: An Analysis Of Diversity Course Policies At The University Of California San Diego, Maria Lourdes Amparo

Capstone Collection

As U.S. higher education institutions and the larger society become increasingly global and racially and ethnically diverse, educational institutions are faced with the challenge of adapting their policies and academic curriculum to reflect and meet the demands of a changing environment. As part of a comprehensive plan to address campus climate issues at the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego), the UC San Diego Academic Senate revised the undergraduate graduation requirement in 2011 to include one course that focuses on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). In addition to having a diverse student population, UC San Diego is ranked …

Law And Order: Lawsuit, Regulations And Implementation Of S.T.E.M. O.P.T. At The University Of Arkansas, Alexandra M. Wallace

Capstone Collection

In 2015, Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) reported that over 1,054,000 international students were studying in the United States in F-1 student status (SEVP, 2015). F-1 status comes with many regulations and benefits, such as Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows students with F-1 status to work after they complete a degree from an American higher education institution. Students in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields are allowed an additional 24-months of OPT, called STEM OPT. While this is a benefit in many senses, it is accompanied by a lot of responsibility for the student, the university …

Learning By Osmosis Or Intervention? Preparing Faculty To Lead Short-Term Programs Abroad, Alexandra P. Nesbeda

Capstone Collection

This Course Linked Capstone (CLC) paper focuses on the rationale for and design of a publically accessible handbook for faculty teaching, or interested in teaching, undergraduate courses overseas through Babson’s Electives Abroad (BEA) program. BEAs, run out of the Glavin Office of Multicultural & International Education, are four-credit Advanced Liberal Arts and Advanced Elective Courses taught by Babson faculty that involve a one to three-week international travel component.

The goal of the handbook is three-fold: to enhance internal materials and codify unwritten policies and procedures; to address key gaps in the current development, management, and assessment of BEAs; and to …

Exploring Partnerships Between Embedded Providers And Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program Directors, Angelo D. Pisano

Capstone Collection

This research reveals the sentiments of faculty about the perceived support structures and barriers in place for them to develop new international education outbound student mobility programs on US campuses with third party providers embedded within the education abroad office. This increasingly attractive partnership model is unique in the field for the multitudinous collaboration that it employs. Data was collected through three separate surveys and a series of interviews. The sample totaled 26 faculty and over 330 students responding to the surveys and an additional fifteen faculty interviewees, the research suggests establishing some tools and venues for faculty and international …

Are They Matching Up? An Analysis Of Study Abroad Outcomes And The Vocational Needs Of A Southern Appalachian Area, Brynn A. Smith

Capstone Collection

With an increased amount of people seeking higher education, it has become vital to connect education to career in American colleges and universities. To better understand the value of education abroad, international educators must make this connection clear. This research examines student outcomes from Maryville College’s (MC) study abroad programs and compares them with human resource needs, with special attention given to the local job market in the surrounding area. A case study approach was used to gather data from MC study abroad returnees, local HR professionals, and national sources to understand where student outcomes are or are not lining …

Internationalization In American Legal Education: A Short-Term Embedded Study Abroad Program For University Of Connecticut Law Students, Yana Kraychinskaya

Capstone Collection

It has been noted by many legal education professionals that, although legal education in the U.S. is good at development of analytical skills through its case system, it still lags behind in the development of professional integrity and ethical values. Due to an increase in globalization in most areas of American life, even if students do not choose to work in international companies and organizations, their work will require communicating in an intercultural setting. It is no longer enough for law school graduates to just be able to solve problems effectively. They need to be effective at communicating with people …

Explore Ecuador: A Road Scholar Intergenerational Program Proposal, Sarah Hilton

Capstone Collection

The world is aging! Older Americans make up the fastest growing segment of the population. The aging population is rapidly increasing and according to the U.S. Census, the U.S. population age 65 and over is expected to double in size within the next 25 years. By 2030, almost 1-out-of-5 Americans, some 72 million people will be age 65 or older (U.S. Census, 2006). The growth in this population will ultimately cause a greater gap between generation at the opposite end of the human lifespan, the young and old. This capstone introduces a new Road Scholar Intergenerational program that addresses this …

The Current State Of Access To Basic Education For Syrian Refugee Children Living In The Za’Atari Camp, Theresa L. Frey

Capstone Collection

Using Rodman’s (2006) International Education Analytical Inquiry Matrix as a theoretical framework, the purpose of this study is to examine the current state of access to basic primary education for Syrian Refugee Children Living in the Za’atari camp. Within the scope of this study, access is examined in three parts, including:

(1) Who is accessing education within Za’atari and who is not?

(2) How are certain groups accessing education?

(3) What is the learning environment of Za’atari?

In addition to addressing existing issues of access to basic education in Za’atari, this study examines efforts made towards increasing access. By examining …

Reflect & Connect- Helping Students Make The Most Of Their Study Abroad Experience, Rachael L. Dean

Capstone Collection

In our world of internationalization and global networking, students that study abroad have a definite advantage when transitioning into the professional world after graduating college. However, when asked, many have a difficult time articulating and marketing their international experience. When transitioning back to the United States and campus culture, students also go through varying degrees of reverse culture shock. They want to talk about their experience and share their newfound love of another culture, however many run into disinterested friends and glossy eyes.

The Education Abroad office at Central Palm International University is looking to expand their outreach and commitment …

Student Participation In Coil Programs And Its Impact On Study Abroad Enrollment, Ashley E. Reed

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper delves into and exposes the impact of participating in the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) program has on students’ decision to study abroad. Focusing on State University of New York (SUNY) institutions, a survey was administered to 25 students who participated in a course which employed COIL principles or pedagogy in its design with the primary intent of discovering: 1) the demographics of who enrolled in the COIL courses, 2) why they enrolled, and 3) if their experience had any impact on their interest to study abroad. The survey employed methods which were largely quantitative in nature, …

Destination Choice In Study Abroad, Courtney Smith

Capstone Collection

The most popular destinations for U.S. undergraduate study abroad are the United Kingdom (UK), Italy, Spain, and France, hosting 37.5% of all students who studied abroad in 2013-2014, with approximately 2-6% increases in each of those countries over the previous year (IIE, 2016). Despite world events and changing international relations interests, the majority of U.S. students continue to choose traditional destinations in study abroad. Using a factor analysis approach, this study seeks to determine which factors play the most significant role in undergraduate student destination choice for study abroad.

The results from this study indicate that the most important factors …

International Education Consultants: An Examination Of Their Role In Admission And Enrollment Of International Students At Private Secondary Institutions In The United States, Sarah Wiggins

Capstone Collection

Over the past ten years, the United States has seen a significant increase in the number of international students seeking a high school diploma from private secondary schools (Farrugia, 2014). Coinciding with this increase in international students is an increase in the use of educational consultants who help international students gain access to these schools. Little research has been done on what the relationship entails and the impact these consultants are having on U. S. private secondary schools international enrollment. Using a thematic analysis approach, this study looks at how consultants are involved in the international student admission and enrollment …

Reflect, React, Exchange: A Cultural Competency Co-Curriculum, Derrick Lewis

Capstone Collection

Cultural competency serves as key component to medical training and education and increasing interest in international health experiences denotes a recent need to respond to globalized health and populations. Reflect, React, Exchange (RRE) is a co-curriculum aims to provide a revised and integrated framework and foster awareness via experience, exchange, reflection, and dialogue at the Clinica de Familia La Romana in La Romana, Dominican Republic. RRE utilizes theories which are appropriate to the transformative learning aims and integral curricular activities of the CFLR Global Health Experience, an 8-week, global health internship experience for health science. It provides students with the …

West African Refugees In Baltimore City: Pros And Cons, Christianah T. Adeneye

Capstone Collection

Conflict in Africa remains one of the continent’s principal development challenges (David, 2009). However, peace remains the highest priority in the minds of people across all of the African continent. The unfortunate violence and conflict have left so many African citizens to constantly live in fear, and this fear has increased the urge for many to flee their countries for safety. This research study seeks to explore the experience of West African refugees in the United States with more focus on Baltimore City. This research work also examines their integration process and challenges they face, including the opportunities they receive …

Semester At Sea Impact Service-Learning Scholarship Program, Lindsay B. Parise

Capstone Collection

Service-learning has become a highly popular approach to increasing experiential learning, expanding study abroad, and supporting the trend in the internationalization of higher education. There are many challenges arising around the use of service-learning in international study abroad contexts. There is no agreed upon definition of service-learning, which makes it difficult to distinguish it from other forms of international education, volunteerism, community service or charity.

International service-learning by its very nature takes place in fragile communities and with people who need assistance or service, due mostly to poverty. There is limited research and assessment of how international service-learning programs impact …

Tripl - Living, Learning, Leading: A Program For Ongoing Cultural Training For House Leaders At Mossgate Preparatory School, Stephanie Munson

Capstone Collection

This paper is a program proposal for an ongoing intercultural training program for boarding house leaders at Mossgate Preparatory School (MPS). High turnover rates for house leaders at MPS have been linked to conflict and frustration related to living and working in a multicultural environment. A Multicultural Competency questionnaire was distributed to 2014-15 MPS house leaders, and the results showed that approximately half of all house leaders had never received any sort of intercultural training. In order to address this need, the TripL Program was conceived.

Through initial and ongoing trainings conducted for all house leaders at MPS, the TripL …

U101: Global Perspectives A Semester Course For First-Year Students, Chrissie Faupel

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper introduces a special section of the already existing, and quite successful, University 101 programs at the University of South Carolina (USC). U101: Global Perspectives is a semester-long program proposal for first-year students (freshman and transfer students), offered by the Study Abroad Office (SAO) at USC. Functioning as part of the Global Carolina initiative, the USC SAO is committed to providing students with the knowledge and cultural awareness to be responsible and successful citizens in today’s globally integrated world. With the goal of increasing the number of students studying abroad, as well as creating unique opportunities for students …

Traditions And Proficiency Abroad - Spain (Tapas) Program: A High School Study Abroad Program For District 128, Michaela Kendzior

Capstone Collection

As colleges begin to internationalize campuses and global competencies continue to become a demand in the workforce, secondary schools should also aim to internationalize the curriculum and offer international education opportunities to their students. In an effort to do this, I have created the Traditions And Proficiency Abroad - Spain (TAPAS) Program for Community High School District 128 in Illinois. The TAPAS program is a 20-day summer intensive cultural and language immersion program created to maximize learning potential in D128 students. While the program’s focus is on Spanish language and culture education, the orientation and instructional activities have been designed …

Connecting Through Communication - Incorporating Intercultural Competency During International Student Orientations, Keith A. Quatraro

Capstone Collection

The College of Southern Idaho (CSI) is a community college and is one of the fastest growing educational institutions in the state. The college enrolls, on average between 40 to 60 international students per academic year. CSI and the neighboring Refugee Center contribute to the community’s cultural diversity. There are numerous benefits for both international and domestic students to attending CSI. Those advantages include higher acceptance rates, lower required English proficiency scores, reduced tuition costs, and smaller class sizes. In addition, students are able to transfer to a larger university if they feel compelled to obtain a higher degree.

Currently, …

The Impact Of Study Abroad On Post-Graduation Job Search, Satoko Fukai

Capstone Collection

Following the tradition of a case study, this capstone research investigates the experience of recent graduates of the City University of New York (CUNY) who participated in study abroad programs managed by the College of Staten Island (CSI) between Fall 2010 and Summer 2015 and examines their perceptions of the post-graduation job search process. The data was collected through an online survey of 72 CUNY graduates and interviews with four survey respondents.

The research findings did not show that the employment rate of CUNY study abroad alumni were any better or worse than others. However, many alumni believed that their …

Cultural Communities Among African Students At Yale College, Laura Hoffsis

Capstone Collection

Inspired by the prevalent negative perceptions of cultural communities, this study seeks to better understand the phenomenon of informal cultural communities formed by international students at institutions of higher education. Specifically, this study looks at how cultural communities shape the experiences of undergraduate African students at Yale College. Using a phenomenological approach, 11 undergraduate African students were interviewed about their experiences in various cultural communities, and two focus groups were conducted: one prior to the interviews in order to decrease interviewer bias and shape the interview questions, and one subsequent to the interviews in order to decrease bias in data …

A Personalized Approach To International Student Orientation At Saginaw Valley State University, Kendra Morehead

Capstone Collection

The design for an International Student Orientation outlined in this Course-Linked Capstone (CLC) has been created for use by the Office of International and Advanced Studies at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) in Saginaw, Michigan. A need for a redesign of this program arose when the institution increased its international student intake by about 300 students in a year's time. The new five-day program exists to prepare newly-arrived international students for the academic and cultural aspects of attending a higher education institution in the United States. It will also provide them with a taste of campus and student life that …

Energy, Sustainability, And The Environment In Iceland: A Stem-Focused Program For The Experiment In International Living, Katie Fassbinder

Capstone Collection

Since 1932, The Experiment in International Living (The Experiment or EIL) has been one of the most respected front-runners for providing high school educational programs that strengthen cultural awareness and engage and empower participants to think critically about global issues. Since its inception, over 70,000 students have participated in an Experiment program (World Learning, 2016a). Experience gained working as a group leader for The Experiment in summer 2015 helped in the development of a needs assessment that uncovered a significant gap in thematic offerings. Examining the STEM trends in the international education field and interviewing staff on requirements and issues …

Women In The Religious Wave Of Terrorism And Beyond: The West Versus The Rest An Analysis Of Women’S Motives And Agency In Al-Qaeda And The Islamic State, Regina Blaskie

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As terrorism expands and changes in this globalized world, women’s involvement in terrorist groups remains to be an object of fascination, particularly Western women who choose to join terrorist groups in the Middle East. This paper aims to reveal and analyze the motivations that women have for joining terrorist groups, without merely labeling them as delusional or misguided by men. While it is true that women have roles in many different terrorist groups, this paper chooses to focus solely Al-Qaeda and largely the Islamic State as they (and increasingly the Islamic State) are extremely important for today’s global security. Furthermore, …

Educating Global Citizens: Moroccan University Students’ Global Awareness And Perceptions, Julia Ohanyan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Globalization has affected the world in many ways: socially, economically, and culturally. It has also affected the education system as well as the daily life of individuals across the world, including the Kingdom of Morocco in North Africa. This paper will explore the success of a globally focused education in the Moroccan context, as well as, analyze the affect that globalization has had among the Moroccan youth, specifically university students. Additionally, how aware are the students of the current events that are unfolding in our global community. How has globalization affected their preferences and their perceptions towards global issues and …

Promoting U.S. Community Colleges In Sweden: From The Perspective Of Swedish Education Agents, Ashley M. Sansotta

Capstone Collection

This purpose of this study is to find out what role agents play through marketing community colleges in the Swedish education market and recruiting Swedish students to U.S. community colleges. This study explores Swedish education agents’ perspectives of the community college system in the United States, their experiences in marketing community colleges in Sweden, and the factors that may lead to or prohibit the success in recruiting Swedish students for U.S. community colleges. Qualitative research methods were used, which included preliminary surveys, interviews, an analysis of the agents’ marketing strategies, and a review of relevant studies. The findings revealed that …

Argument For Internationally-Focused Curricula In Us Primary Education Reform, Hector Santiago

Capstone Collection

The purpose of my research is to investigate the current climate within the field of International Education, create a meaningful connection to education reform efforts that shows the merit and necessity of internationally-focused curricula in a global society, and to argue in favor of attainable, effective cultural engagement programing in US primary education reform by which US students combine standard learning objectives with multicultural elements to improve cultural communication, awareness, understanding, and adaptation. By beginning cultural education and engagement in primary school, I will explain how students will develop a better understanding of other cultures, be more willing to invest …