International and Comparative Education Commons^™

Intercultural Communication In Florida: The Immigrant Story - A Program For Adult Learners, Stephanie V. Wobensmith

Capstone Collection

Although participation in university study abroad programs has grown steadily within the United States in recent years, many students are still being left without access to the important intercultural learning that it allows. Adult learners, students over the age of 25 who often have family and work responsibilities outside of the academic setting, are frequently included in this underrepresented demographic. In order to create a more accessible program for these students, the Intercultural Communication in Florida: The Immigrant Story (ICC in Florida) program uses the same learning paradigm as short-term study abroad but combines it with lessons learned through newer …

Exploring Service Learning In Study Abroad: An Evaluation Of The Umbra Institute’S Urban Spaces Course, Lisa M. George

Capstone Collection

Over the proceeding decades, service learning programs combining academic study with community service have been growing in popularity at U.S. institutions of higher education. This growth has been equated to service learning’s ability to assist students with achieving personal and academic goals, as well as broader goals of civic engagement for communities. With these programs occurring in an increasingly interconnected world, that is also seeing growth in study abroad participation, it is only natural that students would seek out similar service learning opportunities in their international destinations.

Today more than 80% of students enrolled at The Umbra Institute in Perugia, …

Setting Expectations: An Onsite Orientation For Intern Abroad Programs In London, Ilse B. Damkoehler

Capstone Collection

International internships have been continuously rising in popularity over the past decade, with participation in work, internships, and volunteering abroad (WIVA) more than tripling over a ten year span from 1999/2000 to 2010/2011(Farrugia, 2013). One of the most important elements of an intern abroad program is to set expectations so that students can have a successful program, both personally and professionally. The onsite orientation is therefore a vital piece of an effective intern abroad program.

Setting Expectations: An Onsite Orientation for Intern Abroad Programs in London is a four-day orientation program in London, England developed for participants in the Intern …

North Dakota State University Study Abroad Strategic Plan: Enhancing Student Mobility For The 21st Century, Krysta Gorder

Capstone Collection

This study analyzes current study abroad efforts at North Dakota State University (NDSU) and aids in the design of a strategic plan to grow student mobility numbers. The NDSU study abroad office (SAO) desires to increase the number of students studying abroad from two percent to five percent of the study body by the year 2019. In order to establish accountability across the entire infrastructure of the institution, NDSU has signed onto a commitment with the Institute of International Education (IIE) and its Generation Study Abroad (GSA) initiative that aims to double the number of U.S. students nationwide that study …

Volunteering And Social Development Across Cultures: A Credit Bearing Course For The Alliance For Global Education's Global And Public Health Program At Manipal University (India), Katie Jo Walter

Capstone Collection

This course-linked capstone presents full details for the creation, facilitation and evaluation of a new field-based course for the Alliance for Global Education’s (Alliance) Global and Public Health program at Manipal University in India. Operating in partnership with Manipal University’s Volunteer Services Organization (VSO), the course will increase opportunities for participant interaction with people both on and off campus, actively respond to participants’ stated interest in volunteer work, and strengthen institutional ties between the Alliance and Manipal University.

The plan for the course, titled, “Volunteering across cultures: India and the United States”, incorporates best practices and theories from international service …

Pushing Forward: The Climate For Lgbtq Student Advising In Study Abroad Of South Carolina, Alexandra Seay

Capstone Collection

This study uses quantitative and qualitative analysis to examine issues of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) minority undergraduate student inclusivity within the 32 study abroad programs offered within the 51 of the institutions of higher education in the state of South Carolina. Findings in this study suggest that study abroad programs are delivered to students in 1 of 3 ways: Direct Exchange, 3^rd Party Provider, and Faculty-Led. Findings in this study also indicate that faculty and study abroad advisers view study abroad as a useful and transformative experience for all students and that these programs should be …

An Expanded Field Guide On Cross-Cultural Learning For Faculty Leaders Of University Of Missouri Study Abroad Programs, William Palmieri

Capstone Collection

As the term global citizen becomes ubiquitous in our world, it is imperative that faculty-led programs abroad challenge students’ understanding, as such. Therefore, by accompanying students abroad, educators must adopt methods that guide and challenge students to have a command of the impact of the experience. This paper will present the rationale for maximizing the impact abroad for faculty-led programs and ways students can gain an informed global perspective in their respective fields. Participant partners were University of Missouri and The School for International Training in creating an Internet –based resource manual, An Expanded Field Guide on Cross-Cultural Learning for …

Internationalizing The Study Abroad Classroom: An Intensive English Program At The American Graduate School In Paris, Jordan A. Caley

Capstone Collection

The American Graduate School in Paris (AGS) is a not-for-profit institution founded in 1994 to provide U.S. higher education in France to students from around the world pursuing graduate degrees in International Relations, Diplomacy, and Business. Since 2008, AGS has partnered with Arcadia University located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, USA, to provide summer, semester, and academic year undergraduate study abroad programs in these fields. While current study abroad participants are undergraduate students pursuing degrees at U.S. institutions, AGS has recently received permission to internationalize the study abroad classroom by recruiting students from around the world. Because AGS courses are delivered exclusively …

Active Development Of Tacit Knowledge: Adtk In A World Without Farmers, Roger E. Garrett Jr.

Capstone Collection

Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) and extensions such as Transformative Learning Theory offer significant potential for skill development later in life – reskilling. Despite wide acceptance and deployment, practitioners are still obliged to design their own methods and activities in order to implement these theories. This paper introduces a novel curricular model, Active Development of Tacit Knowledge (ADTK). Educators can use ADTK to effectively implement and scale ELT. Agricultural Education, specifically the training of new farmers, is used as a sample context to demonstrate ADTK. In new-farmer education, it is necessary to compress the educational cycles of dozens of years of …

The Use Of Agents In International Student Recruitment: International Education Professional’S Opinions, Emily M. Kirsch

Capstone Collection

The use of recruitment agents in international student recruitment is a controversial topic with divisive and differing opinions among international education and higher education professionals. This paper researches international educator’s opinions on the use of recruitment agents in international education and explores the idea of a framework to regulate their use. A survey was sent out to international educators across the United States. 119 respondents gave their opinions on the use of agents and provided a valuable snapshot of the current outlook on the ethics and necessity of the use of agents.

The Gender Gap In Study Abroad, Alexander Lindsay

Capstone Collection

This study investigates the gender imbalance in study abroad programming, focusing on the question of whether there are barriers specific to men in the decision to study abroad and exploring how men overcome these barriers. The research question is viewed through the framework of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1943), arguing that physiological, safety, and relationship needs must be met before a student can feel confident in their decision to study abroad. Data is gathered through an online survey of students expressed interest in study abroad by attending information sessions but ultimately decided not to go on a program and through …

Maximizing The Benefits Of Short-Term International Programs: Student Engagement And Reentry Guide For Global Routes Students And Leaders, Susanna Adams

Capstone Collection

Study abroad programs have greatly increased in number and program type during the last decade. Due to factors such as academic and financial demands, students are finding short-term programs, typically lasting eight weeks or less, to be the most feasible option. Critics are skeptical of short-term programs questioning whether students are able to gain the depth necessary to achieve cultural awareness, personal growth and new perspectives. Supporters argue that if planned and managed correctly, short-term programs can have meaningful short and long-term impacts on students.

Global Routes, an international education organization headquartered in Windsor, New Hampshire, offers short-term exchange programs …

International Students In The Classroom: A Faculty Learning Community, Carolina De La Rosa

Capstone Collection

International students represent about 5.4% of the total student body at the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh. However, roughly a third of academic dishonesty cases which have been reported since the 2010-2011 academic year have been international students. The needs assessment and literature review presented in this paper point to the importance of involving academic departments in strengthening support for international students not only in avoiding plagiarism, but also in being academically successfully. Furthermore, it is argued that international students’ cultural diversity holds incredible potential for enhancing the educational experience of all students.

Based on that rationale, …

Environmental Sustainability, Cultural Awareness, And Personal Growth: A Short-Term Study Abroad Program Design For The University Of Colorado, Boulder, Jana K. Howlett

Capstone Collection

The University of Colorado (CU), as with many academic institutions in the United States, has seen a consistent increase in the number of students opting for short-term study abroad programs. A growing concern in the field of international education is whether it is possible for students to mature in cultural competence from such a short time spent abroad. In an initiative to deliberately increase students’ intercultural growth during short-term excursions, Global Seminar: Environmental Sustainability and Cross-Culture Contact in Costa Rica (GSCR) proposes a program that implements two new aspects to CU’s study abroad options: a course-linked program and an …

Corporate Social Responsibility Enrichment Exchange Program, Deborah Waggoner

Capstone Collection

In this globalized age, international companies and organizations are working in more countries than ever before, and consumers and concerned citizens now have the opportunity and, perhaps even the responsibility, to better understand the environmental and social impacts of the companies and organizations with which they do business.

The concept that businesses and organizations need to be responsible to society for their direct and indirect impacts on people and the environment has become known as corporate social responsibility (CSR). As CSR continues to be a growing practice, companies seem to be approaching it from very different angles, depending upon their …

Designing Pre-Departure Orientation As A For-Credit Academic Seminar: Curriculum And Content, Joshua P. Barber

Capstone Collection

International educators widely agree that overseas experiences provide tremendous opportunities for student growth and learning. However, institutions and international education professionals are increasingly recognizing that pre-departure preparation is essential to maximize student learning during overseas programs. Most institutions offer a pre-departure orientation program of some form, such as a weekend workshop, a series of presentations, or weekly sessions prior to departure. These meetings are often mandatory and provide essential “nuts and bolts” information about the international programs and usually some type of cross-cultural training and instruction.

A mandatory for-credit pre-departure seminar, called Global Awareness and Competence, was developed to provide …

Learning From Sensory Experience In Costa Rica, Rebecca Ragland

Capstone Collection

Utilizing mixed-method phenomenology and case study, this qualitative research study investigates the links between learning and sensory experience for university students studying in the cloud forest of Costa Rica. Three essential themes emerge from the collective data, themes related to learner motivation, cultural awareness, and students’ relationship with nature. The findings of this study suggest particular benefits of reflection on sensory experience abroad for both students and educators. An often overlooked educational tool for higher education, sensory learning carries additional significance in the field of study abroad and might be used by international educators to enhance student development.

Key words: …

Amended Incoming International Student Orientation For The College Of The Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine, Monica Hamm

Capstone Collection

This proposal was created in order to design and implement a theory-based Incoming International Student Orientation program for the College of the Atlantic (COA) Office of International Student Services in Bar Harbor, Maine. This is a Course-Linked Capstone Proposal (CLC) for the two-day orientation that prepares incoming international students for life at a small American college and touches on aspects of immigration regulations, culture, transitions, and student development.

After reviewing the program Needs Assessment and past orientation programs for incoming international students at COA, it was clear that there was an active need for an orientation that touched on more …

Access Abroad: A Design In Equitable Access To Education Abroad, Matthew Zielsdorf

Capstone Collection

Access Abroad is an innovative short-term, faculty-led education abroad design that increases accessible, transformative study abroad programming and enhances academic and intercultural program quality for students enrolled in the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) at The College of New Jersey. The unique design of Access Abroad harnesses key institutional and financial resources at the college to allow 12 EOF undergraduate students to study in La Paz, Bolivia for four weeks in May 2015 with a faculty leader from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The curriculum will foster student exploration of culture, identity, and community and contribute to the development …

Más Allá De Las Fronteras: Pasos Hacia La Educación Intercultural Basados En La Experiencia Con Alumnos Migrantes En 6 Escuelas Primarias En Buenos Aires, Argentina Y Santiago, Chile, Kendra Layton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación explora los efectos y los beneficios de la inmigración en Chile y Argentina en el ámbito escolar al tomar como foco seis escuelas en Santiago y Buenos Aires. Situadas en tensión con culturas que prescriben al paradigma de la asimilación, el objetivo general es indagar sobre la presencia de programas interculturales que se adapten a los alumnos migrantes, una modalidad basada en la apertura, reconocimiento y enriquecimiento de culturas distintas. Para indagar que tanto las escuelas emplean el enfoque de interculturalidad, la investigación analiza el discurso del personal, observa su práctica en el aula y explora los alcances …

The Value Of Nongovernmental Free Vocational Training In Vietnam; The Opportunities And Barriers In Teaching Japanese Cooking Skills To Disadvantaged Vietnamese Youth, Koji Asada

Capstone Collection

Nongovernmental free vocational training for disadvantaged youth has been provided by various organizations in the world and has had a positive impact on the learners. This is also true in Vietnam.

However, how is the training geared to employment opportunities, designed to overcome challenges to learning and employment, and with what potential impact on the learners and communities. These questions have not been well answered.

This study examines the value of nongovernmental free vocational training in Hanoi city, Vietnam, which is in the middle of rapid economic development. Specifically, this study researched the future prospects of skill training in Japanese …

Global Ambassadors Returnee Program: Can We Change Campus Culture?, Lynn Butler

Capstone Collection

The Education Abroad office at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is in a growing phase, quickly expanding and working conscientiously to increase the numbers of students studying abroad. In the midst of VCU’s transition from a commuter school to a residential campus, the administration seeks to internationalize the university, citing study abroad as one of its main goals. While VCU consistently works to create affordable program options for students of all majors, what VCU lacks is an institutional culture and awareness of study abroad. The Global Ambassadors returnee program seeks to create returned student programming that provides reflective opportunities and professional …

Special Education: A Comparison Between Special Education In Bali And In America, Jacey Ann Dold

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In America, education is very highly valued. America believes that everyone has the right to education. Traditionally, students complete about 12 years of primary education before they continue on to college and then possibly graduate school. However, in Indonesia, specifically Bali, education is not seen as anything that should take priority over any other activity. Now lets shift the focus into a more specific kind of learning: special education. Special education for special needs people is a progressing teaching system that is continuously being developed in both Indonesia and America.

This paper will attempt to assess the special education systems …

Global Duos: An Internationally-Minded Reflection And Mentorship Program For International Students And Study Abroad Returnees, Amanda C. Batista

Capstone Collection

The Center for Global Engagement (CGE) at the College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in Ewing, NJ is a primary catalyst in the cultural and physical exchange of students in higher education. The office sends nearly 300 students abroad every year, worldwide, while also overseeing the intake of a growing number of international students incoming to the United States studying for a semester or a year at TCNJ. While these two groups of students are ever more supported and challenged by the CGE, there is a clear disconnect in terms of interaction, exchange of resources, and communication between American students studying …

Community Internationalization: Developing The Host Family Program At The University Of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Alicia Haley

Capstone Collection

The aim of the proposal design related to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UW-Whitewater) Host Family Program is to increase cross-cultural competencies for undergraduate and graduate international students, develop multicultural awareness among the local community and support internationalization goals of the university.

International students who do not reach outside their comfort zones and integrate effectively within his or her new environment become more isolated and less likely to make friends with Americans (Bowman, 2012a). It is important to provide opportunities for international students to interact with the community due to the homogenous nature of the local population and the low number …

Gaging The Education Abroad Perception: A Survey Of Personnel At The University Of Wisconsin-Platteville, Jennifer R. Krahn

Capstone Collection

As higher education institutions nationwide are striving to increase the number of U.S. students having international experiences, it is important that international programs professionals are not the only advocates for education abroad on campus. Administration, faculty, and staff buy-in is invaluable as the policy makers and leaders across campus, and their personal experiences, opinions, and endorsements are powerful. The University of Wisconsin system has a system-wide goal for each campus to have 25 percent of their students study abroad, and therefore, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (UW-Platteville) is looking to administration, faculty, and staff for support in increasing education abroad participation. …

Recruitment And Diversity: Exploring The Links Between Third-Party Provider Recruitment Strategies And The Level Of Diversity Among Secondary Level International Education Travel Participants, Gina Asalon

Capstone Collection

Seventy-eight percent of students who study abroad in college are White. The second largest racial/ethinc group to study abroad in college is Asian students and only eight percent of Asian college students go abroad. If the statistics look like this at the tertiary level, what could they possibly look like at the secondary level? Unfortunately, the overarching problem with secondary level international education travel (a broad term used to include short-term, semester- and year-long programs abroad) is that, unlike tertiary level study abroad, there is no standard reporting process. Therefore, it is largely unknown how many high school students are …

Developing A Pre-Departure And Re-Entry Orientation For Study Abroad Students At The Univerisidad Católica De La Santísima Concepción, Jennifer Ramos

Capstone Collection

Due to the Chilean government’s recent realization of the importance of international education, the concept of studying abroad is gradually becoming a more realistic opportunity for students pursuing undergraduate degrees in Chilean tertiary education than before. However, although the opportunities have increased, the support services/guidance offered to the students has remained at an extremely limited standstill. The Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción (UCSC) is a small private university located in Chile’s second largest city, Concepción. The majority of the students attending the UCSC are from the lower half of the socioeconomic scale in Chile as well as first-generation university …

A New Model: Improving Adult Experiences In The Holy Land With Effective Pre-Departure Information, Resources And Procedures, Sarah A. Loan

Capstone Collection

Since September 11, 2001, Group Travel Directors (GTD) has noted an increase in self-reported anxiety among adult travelers preparing to depart to the Holy Land. This observation has been made by long-term employees both objectively and subjectively by comparing evaluation scores, cancellation percentages, tracking numbers of phone calls from anxious travelers and through staff accounts of conversations with travelers. GTD staff reports that clients often are inclined to make rash decisions based on perfunctory judgments influenced by media coverage.

GTD has collected evaluations from adult travelers for more than twenty years in an effort to better understand traveler perceptions of …

Study Abroad And Identity: The African American Experience, Alicia Ranney

Capstone Collection

Not all students are alike, nor should they be treated as 'one size fits all' in study abroad. Students have different backgrounds, goals, and expectations of what they will gain from an international academic experience. Minority students face different types of challenges in study abroad than their non-minority counterparts.

This paper seeks to answer the question “does study abroad change the identity of African American students?” and examines the challenges of identity and racism and how those two factors may decrease participation rates of African Americans in study abroad. Students from Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan were surveyed before and …