International and Comparative Education Commons^™

Expanding Learning While Away: Intercultural Communication Course, Cassandra Clements

Capstone Collection

Today’s society is becoming more interconnected and globalized, making intercultural communication competence (ICC) a necessary competence. Universities are responding to this demand through study away programs. Many students are encouraged to study away during their undergrad years. However, as Alfred and Bryarm (2002) found there is no guarantee a student will enhance their ICC through a study away experience. This capstone project outlines an ICC learning opportunity for students while on the Italy study away program, run through Lorenzo de Medici (LdM) International Institute in Florence, Italy. Lorenzo de Medici is a study abroad institute at which Keene State College …

In Pursuit Of Intercultural Competency During Study Abroad, Leslie Johnson

Capstone Collection

Higher education institutions often promote their study abroad programs as a way for their students to achieve intercultural competency, which is seen as an important skill to have as the world becomes more globalized. The belief is that study abroad programs will lead to a greater chance of students gaining intercultural competency by having a large amount of in-person interactions with others from different backgrounds. Authors such as Deardorff (2008) and Benet (2009) note that if a student has a high level of intercultural competency, they not only have the desire to interact with those of other cultural backgrounds, but …

International Student Transitions After Yale (Istay): Career Development And Post-Graduation Transition Program For International Students, Alison Young Eun Cho

Capstone Collection

International mobility is a significant aspect of internationalization with international student enrollment increasing exponentially on U.S campuses. A major motivator for studying in the U.S. is the correlation between international education and employment prospects. Through pursuing quality education in a globalized context, students, along with many other stakeholders, strive to be competitive in the globalizing workplace and accomplish social mobility through gaining intercultural competence and cultural capital. However, a review of literature and research indicates a void in scholarly understanding and comprehensive programs for international student support in career development and post-graduation transitions. The research demonstrated a need for career …

Mental Health Support For Students During Study Abroad, Sylvia Demichiel

Capstone Collection

This paper will be looking at Wesleyan University student’s mental health during their study abroad experience. The research question analyzed how well-prepared Wesleyan University students felt for mental health issues during study abroad, what resources they had and used, what resources they would have found helpful, and what affected their mental health. Emerging adults are such a variant group and no student’s needs will be the same for all, but guidance and resources can still be provided.

The research was conducted through a twenty-question survey sent out to returned study abroad students at Wesleyan University. Seventy-three responses were received.

It …

Ma In International Education - Low-Residency Singapore Program, Joyce Ting (Chen)

Capstone Collection

The Master’s of Arts (MA) in International Education (IE) Low-Residency Singapore Program is a new graduate program designed for SIT Graduate Institute. It is created to value-add to the current program offerings of SIT Graduate Institute. The MA in IE Low-Residency Singapore Program is a two year long program, and is delivered via a unique combination of online coursework and low-residency periods in Singapore. The program is designed to allow current working professionals to keep their current job in the field of International Education while pursuing a higher degree. Participants will study in Singapore for two weeks in the first …

Measuring What Matters: Exploring Student Motivations To Inform International Student Recruitment, Rebecca Lubitz

Capstone Collection

Over the last decade, international students in the United States have surpassed the one million mark (Institute of International Education [IIE], 2016(a). Research found here highlights the goals and motivations of this growing constituency and examines factors that influence international students to choose educational experiences in the United States.

Two online surveys were distributed, one to international recruitment agents that work for UC Berkeley Extension, and another to international students. The paper examines survey responses along with existing research to offer data-driven theories on how international educators might more effectively approach student recruitment and program design. The research concluded that …

Towards Soulful And Sustainable Service: The Role Of Ethics In Global Service-Learning Programs Within Faith-Based Tertiary Institutions, Corrie Johnson

Capstone Collection

This research evaluates the practices of specified faith-based institutions within the field of undergraduate global service learning through the lens of each of the major themes in the Fair Trade Learning framework. These themes include equal partnership, mutual learning, cooperative and positive social change, economic equity, transparency, and sustainability. Initial survey outcomes present an overall picture of where these particular universities are at in regards to balancing student and community outcomes. Interview outcomes provide a more in-depth perspective of how mutual benefit for student participants and host communities is being considered within the global service-learning programs these programs facilitate. Some …

Food Allergies Abroad: An Exploration Of The Experiences Individuals With Food Allergies Face While Studying Abroad, Danielle M. Roberge

Capstone Collection

Food allergies are a life-threatening medical condition that can result in a potentially fatal allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. Food allergies affect roughly 15 million United States citizens and this number is growing, currently there is no cure. Young adults are most at risk to experience this life-threatening reaction. As more students with food allergies are entering colleges and universities to pursue a higher education, they are also becoming increasingly interested in studying abroad; however, there are few resources available. This research paper aims to explore the various challenges those with food allergies experience while studying abroad. To understand these …

Kiswahili Or English: A Policy Analysis Of Language Instruction In Tanzania, Mari C. Yogi

Capstone Collection

In many multilingual countries, the language instruction in classrooms is a continuous debate. Kiswahili is widely used in East Africa, however English is the language of instruction in secondary and tertiary education. In the United Republic of Tanzania, primary school is instructed in Kiswahili and then it abruptly switches to English in secondary school. Many students find the transition from primary to secondary school difficult for many reasons, including the language transition to English. As a result, nearly 1.5 million students are not enrolled in lower secondary school. Tanzania’s current president, John Magufuli, has made education a priority by introducing …

Summer Of Culture: Jordan - A Cross-Cultural Education Program For High School Students From The United States And Jordan, Adam Freed

Capstone Collection

Since the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001 and the ensuing degradation of relations between the Arab world and the West, tensions between these two regions have escalated on nearly every level of society. Popular cultural and media in the United States is flooded with references to radical Islamic terrorism, and the entertainment industry has reinforced the more prejudicial sentiments of Americans through a constant stream of television programs and feature films glorifying American military involvement in the region and those at home who combat this apparent plague on daily American life. Likewise across the Middle …

The Heart Of Experience: The Education Of A Practitioner's Journey, Tai Mesches

Capstone Collection

This Capstone, The Heart of Experience: The Education of a Practitioner’s Journey, is an illustrative reflection of myself experiencing my learning cycle, taking the reader through my own journey of growth as an experiential education practitioner. To engage the reader, I first shine light on the context of what role experience played in my life as a form of education, specifically reflecting on my time living abroad in China and my cross-cultural work with Chinese youth in Manhattan, New York, emphasizing basketball’s involvement as a tool for engagement. I describe how such experiences helped me return to school. To portray …

Assessing The Influence Of Career-Linked Experiential Opportunities On The F-1 Undergraduate Student Enrollment Decision-Making Process, Harrison Fuerst

Capstone Collection

International mobility efforts in the United States have garnered increased attention and funding in recent years, with such government-led initiatives as Generation Study Abroad and 100,000 Strong driving up inbound and outbound student numbers. Recent inbound mobility reports from the Institute of International Education show double-digit percentage increases in international student enrollment. Other countries also experiencing an influx of international students continue to research these trends to shape their own education strategies. Research conducted by the International Education Association of Australia points specifically to hands-on professional experience and enhanced employability as key factors important to Australia’s international student population. As …

Did You Get The Message?: Influence Of Study Abroad Marketing To Prospective Students In Maryville College Study Abroad Demographics, Alissa M. Morson

Capstone Collection

Despite the increased institutional marketing and outreach to students on study abroad benefits and the visibility of successful returned students, long-term and short-term study abroad program interest has not grown past 25% of each graduating class at Maryville College – a small, liberal arts institution in Maryville, Tennessee. To better understand how early exposure to study abroad information may influence students’ decisions to go abroad at Maryville College, I examined college promotional materials, admissions staff practices and study abroad perceptions, as well as students’ memories of study abroad marketing during their prospective phase and their decision-making process. The findings suggest …

Looking Within While Working Abroad: Experiences From An Ihp Trustees Fellow In The Field, Caitlyn Clark

Capstone Collection

International travel has the potential to be a life-changing and transformative experience. Those who travel, work, or study abroad are likely to learn about themselves and their place within the greater global community. Studying abroad, in particular, can foster this by introducing new experiences, creating opportunities for meaningful self-reflection, and encouraging the application of new ideas, whereby students develop a sense of agency and capacity for change. Study abroad practitioners have the responsibility to aid in this process of discovery, by supporting students’ emotional and physical well-being while encouraging them to embrace discomfort and disruptive experiences. For educators committed to …

A Comparative Approach To Non-Formal Education: The Power Of Sport For Female Youth, Meghan Mcmillan

Capstone Collection

Non-formal education plays a vital role in the lives of our female youth. From positive self-talk to team unity, the number of life skills that are promoted through value based curriculums are innumerous. Due to the growing popularity of such programming, it is important to understand the distinguishing characteristics of each organization. Therefore, this comparative study will analyze the power of sport as a form of non-formal education, and its impact on girls in India, Cameroon, and the United States. This will be accomplished through individual interviews that will attempt to answer the following question: What distinguishes non-formal education from …

Reich Scholar Program: A Scholarship And Leadership Training Program For International Students With Disabilities At Dartmouth College, Megan Murray

Capstone Collection

National level and international policy changes have emerged to promote educational opportunity for children with disabilities. A gap remains in US higher education in providing access and support for international students with disabilities. Areas of need for this student demographic include financial access, availability of assistive technology, specific socio-cultural advising to living in the US with a disability, comprehensive immigration advising and career support for entering the workforce with a disability. Staff support is generally siloed in colleges. International student services and disability or accessibility services often work in isolation. This capstone imagines the pilot year of a scholarship and …

Media, Borders, And Citizenship: Internationalization And Social Justice In An Undergraduate Communication Program At A Public University In New England, Kristi Mientka

Capstone Collection

Higher education in the U.S. is becoming increasingly internationalized, a process which is necessitated by the global economy and the increase in communication and mobility across borders. The process of internationalization has many effects on institutions, programs, faculty, and students. It also has many purposes, among them to improve students’ future employability and to foster understanding of social issues. The communication discipline, which encompasses a variety of studies ranging from media production to interpersonal communication, has seen the effects of internationalization. Those effects are evident in evolving curriculum and pedagogy that reflect the shifting dynamics of the media landscape and …

Meeting Their Needs: A Comprehensive Internationalization Analysis Of The University Of San Diego's Undergraduate Student Mobility Programs, Alana Franklin

Capstone Collection

This research seeks to identify the barriers that undergraduate students at the University of San Diego are encountering when deciding to study abroad. Existing published student data outcomes present an overall picture of the advantages and disadvantages of student mobility program types based on the undergraduate study abroad experience. Outcomes of faculty and administration interviews provide a richer perspective of student mobility and how it fits into the overall comprehensive internationalization picture of the institution.

The intention of this study is to focus on institutional internationalization solely at the student mobility level. Key findings from this research demonstrate that while …

What It Means To Be A Global Campus: A Case Study Of Internationalization On The University Of Washington Campus, Catherine Rock

Capstone Collection

The following paper presents an analysis of internationalization on the University of Washington (UW) campus. The UW attracts students from all over the world each year while also sending students abroad for a quarter or two. The goals and purpose of gaining an international education, however, are not clear. As a result, key stakeholders are often left out of conversations surrounding international education because of a lack of communication and no centralized purpose. These ideas led to a series of research questions including: Should the UW have an official statement on internationalization and international education? What is the current state …

A Well-Rounded Experience: Connecting The Home Campus To The Study Abroad Experience And The Study Abroad Experience To The Home Campus, Mary Aurora Grandinetti

Capstone Collection

Many small liberal arts colleges across the United States partner with third-party providers or foreign institutions to provide their students with an opportunity to study abroad. Denison University, a small liberal arts school in Ohio, traditionally sends 50% of its student body to study abroad before they graduate. Since students have the option to spend a semester or two participating in study abroad, it is important for the students to be well prepared, for the experience to be integrated into their overall Denison education and for the students to transition back to campus successfully. To determine how students were preparing …

International Education For Medical Students: An International Program Design In Publich Health, Elizabeth Anne Tyrie

Capstone Collection

Cultural Perspectives in Public Health: An International Education Program for Medical Students proposes a six-week international mobility course for medical students at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. The course design was inspired by a request from the UCSC medical student cohort to expand credit-bearing international program opportunities. The program will introduce participants to Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning cycle in an effort to provide students with a framework to use when evaluating common practices in the medical field. The course aims to increase academic collaboration between Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, an Italian based Higher Education Institution, and the Higher Education …

Program Design, Delivery, And Evaluation: Lpc Us Host Family Program, Gillian Wigton Bell

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper outlines the design, delivery, and evaluation processes of the 2017 LPC US Host Family Program, a short-term, pre-camp host family experience administered by the LPC Board, a US support group of Luethi-Peterson Camps, International. It seeks to evaluate the program effectiveness and to determine a set of recommendations for future organizers, based upon the results of evaluative surveys and literature review.

A full review of the research proposal was conducted by the SIT IRB, due to the sensitive nature of research participants below the age of 18. Once approved, online surveys were disseminated to participating campers, camper …

Applying Universal Design For Learning To Study Abroad Programs: A Best Practices Model For Education Abroad Professionals, Juanita Lillie

Capstone Collection

In 2015­­­­–2016, 8.8 percent of students with disabilities studied abroad, a significant increase from the academic year of 2014–2015 where 5.3 percent of students with disabilities studied abroad. Despite the small percentage, several organizations are working to increase access within international education. The initiative Generation Study Abroad aims to double the number of students who study abroad by 2020. Students and professionals are creating resources, offering scholarships, and more to increase student participation in study abroad. As a person with a disability, and a professional who works closely with universities and students around access, I designed a program on behalf …

Global Citizenship Certificate Program, Alison C. Meighan

Capstone Collection

In today’s highly globalized and increasingly interconnected world, we face many pressing world problems including poverty, social inequalities, and climate change, to name a few. Reflecting this stark reality and acknowledging that these problems are indeed borderless, it has become vital to rethink education and provide the next generation of worldwide change-makers with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to solve these problems and make our world more equitable and sustainable. One avenue for achieving this shift in education and fostering these global problem-solving skills and attitudes, is global citizenship. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon corroborates this point, stating, …

Student Perspectives On Proficiency-Based Learning In Vermont's High School Completion Program, Hayley J. Shriner

Capstone Collection

This Independent Practitioner Inquiry Capstone (IPIC) paper examines student perspectives on proficiency-based learning at an adult education center in Vermont. Through Vermont’s High School Completion Program (HSCP), adults can earn their high school diplomas through proficiency-based Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs). This qualitative study focuses on high school-aged students who received referrals to the program from area schools within the context of the current shift toward proficiency-based learning mandated by Vermont Act 77. The study draws on resources specific to Act 77, as well as literature on the nationwide trend toward personalized learning and proficiency-based learning. The researcher uses holistic student …

Mandating International Experience: A Policy Analysis Of The State University Of New York (Suny) At Geneseo Requirement For All International Relations Degree Seeking Students To Study Abroad, Leiah Heckathorn

Capstone Collection

The prioritization of international education is gaining momentum among higher education institutions. One specific testament to this fact is the steady growth in study abroad participation. As the overall percentage of students studying abroad for credit during their undergraduate career rises, policies are being created in a variety of contexts to promote international education experiences (Open Doors). Amidst these fledgling policies, a 22-year-old major-specific study abroad requirement has thrived and continues to evolve in today’s global state.

This capstone is an analysis of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo’s International Relations (IR) policy requiring all undergraduate degree …

Internationalizing Teacher Education: A Case Study Of A School Of Education, Florence Bromfield

Capstone Collection

Schools of Education across the US are some of the furthest behind in the race to internationalize departments across campuses in higher education. What does this mean for students in the K-12 classroom? The purpose of this case study is to explore the internationalization of teacher education within the context of a medium-sized state university in the South-East of the US. Working with the School of Education on this campus, qualitative interviews and surveys were administered to faculty and pre-service teachers to understand the extent of internationalization at the university, and the needs of the K-12 classroom. For this research, …

The Amandla Project, Alexander Stone

Capstone Collection

The Amandla Project is designed to increase the number of disabled American college students pursuing educational opportunities abroad. Incorporated as a nonprofit organization, the Amandla Project will cover all costs for accepted participants through fundraising activities, removing the financial barrier for participants. Participants will complete internships with organizations serving South Africans with disabilities, in roles that match their professional and academic goals. With educational excursions and learning activities to supplement internship experiences, the Amandla Project meets its mission while benefiting the host country and fostering leadership and advocacy skills within participants.

Advocating For In-Service Teacher Training In Mexico: English4mexico, Carrie Byrne

Capstone Collection

The lack of English language proficiency among Mexican public school students, due to a deficit of skilled English language teachers, can have a profound effect on a students’ university prospects, study abroad opportunities, and earning potential. With the current emphasis on student mobility between the US and Mexico being promoted by the complementary initiatives of the Department of State’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas, of which NAFSA: Association of International Educators (NAFSA) is a partner, and Mexico’s Proyecta 100,000, now is the perfect time to bring together the international education community to help address this injustice.

The English4Mexico …

Enlaces: Transformative Educational Policy For The Latin American And Caribbean Region, Kelcy B. Cox

Capstone Collection

This capstone paper explores ENLACES, the Latin American and Caribbean Meeting Space for Higher Education, or in Spanish, Espacio de Encuentro Latinamericano y Caribeño de Educación Superior (ENLACES). In the same fashion that the UNESCO-Bologna Accords gave rise to the European Higher Education Area, so, too, did the UNESCO-International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean give rise to ENLACES. ENLACES is an evolving, transformative education policy that promotes the region’s integration and internationalization of higher education through collaborative means. This paper explores the region’s educational environment during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries that led to the …