International and Comparative Education Commons^™

Improving Quality Education And Children’S Learning Outcomes And Effective Practices In The Eastern And Southern Africa Region : Rwanda : Country Case Study, Ursula Schwantner

Monitoring Learning

This case study of Rwanda provides an understanding of the specific practices implemented to measure and improve the literacy and numeracy learning outcomes of Rwandan primary school children in the long term. An important development regarding the quality standards and assurance programme of education in Rwanda is the 2011 introduction of Learning Achievement in Rwandan Schools (LARS). This case study outlines the main purposes and components of LARS, the main findings regarding effective strategies and factors from the LARS baseline report and the capacity building component of LARS.

Improving Quality Education And Children’S Learning Outcomes And Effective Practices In The Eastern And Southern Africa Region : Main Report, Tim Friedman, Ursula Schwantner, Jeaniene Spink, Naoko Tabata, Charlotte Waters

Monitoring Learning

In order to understand the major impediments to student learning in the region, UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office commissioned this study to map and compare existing assessments of literacy and numeracy in primary education in the region, to examine how the data can be used to characterise children who are experiencing only limited learning outcomes to inform education policy, and to document practices that could help improve learning outcomes of disadvantaged children. The report concludes with a macro theory of change combining assessment, analysis and action. The research was jointly supported by ACER's Centre for Global Education Monitoring.

Improving Quality Education And Children’S Learning Outcomes And Effective Practices In The Eastern And Southern Africa Region : Zimbabwe : Country Case Study, Elizabeth Cassity

Monitoring Learning

This case study of Zimbabwe provides an understanding of the specific practices implemented to measure and improve the literacy and numeracy learning outcomes of Zimbabwean primary school children in the long term. It explores emerging trends from the 2014 Zimbabwe Early Learning Assessment (ZELA) in student learning outcomes and the provision of textbooks and teaching materials procured through the Education Development Fund (EDF). It also reviews the multiyear programme of an intensive capacity-building partnership with the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) and the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The capacity-building programme supports the longterm sustainability of ZELA through system …

Teachers’ And Administrators' Perceptions Of The Characteristics Of Effective Leadership For K-12 International Schools, Travis S. Smith

All NMU Master's Theses

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of the characteristics of effective leadership for K-12 international schools. The data produced three themes; these include emotional intelligence, the ability to establish school culture, and administrative mindset. The literature review focused on the survey data points of humor, cultural intelligence, and vision embedded within these themes. The research findings are intended to advance the knowledge of leadership for K-12 international schools.

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 …

Globalization And Possibilities For Intercultural Awareness: Multimodal Arabic Culture Portfolios At A Catholic University, Sawsan Abbadi

Modern Languages and Literatures: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This case study explores the teaching and learning of Arabic at one Catholic university campus, with a focus upon the complex interactions between language and culture in a postmodern globalized context. Specifically, it examines the use of “multimodal culture portfolios” as a means to engage students both linguistically and culturally in classroom and community discourses. Through their interactions and co-construction of knowledge with other participants, these students are led to think about the multiple communicative contexts that are shaping and being shaped by them. Data collection was conducted through survey questionnaires and students' responses to the assigned culture portfolio. The …

Citizen-Led Educational Monitoring Shows Promise

International Developments

A citizen-led approach to the collection of information about schooling and children’s learning is showing great promise in terms of educational monitoring and policy making.

The Big Picture : The Impact Of Assessments On Education Policy

International Developments

ACER’s analysis of the impact of large-scale assessments on education policy in the Asia-Pacific region aims to help stakeholders improve the design and usefulness of assessments.

A Collaborative Approach To National Assessment In Saudi Arabia

International Developments

A collaborative assessment project involving the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and Saudi Arabia’s Public Education Evaluation Commission (PEEC) has involved the rapid development of national sample assessments of students in Grades 3 and 6 in Mathematics and Science.

Building Assessment Capability In South East Asia, Jeaniene Spink

International Developments

A new primary years assessment will help teachers, curriculum designers and policymakers to better measure the learning achievement of students in South East Asia. Jeaniene Spink reports.

Supporting Leadership Preparation In Indonesia, Kathryn Moyle

International Developments

Kathryn Moyle reports on an evaluation of a professional learning program for aspiring school principals in Indonesia.

Mapping Progress : Using Data For Teaching And Learning, Geoff N. Masters

International Developments

In a world of rapidly expanding data, it is important to keep in mind that there are three central uses of data in school education. Geoff Masters explains.

Measuring Learning : Why We Need To Learn Together, Jeaniene Spink

International Developments

One of the keys to increasing the quality and comparability of learning measures is cooperation within the international community to develop common benchmarks to measure learning outcomes, argues Jeaniene Spink.

International Developments (No.6) 2016

International Developments

In this issue of International Developments we look at the purposeful collection of educational data through progressive achievement testing to enable teachers to establish where students are in their long-term learning, diagnose individual strengths and weaknesses, identify the best next steps for action, decide on appropriate evidence-based interventions, monitor the progress students make over time, and evaluate the effectiveness of their own teaching decisions and approaches. We also explore how a new primary years assessment is helping teachers, curriculum designers and policymakers to better measure the learning achievement of students in South East Asia; investigate the impact of a professional …

Ise Annual Report 2015-2016, Intercultural Student Engagement Office, Anthony Johnson

Intercultural Student Engagement (ISE) Annual Reports

The ISE Annual Report 2015-2016 is a year in review containing a message from the director, staff updates, community programs, statistics and general report of the work of this office. Our Mission: The office of Intercultural Student Engagement (ISE) fosters multicultural understanding and personalized support at RISD by engaging its community through programming, advocacy, and specialized services. ISE believes in the power of art and design to unleash our inherent curiosity, constantly broadening and reshaping our understanding of the human experience. ISE envisions an artistic community where the breadth of the human dignity is creatively realized, inspiring everyone to collectively …

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 …

Quantifying The Qualitative: Increasing The Reliability Of Subjective Language Assessments, Jeremy W. Armes

Master's Projects and Capstones

This project explores how to increase the reliability of subjective language assessments. What are the major factors that affect reliability, and what can educators do to maximize it? Research in the field suggests four key factors that have the greatest effect on reliability. The first factor is the procedures used to administer and score the assessment. The more standardized the process is, the higher the reliability will be. The second factor is rater experience, both in the profession and with the assessment in question. Experience is positively correlated with reliability. Novice teachers who get training and feedback in a scoring …

Where East Meets West: Human Rights Education In Bulgaria, Barbara J. Arduini

Master's Projects and Capstones

In today’s increasingly globalized world, both the US and Bulgaria are at a cultural crossroads. The rise of immigration due to war and the changing economic landscape ensures that both nations will become increasingly more diverse. This project focuses on developing creative writing curriculum based upon Human Rights Education (HRE) to provide U.S. teachers with foundational resources to teach Bulgarian students about human rights to build intercultural tolerance. It provides U.S. teachers in Bulgaria with a creative writing curriculum that promotes intercultural tolerance based upon human rights principles. This curriculum emphasizes two specific areas of development. The first area is …

Reviving The Muslim Tradition Of Dialogue: A Look At A Rich History Of Educational Theory And Institutions In Pre-Modern And Modern Times, Momina Afridi

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

This paper aims to generate a debate within Muslim scholarship and comparative educators to engage in analysing both the institutions and the philosophy of education in Islam historically, to understand its present challenges and to create an environment conducive to dialogue between various civilizations and educational systems. At present Muslim parents, teachers and students in contemporary educational systems face a big challenge. On one hand, a modified system of Western education is likely to leave Muslim children exposed to a set of an underlying set of secular values and assumptions which are alien to the spirit of Islam, but on …

Towards Different Conversations About The Internationalization Of Higher Education, Sharon Stein, Vanessa Andreotti, Judy Bruce, Rene Suša

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

As institutional commitments to internationalize higher education continue to grow, so too does the need to critically consider both the intended purposes and actual outcomes of the programs and policies that result. In particular, there is a risk that internationalization efforts may contribute to the reproduction of harmful historical and ongoing global patterns of educational engagement. In this paper we explore these issues by offering a social cartography of four possible articulations of internationalization, and considering their relation to an often-unacknowledged global imaginary, which presumes a colonial hierarchy of humanity. We also address the practical and pedagogical possibilities and limitations …

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 …

Outreach, Understanding, And Teamwork In The P-12 Schools, Carrie Anne Thomas

Purdue P-12 Networking Summit & Poster Session

Abstract:

The Purdue Boiler Out Volunteer Program, which is coordinated through the International Programs Office, provides international and American students with meaningful community service projects that reflect its three core values of Outreach, Understanding, and Teamwork. As a semester-long, application-based program, Boiler Out accepts a cohort of approximately 200 Purdue students from over 30 countries every fall, spring, and (soon to be implemented) summer. Almost daily throughout the semester, Boiler Out sends a group of 6-8 students, led by a student leader or staff member, out into the community or out on campus to do a volunteer project alongside other …

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 …

The Challenge To Educate: An Account Of Inaugurating A Catholic School In Tanzania, Martin T. Connell Sj, Phd

Journal of Catholic Education

In this article, the author examines how some of the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching (dignity of the human person, seeking the common good, and preferential option for the poor and vulnerable) along with the notion of integral formation, a principal belief of Catholic education, helped form a perspective on development that counterposed the neoliberal understandings of development he encountered from government officials as he set about opening a Catholic secondary school in Tanzania. After tracing the various strains of influence, including the thought of Julius Nyerere, Tanzania’s first president, the article makes use of the fruits of an analysis …

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 …