Browsing by Subject "study abroad"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Assessing Intercultural Competence in The Digital World: Evidence from Virtual Exchange Experience
    (2022) Zheng, Lin; Westerhaus-Renfrow, Charlotte; Lin, Stanley Zhiwei; Yang, Yifei
    Intercultural skills are valued by employers and the education community. The current study presents evidence to measure the impact of an innovative pedagogical practice that cultivates and develops the intercultural competence of undergraduate college students. Fifteen U.S. undergraduate students enrolled in a business study abroad course and 12 Chinese undergraduate students participated in a virtual student exchange project in spring 2019. The students collaborated on the project via global distance learning technology to jointly provide a comprehensive investment recommendation report. A comparison of U.S. students’ Intercultural Effectiveness Scale scores at the beginning and at the end of the project revealed significant positive changes in the intercultural competence of the students. Significantly, student self-evaluations and peer surveys confirmed improvement in students’ global mindset. Being one of the first studies to demonstrate student intercultural competence and learning through a virtual exchange experience, the current study provides implications for study abroad and virtual global learning.
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    Enhancing Global Learning through Virtual Exchange Experience
    (2020-03) Zheng, Lin; Westerhaus-Renfrow, Charlotte; Lin, Stanley Zhiwei
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    Impact of Sustainability Study Abroad Course on Students
    (ASEE, 2018-06) Fox, Patricia; McIntyre, Charles; Sorge, Brandon; Technology and Leadership Communication, School of Engineering and Technology
    The School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) has offered a short study abroad course, called GO GREEN, on sustainable practices in businesses, industries and municipalities in Germany for the past 15 years. Over 150 students have participated in the course since its inception in 2003. A survey was conducted to determine what these students had ascertained from the course and to see if any of these students were using the skills acquired in this class in their work or daily lives. The survey, consisting of 23 questions, was designed to determine how students have used the interdisciplinary subject matter of sustainability in their lives and careers after taking the course, as well as, questions about key elements of the course. Some of the results of the survey will be discussed in this paper/presentation.
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    International service learning in post-war Croatia: Capacity building for social work profession
    (20th Biennale International Consortium for Social Development (ICSD) Symposium, Zagreb, Croatia, 2017-07) Luca Sugawara, Carmen; Carlson, Joan; Makki Alamdari, Sara; Vukoviæ-Èoviæ, Sanja
    Building on a strong partnership with University of Zagreb, Department of Social Work, and a local community organization serving a post-war community in the Osijek and Vukovar region, in 2011, the Indiana University School of Social Work developed an international service-learning course that aims at strengthening social work students’ competencies to work with post-war communities. This study examines learning outcomes of a five-year study abroad experience in post-war Croatia. All 49 students who completed the International Service-Learning course in the past five years were emailed and invited to participate in this study. Drawing on a data set of 30 student respondents to a survey, and one focus-group of six students, the study examines key learning outcomes gained through participation in the program. For purposes of this study, four subscales were developed: (1) critical thinking/academic development, (2) cultural competence, (3) personal and leadership developments, and (4) civic participation/global mindfulness. Average scores for each subscale were calculated. The results show substantial improvement in learning outcomes as a result of taking the course in all subscales, especially in cultural competence (Mean=4.48, SD=0.55) and global mindfulness (Mean=4.38, SD=0.60). More specifically, through focus group data, we learn that international service-learning experiences become a powerful learning platform that goes beyond teaching students professional competencies, shaping their leadership skills, as well as positively influencing their roles as agents of change in their own communities. Preliminary results indicate that, through living in a post-war community even for a short time, and working with local Croatian organizations, students begin to confront their own realities and prejudicial notions, and become more inclusive of different views that question their personal assumptions, and prepare them to interact with refugees in Indiana and other parts of the world. More importantly, students appear to begin shaping a sense of pluralism, question their upbringing, and build on the ability to work in dissonant and unequal environments. The implications for practice, teaching and research are also explored.
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    Resources at Risk: The Coordinated Management of Meaning and Study Abroad
    (2012-03-16) Noblet, Nicholas Patrick; Parrish-Sprowl, John; Sandwina, Ronald M.; Goering, Elizabeth M.
    This study seeks to elucidate the concept of resources at risk as detailed in the Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) theoretical framework. Risk is the possibility that a communicator’s resources are in jeopardy of change, and this study seeks to explicate how a communicator places his or her resources at risk. An undergraduate spring break study abroad program was selected as the context for this examination, with six students participating in before and after interviews. Results showed that three types of resources at risk were identified, with a fourth type unable to be identified through transcript analysis. This study demonstrates theoretical and practical implications that further the understanding of CMM and its execution. In addition, limitations and areas for future research are discussed.
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    Using CN ePortfolio in Study Abroad
    (2018-11) Zheng, Lin