Identifying the Outcomes of Short Term Study Abroad
Identifying the Outcomes of Short Term Study Abroad
Strides are being undertaken to democratize study abroad for all students in higher education. A newer trend in the field of international education that is helping to open access to study abroad has been the development of shorter term programs, typically lasting five to seven weeks,study us often held in the summer or winter intersession. This program model offers more flexibility to students and expands opportunities by eliminating or reducing barriers, particularly those related to financial and time constraints, which are commonly cited as key inhibitors of participation (Vande Berg, 2003).
Currently, limited research exists that details outcomes of participation in short term study abroad programs for individuals. It is assumed that programs are valuable, yet additional research is needed to demonstrate actual outcomesstudy us. Thorough understanding of individual experiences will allow administrators to develop specialized recruitment techniques and increase enrollments, helping in the national movement to democratize study abroad programming. Ultimately, an increased understanding of study abroad will help international educators better articulate and demonstrate needs at the departmental level and impact institutional policy related to international education.
Understanding outcomes of study abroad is useful in providing better services to students participating in university sponsored programs. study usThe understanding will also allow faculty and third party providers to appropriately plan curricula to bolster learning. However, a lack of research related to the field is potentially inhibiting the creation of specific programs and policies that would help better integrate internationalization efforts within higher education.
Arizona State University is striving to increase interest and participation in global endeavors. Specifically, ASU President Michael Crow has developed a university initiative, referred to as a "Design Imperative" (8), related to global engagement efforts. The imperative addresses the importance of creating an internationalized community on and off campus for members of the institution.
One way ASU strives to promote global awareness is through study abroad programs. Such programs seek to provide opportunities for students to develop effective skills in relation to other societies and cultures and expand the global perspective of students. ASU study abroad programs are designed to offer students a chance to develop a unique perspective on their individual and collective role in a global society and have opportunities for experiential learning to enhance academic, personal, and career development.
In order to assess the actual outcomes of short term study abroad programs at Arizona State University, a research study was designed to begin to answer the following questions: 1) Are short term study abroad programs fulfilling the mission and goals of the office and university by providing engaging educational and cultural learning experiences? 2) What are student expectations of the study abroad experience prior to participation? 3) What are the actual experiences and individual learning outcomes of student participants in short term study abroad programs?
These questions were designed to help administrators better understand the outcomes of participation in study abroad. The data was used to begin to identify specific learning outcomes and to enhance program offerings to offer best practices for interactive learning.
The study was designed using a mixed methodology approach. A survey was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data, with close-ended questions using a Likert scale for quantitative data and open-ended essay questions for qualitative data. Participation was voluntary and confidential. Prior to participation in the study abroad experience, a four page pre-test survey was mailed to all participants in 2005 summer short term ASU sponsored study abroad programs. Following study abroad participation, a four page post-test survey was mailed to all pre-test respondents. All surveys were coded for pre- and post-test response matching.
The survey pre-test was sent to 745 enrolled summer study abroad participants. The response rate for the pre-test was 35.6%, or 265 responses. The post-test survey was administered to only the students who had responded to the initial pre-test (265), and 164 responses, for a 61.9% response rate. This provided a total response rate of 22.0% (164/745). Sixty-six percent of respondents were female, 56.8% of respondents were age 20 -25, 19.4 % ages 26-35, 16.1% under age 19, and 7.7% over 35 years. This data is representative of national data trends in study abroad (Open Doors, 2005).
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