Education Abroad: Learning Environments in a Global Context

Education abroad is essential for university students, providing opportunities to see the world, develop intercultural competence, and gain autonomy, confidence, and tolerance for ambiguity. However, it requires careful cultivation and assessment to ensure that it meets academic goals, purposeful curricular development, and a balance between academics and leisure activities. This book explores the many aspects of education abroad as a learning environment, including student learning outcomes, faculty development, and program assessment and evaluation, and presents education abroad experiences as a model for community engagement and activism. It represents the voices of faculty, students, and international students and contributes to the discussion of best practices to assist faculty and program directors in creating robust education abroad programs.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 30 January 2021
Publisher: Information Age Publishing

Education abroad is a crucial component of the university student experience, with initiatives such as IIEs Generation Study Abroad encouraging more U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study abroad. According to the Open Doors 2019 Report by the Institute for International Education (IIE), 341,751 students participated in post-secondary education abroad programs during the 2017/2018 academic year, representing an increase of 2.7% of U.S. students studying abroad from the previous year. Research shows that education abroad provides students with opportunities to see the world and develop intercultural competence, which is increasingly crucial in the 21st century workplace. There are also numerous studies that show gains in autonomy, confidence, and tolerance for ambiguity in students who complete some type of study abroad experience. In sum, the education abroad experience in itself represents a powerful learning environment that continues to support personal and professional development long after returning home. However, these learning environments must be cultivated along with faculty who develop and lead programs, as well as university partners and providers. Furthermore, education abroad programming and assessment is complex and must take into consideration many factors, including academic goals, purposeful curricular development, and a balance between academics and leisure activities on site. This book explores the many aspects of education abroad as a learning environment, such as student learning outcomes, faculty development, and program assessment and evaluation. In addition, several chapters present education abroad experiences as a model for community engagement and activism. The authors represent a diverse range of institutions.

Weight: 360g
Dimension: 156 x 234 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781648023323