Intercultural Learning Co-curriculum? Why should university faculty and administrators care?
— What is at issue?
International exchange, study abroad, academic travel… described by various terminology, the premise is that college/university students enroll in a program that allows them to study one or more academic topics in another country for a limited time, and return to the home institution to complete a degree. Different from typical international tourism, students are expected to participate in academic experiences and demonstrate learning outcomes, and be eligible for academic credit that meets the academic standards and rigor of the student’s university.
Yes, so this is a common educational option at most universities. Recent estimations are more than 400,000 U.S. college/university students participated in an international learning experience for academic credit ~ before the travel restrictions of 2020. Although in years past, a student participating in these international programs needed to be fluent in (or studying) the host country language. And thus, the study abroad experience was limited to students with foreign language abilities or intentions. However, in the past several decades ~for various reasons ~most international programs have shifted focus on language learning, or taking courses immersed in the host country language. University students can now take courses in almost every country in the world, and study almost any academic discipline, and accomplish this in English.
The historic priority for study abroad was for students to learn a foreign language in a local context, understand the host community culture, values, and behaviors. And ultimately develop capabilities of being an intermediary in international and economic relations for the USA. As the U.S. felt the surge of “globalization” and began to realize that English fluency is prominent in many countries across the globe, and technology made it easier to interact, communicate, and cooperate with people in other countries, we experienced the shift in priorities from foreign language and culture fluency to more general cross-national and multi-national perspectives of the world. There seemed to be a palpable shift from struggling with obstacles to international travel, to focusing on the emerging “globalization” (the melting of differences into commonalities). Especially for American academics and students, this seemed to be an open invitation to go forth and expect “Americanism” throughout the world.
We saw a permeating model of international academic programs often justifying student group tours accompanied by professors as a “study tour” and assumed that the mere act of international travel would develop the skills and attitudes necessary for participation and success in a “globalized” world.
As society invests more attention on participation and success within cross-cultural and multi-cultural colleagues and work groups, academics and practitioners have promoted the concept of “Intercultural Competencies”. The premise is that they can identify necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes (abbreviated as KSAs) that make an individual successful in communicating and cooperating with people of various different cultures and identities. The expectation is that by identifying these KSAs, promoting the concept as a measurable standard of expected achievement, then Americans will be able to shed the stereotype of the “Ugly American” and interact throughout the world with ease.
Unfortunately, there are limited venues in which a person is able to learn about these Intercultural Competencies, and even fewer opportunities or strategies to practice behaviors and make meaning of cultural interactions that are outside their comfort zone. Yet, these stated intercultural competencies are quickly becoming the expected result of any international academic program.
If we are to become a nation of interculturally competent people, how are we expecting that to happen, except by falsely imagined osmosis.
— What is my solution?
Because I admittedly hold out skepticism for the learning outcomes of short-term faculty-led programs, I challenged myself to invest energy in turning skepticism into a possible solution. Thus, throughout several years now of research, experimentation, and design efforts, I am prepared to offer an alternative narrative to the value of short-term faculty-led international programs.
First things first… students do not learn these stated intercultural competencies by merely traveling internationally, nor do they have opportunity to explore culture learning experiences on the typical faculty-led program.
That said, I want to offer an option for faculty and institutions to take up the responsibility of intentionally designing and managing education abroad programs with intended and demonstrated culture learning outcomes.
I offer the advocacy for embedding an intercultural learning co-curriculum into every education abroad program.
What might this look like? Any program approved by a university should have intentional and articulated intercultural learning knowledge, skills, and attitudes explicit and supported in the curriculum and itinerary. Going back to the basics of curriculum development and syllabi, we should see every education abroad course explicitly articulating intended learning outcomes; learning materials, assignments, and assessment of those learning outcomes; and an itinerary that operationalizes the intercultural learning experiences. Students must have designated time and resources to learn the concepts, practice and re-attempt skills, and reflect and make meaning of experiences that will guide other life experiences.
I am not expecting, nor advocating for a standardized curriculum and assessment. It is evident that there are variable needs and intended outcomes for culture learning. However, I am expecting to participate in an extensive effort to train institutions, administrators, and faculty why and how to develop intercultural learning co-curriculum in every education abroad program.
What might you be able to contribute to this effort to make intercultural learning a priority and a demonstrated outcome of education abroad programs?
Please feel free to contact me for more collegial conversations on this topic.
