1. What students learn in study abroad: An intercultural perspective
Zhenyi Li (Royal Roads University)
Heather Tobe (Douglas College)

2. Intercultural (IC) perspective in study abroad
What do students learn?
How is IC addressed / structured?
How is IC measured?

3. More about you and your interests
Let’s menti
More about you and your interests

4. Programs Field school (DC) Overseas Residency (RRU) 3-4 weeks 3 weeks
graduate students
Partnered with local universities
Courses on intercultural communication
Field school (DC)
3-4 weeks
15-25 undergraduate students (1st / 2nd year)
Varied relationship with host institutions
3 UT courses / no intercultural communication course
Taught by DC faculty

5. Comparison Differences Similarities Subject / courses Overseas
Student demographics
Size of class
Partnership
Intentionality for intercultural maturity
Similarities
Overseas
Length
Institutional support
Experiential learning

6. Institutional support
Preparation
Debriefing
Research

7. Experiential learning
Personal impact
Pedagogical impact
Intercultural impact

8. Experiential learning
Personal impact
Pedagogical impact
Intercultural impact

9. Personal impact
“I'm more confident in myself and my choices. Many of my previous school insecurities are gone. I've developed as a person.” (Q71:20) “

10. Experiential learning
Personal impact
Pedagogical impact
Intercultural impact

11. Pedagogical impact
“It didn’t really seem like school work. The excursions made it easy to wrap your head around the subject matter being discussed … The field-school experience broadened my whole perspective of the subjects more than any classroom lecture or course could do.” (Q53:07) “

12. Experiential learning
Personal impact
Pedagogical impact
Intercultural impact

13. Intercultural impact
“We are, in some ways, very arrogant about our quality of life and not as willing as we’d like to think ourselves to accommodate other people / cultures.” (Q65:22) “

14. Intercultural (IC) perspective in study abroad
What do students learn?
How is IC addressed / structured?
How is IC measured?
IC, intentional or not
Integrated in experiential learning
Formal, informal and subjective

15. 4 stages of developing competence in study abroad
Unconsciously competent
Consciously competent
Consciously incompetent
Unconsciously incompetent
Howell, W. S. (1982). The empathic communicator. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

16. Take away What are you going to take back to your institution?
What questions are you going to ask in your meetings about study abroad?
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

17. Thank you Any questions? You can find us at Zhenyi.Li@royalroads.ca