Best Practices for PreDeparture Programming Semester Academic Year
Best Practices for Pre-Departure Programming Semester & Academic Year Abroad Short-Term Abroad
Best Practices for Pre-Departure Programming Jenny Kawata jkawata@allegheny. edu arr 14@psu. edu Penn State Altoona Tina Johnson Allegheny College Jessica (Jay) Halchak jhalchak@iup. edu Indiana Univ. of Pennsylvania Kathleen Ellwood tjohnson@randolphcollege. edu Cultural Experiences Abroad The College of New Jersey kathleen. ellwood@gowithcea. com Mandy Reinig Randolph College Jon Stauff stauffj@tcnj. edu
Session Disclaimer • We are facilitators--not experts! • This is a resource session • Discussion and information sharing is encouraged • Testing of techniques and materials is recommended
Semester & Year Abroad Materials Student Engagement / Student Reflection Feedback Techniques Best Practices
Materials Semester & Year Abroad • • • Invitations: Evite, paper invites, email, etc. Forms Host Program Information Passport and Visa Guidance Sheet Pre-Reflection Forms for Experiential Learning Resource Websites and Handouts Timetable: Inquiry Application Accepted Pre-Departure Arrival (On-Site) Meeting(s) Country Guide Forms Packet, Readings, Local Info Handbook, Travel stuff, Maps, bag, Visa, Passport Last Minute Papers Course info
Student Engagement Semester & Year Abroad • • Pre-Reflection Discussions Returnee Student Match Ups with Newly Accepted Students Blogging Culture Shock Activities: Pinata - oh, Hello! • Games: Jeopardy!, Family Feud, Communication Challenge • Content Sessions with (On Campus) Professionals: o Safety, Security, & Life as an American Abroad o Don't get Arrested, if you do--don't call me o Hey, Man, what's the 3 -1 -1? • Phone counseling one to one connections, answer specific needs for each applicant
Pre-Departure Feedback Techniques Semester & Year Abroad Online Surveys • Survey monkey • Abroad 101. com • Re-entry Programming • One-on-one • Alumni ambassador programs • Study Abroad Café
Short-Term Abroad Materials Student Engagement / Student Reflection Feedback Techniques Best Practices
Materials-Short-Term Abroad • Ice Breaker Activity/Cultural Simulation • Pre-departure handbook o Covers University Policies and tips • Reference Materials o ATM/Cellphone guide, Map/Subway navigating skills • Emergency Plan o Given to Faculty o Emergency Cards to students • Country Specific Information o Currency exchange rate and customary greetings Note: Not all items will work at your institution. Much of a successful Pre-departure session is about trial and error.
Principles of Personal Leadership Mindfulness invites us to "wake-up" to our habitual behaviors, to bring self-awareness forward as both instrument and teacher, and to look at each situation with fresh eyes. Creativity invites us to bring forth something new. Instead of acting or speaking from habit, we discern the action or words appropriate to each situation we’re in. Creativity also invites us to pay attention to what feels personally generative and life-enhancing, what brings forth joy and builds upon our unique capabilities.
Practices of Personal Leadership Aligning with Vision Engaging Ambiguity Cultivating Stillness Attending to Judgment Attending to Emotion Attending to Physical Sensation
Student Engagement Short-Term Abroad Personal Leadership: Critical Moment Dialogues • Teach students principles/practices in pre-departure setting o Require two to four reflection worksheets during sojourn abroad • Examples from Randolph College Ecuador short-term international study seminar Create an environment where students want to learn the information - ex. Randolph case study Create opportunities for reflection • Ex. Blogs, hands on exercises, cultural assignments, cultural simulations
Pre-Departure Feedback Techniques Short-Term Abroad • Post Session Feedback o Surveys - On-line or paper o Focus Groups • Post Trip Feedback on Pre-Departure o Surveys - On-line § Ex. homegrown surveys or Abroad 101. com o Re-entry Program § Ex. Ice Cream/Pizza Party § Debriefings § Did pre-departure prepare them for trip? § Ambassador programs § at fairs, info. sessions, etc.
Best Practices Short-Term Abroad • Define your outcomes o What do you hope to achieve • Engage the students o Allow them to be involved in learning • Prepare them for what they will potential experience o Make them aware of cultural shock • Solicit feedback after pre-departure and after the trip o On-line feedback tends to work best • Use feedback o Ex. Altoona
Pre-Departure Programming Example: Radford: The Three-Hour Pre-Departure Marathon • Using a passport, students visit stations and collect stamps o Health/Safety o Academic Rigor o Culture Shock o Packing o Student Conduct (incl. Alcohol/Drugs) o Communication • Lobby is set up as a port-of-entry, each station has "passport control" • Students receive a visa stamp upon completion for the country where they are headed.
Radford: The Three-Hour Pre. Departure Marathon • International Education Center - 20 -page handbook • Faculty-Staff Committee - designs content of station presentations and selects materials o Student Affairs, Police Department, Faculty, Administrators • Returnee Students (Global Highlanders) - port-of-entry officers and passport control officials, also co-presenting materials with a faculty-staff member • Game/prizes available to those successfully answering questions based on station content
Radford Model - Pros and Cons Pros • One-stop shopping • Faculty-staff collaboration • Active from a physical standpoint • Social benefits - students meet everyone who will be abroad • Lots of materials distributed • IEC Branding Cons • TMI - Too much information at one time? • Danger of superficial treatment of important content • No guarantee faculty leader will reinforce message • Overgeneralizations
Resources • • • wilderdom. com/games/Icebreakers. html http: //www. unr. edu/oiss/toolbox/index. html www. abroad 101. com www. pacific. edu/culture www. plseminars. com Thiagarajan, S. (2006). Barnga: A Simulation Game on cultural clashes. Boston: Intercultural Press • Hofstede, G. J. , Pedersen, P. , and Hofstede, G. (2002). Exploring Culture: Exercises, Stories and Synthetic Cultures. Boston: Intercultural Press
Small Group Activity DIVIDE DISCUSS DISCOVER
DISCUSS Best Practices: Materials What works for you? What have you tried?
DISCUSS Best Practices: Student Engagement What works for you? What have you tried?
DISCUSS Best Practices: Feedback Techniques What works for you? What have you tried?
- Slides: 22