Students Abroad, Strangers at Home

📖 The Scoop

Colleges and universities face the major problem of how to make a university education meaningful in a global society. It is the thesis of this book that study abroad is one of the most powerful tools available for internationalizing the U.S. higher education curriculum. After an Introduction giving a general overview of the book, the study begins with four student case histories showing that an individual student's maturity and the extent of his or her immersion in the host country's culture are two key variables that determine to what extent study abroad affects the student. The next two chapters suggest first, that as they study abroad, students develop intellectually in three ways: (1) through language study; (2) through courses in the students' majors that offer new perspectives; and (3) through knowledge acquisition in broad, general areas: and second, that as they study abroad, students change in their perceptions of the host culture, their own culture, and global understanding. In chapter 5, a theoretical framework is proposed for understanding the effects of study abroad and the growth which results from it. The conclusion is reached that study abroad is not only a potentially powerful educational technique, but also that program design and participant selection can have significant effects upon outcome. Finally, a number of recommendations are offered whereby, it is believed, the effectiveness of study abroad programs in U.S. educational institutions can be increased and broadened. (LBG)

Genre: Education / General (fancy, right?)