Beginning To End Tying It All Together For Effective Learning

1
Beginning To End Tying It All Together For
Effective Learning

• NAFSA Region IV
• Tuesday, November 13, 2007
• Kansas City, MO

2
Welcome!

• Your presenters
• Brian Zylstra
• Annique Kiel
• Betty Baker
• Getting beyond it was, like, awesome (dude)
• Strategies from pre-departure to re-entry
• How do we know its effective?

3
Central College Mission

• Central College is a liberal arts college
  dedicated to helping students discover and
  develop their greatest potential. Guided by its
  ecumenical Christian tradition, the College
  community engages in vigorous, open inquiry in
  pursuit of academic excellence. The College
  nurtures the development of the mind, while
  fostering spiritual and emotional maturity and
  physical well-being. Central integrates career
  preparation with the development of values
  essential to responsible citizenship, empowering
  graduates for effective service in local,
  national, and international communities.
• Strategic Plan Emphasize the educational
  outcomes of international education as provided
  by Centrals study abroad programs.

4
Central College Abroad Mission

• Central College Abroad (CCA) fosters
  cross-cultural appreciation and foreign language
  development through high quality study abroad
  programs. Because study abroad is integral to an
  undergraduate education in an increasingly global
  society, Central College Abroad is committed to
  providing experientially and culturally
  intentional, tailored programs with personalized
  service to a wide range of students and
  institutions.

5
Student Learning Goals

• Development of emotional intelligence and
  personal development (problem-solving, tolerance,
  resilience and personal autonomy)
• Apply cultural awareness and sensitivity to
  personal and professional development
• Expand knowledge of international issues
• Research and problem-solving skills
• Expand language proficiency and knowledge
• Ability to adjust to new and different cultures

6
Beginning to end
Start
Alumni
Alumni
Alumni
Alumni
Alumni
Alumni
Alumni
7
How do we know its effective?
Programming
Assessment
Start
Alumni
Alumni
Program Evaluations
Global Perspectives Inventory (GPI)
Alumni
Program Director Student Report
Alumni
Alumni
Faculty Liaison Student Report
Alumni
Alumni
8
Prospective Students

• Collaboration with Admissions Office
• 70 interest in study abroad
• Regular meetings with prospective students and
  their families
• Personalized visits
• CCA presence at Admission fairs and events
• Iowa Private College Week

9
Intersections

• Required freshman experience course
• Three credit course
• Educating and promoting study abroad from the
  start
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• Study abroad component
• Alumni panels

10
On-Campus Events

• Going Global week
• Collaboration of CCA, Career Center,
  Intercultural Life and Community-Based Learning
• Study abroad lunch learn
• Make your international experience work for you
• Meet the professionals
• Make a difference with international service
• Directors week
• Study abroad fair
• Photo contest
• Information sessions
• Special events
• Chinese New Year
• Mid Autumn Festival

11
Program/Peer Advising

• Core renewal
• Academic advising
• Personalization and finding the best fit
• CCA staff familiar with all programs
• Advisors knowledgeable about specifics of
  assigned programs
• Peer advisor program

12
Pre-Departure Course

• Facilitated by CCA
• Culture
• Identity
• Stereotypes
• Q A with alumni and faculty liaisons
• Q A with financial aid, health services,
  registrar and counseling services

13
Pre-Departure Orientation

• Facilitated by CCA and alumni
• Mandatory for Central students
• Families and non-Central students invited
• General session logistics and practical
  information
• Alumni skits
• Break out session program specific information
• Evaluations

14
Faculty Liaisons

• One liaison per program
• Integral to the promotion and support of study
  abroad opportunities
• Assist with program and academic development
  initiatives
• Main responsibilities
• Assist with beginning to end process
• Evaluate programs
• Student development
• Recruitment

15
Experience Abroad

• To provide students with a comprehensive
  cross-cultural experience that deliberately
  educates students in cultural awareness and
  adaptation, identity, history, geography and
  folklore
• To reinforce and expand the academic profile of
  each student in terms of the home campus
  requirements, capitalizing on the resources and
  opportunities unique to each location
• To create an optimum environment for student
  success by providing safe and caring surroundings
  and the services of a full-time program director
• To integrate students with people and society

16
Re-Entry Course

• Facilitating adjustment to being back home
• Getting back on track
• Guided reflection
• Emotional, academic adjustments
• Career development
• Share the story
• Many opportunities for students to reflect
• Peer advising, ambassadors, interns

17
Program Evaluations

• Pre-departure services (advising, handbooks,
  website)
• On-site services (advising, support,
  problem-solving)
• Courses
• Housing
• Student learning self-evaluation

18
Global Perspective Inventory (GPI)

• Measures holistic human development
  intellectual, social, civic, physical, moral,
  spiritual, religious
• Stressing importance of cultural influences on
  human development
• Assess progress of students to measure the value
  add of study abroad

www.gpinv.org
19
Program Director Student Report

• Short assessment of student growth over the
  course of the study abroad experience
• Daily interaction
• Evaluation of language skills
• Seminars, excursions and internships
• Journals

20
Faculty Liaison Student Report

• Before and after assessment
• Liaisons evaluate effect of study abroad
  experience
• Personal interviews
• Language tests written and oral
• Writing samples

21
Thank You!

• Questions?
• Brian Zylstra (bzylstra_at_central.edu)
• Annique Kiel (kiela_at_central.edu)
• Betty Baker (bakerb_at_central.edu)
• Central College Abroad (www.central.edu/abroad)
• Box 0140
• 812 University
• Pella, Iowa 50219
• 1.800.831.3629

22
Central College Abroad Model
Programming
Assessment
Start
Alumni
Alumni
Program Evaluations
Global Perspectives Inventory (GPI)
Alumni
Program Director Student Report
Alumni
Alumni
Faculty Liaison Student Report
Alumni
Alumni