Developing Linguistic and Intercultural Competence through an International Engineering Program: Rationale, Procedures, Lessons Learned

Language education for STEM and especially engineering presents opportunities for student recruitment and retention, for curricular and scholarly innovation, and for interdisciplinary initiatives. Therefore, this article is inspired by the relative paucity of resources on language education and intercultural studies for engineering and its potential for expansion. It presents a case study of the development of a global engineering program with study in France and explores transferability to other languages and institutions by offering a “how-to” guide. This article may serve as a vade mecum for curriculum and program developers since it includes the multilayered rationale for offering a GEP, a case study of application, fundamentals to consider upstream, and a checklist to operationalize an GEP. In conclusion, we draw core lessons and advice for programs and institutions

Intercultural Sensitivity, Gender, And Nationality Of Third Culture Kids Attending An International High School

Due to the globalization and interconnectedness of people from different cultures, intercultural competence is a prerequisite to communicating effectively across different cultures.  The Intercultural Sensitivity Inventory (ICSI) measures a person’s ability to modify behavior in culturally appropriate ways when coming into contact with diverse cultures.  The ICSI is a measurement based on the concepts of individualism and collectivism. The majority of research on intercultural competence and intercultural sensitivity (ICS) has primarily focused on adult populations in business, international education exchange programs, and adult third culture kids (ATCKs).  However, such research involving high school students attending an international school outside of the United States is scant.  The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the differences in intercultural sensitivity (ICS) among Third Culture Kids (TCKs).  Specifically, this study assessed the differences in ICS among the independent variables of gender and participant’s passport country.  Additionally, the study examined the difference in ICS between Korean females and non-Korean females.  The ICSI was used to measure the participants’ ICS.  The sample consists of 139 international high school students.  The independent samples t-test revealed no statistically significant in ICS among males and females, as well as Korean females and non-Korean females.  However, the results revealed a statistically significant difference between Korean and non-Korean students.  Korean students scored lowered on the ICSI than their counterparts

Teacher Perceptions of Intercultural Sensitivity and Their Classroom Management Practices: An Empirical Study Among Middle and High School Teachers in a Georgia School System

Researchers have reported the existence of an achievement and discipline gap between Black and White students and examined factors that potentially influenced the outcomes. The researcher conducted a causal comparative study to determine if there were differences in teacher perceptions of intercultural sensitivity and classroom management practices based on gender, ethnicity, years of experience, and grade level. The present study was also designed to determine if there were differences in classroom practices based on levels of intercultural sensitivity. The data were collected using a survey instrument comprised of the following three parts: four preliminary questions to gather demographic information, the 24-item Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS), and the 12-item version of the Behavior and Instructional Management Scale (BIMS). The survey was administered to 386 middle and high school teachers in a small school system in central Georgia, and 153 participants responded to the survey. The ISS scores were analyzed with a factorial ANOVA, and the Behavior and Instructional Management Scale scores were analyzed with a Kruskal-Wallis test. The mean of ISS scores fell in the high sensitivity range, and the mean of the Behavior and Instructional Management Scale scores fell in the less controlling range. The results revealed that there was no significant difference in perceptions of intercultural sensitivity or classroom management practices based on gender, ethnicity, years of experience, and grade level. The results also revealed that there was no significant difference in perceptions of classroom management for participants with high levels of intercultural sensitivity versus participants with average levels of intercultural sensitivity. Implications of the study were that factors other factor s than teacher beliefs and classroom practices potentially contributed to the achievement and discipline gaps

Effects of Computer Simulation and Animation (CSA) on Students’ Problem Solving in Engineering Dynamics: What and How

The application of Computer Simulation and Animation (CSA) in the instruction of engineering dynamics has shown a significant growth in the recent years. The two foremost methods to evaluate the effectiveness of CSA tools, including student feedback and surveys and measuring student change in performance, suggest that CSA modules improve student learning in engineering dynamics. However, neither method fully demonstrates the quality of students’ cognitive changes. This study examined the quality of effects of application of CSA modules on student learning and problem solving in particle dynamics. It also compared CSA modules with textbook-style problem-solving regarding the changes they cause in students’ cognitive process. A qualitative methodology was adopted to design and implement a study to explore the changes in participants’ learning and problem-solving behavior caused by using a CSA module. Collected data were coded and analyzed using the categories of cognitive process based on the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. An analysis of the results revealed that the most significant effects were observed in understanding, analyzing, and evaluating. The high frequency of “inference” behavior after working with modules indicated a significant increase in participants’ understanding activity after working with computer modules. Comparing behavior changes of computer-simulation group students with those who worked with a textbook-style example demonstrated that the CSA modules ignited more analytical behavior among students than did textbook-style examples. This study illustrated that improvement in learning due to the application of CSA is not limited to conceptual understanding; CSA modules enhance students’ skills in applying, organizing, and evaluating as well. The interactive characteristics of CSA play a major role in stimulating students’ analytical reasoning and critical thinking in engineering dynamics

Investigating engineering students' learning for global preparedness in curricular and cocurricular engineering education

2019 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.Engineering as a profession has a significant impact globally in the creation and maintenance of the infrastructure and technology on which humanity relies. As resource constraints and dramatic global population growth challenge engineering's ability to support sustainable, appropriate development globally, the education provided for engineers is increasingly important for preparing engineering students to face the challenges of the present and future. Therefore, it is essential to understand how engineering students can become more globally prepared in their studies. The purpose of this study is to compare, through student experiences, different classes, and programs in engineering education designed to develop students' capabilities in global preparedness. The data for this project were collected through interviews with students who were taking part in different learning curricular and cocurricular classes and programs. In addition, data were collected through pre/post/retrospective-pre-student surveys when possible (for participant groups of greater than 30). The outcomes of this study are presented in three articles. The first article is a structured literature review of the global and professional competencies recognized by academia and engineering practitioners as key experiences and learning designed to improve undergraduate engineering students' global preparedness. The second article is a mixed methods analysis, comparing on-campus classroom development of global preparedness and the impact of changing the context of the engineering class (from local to global) on student's global preparedness and professional competence development. The final article reports on the results of interviews with students participating in different study abroad and volunteer programs, to compare and contrast their experiences in and the impact of those programs. The value of this study is that universities and students may be able to use these results to better understand how to more effectively design and deliver classes and programs to increase the global and professional preparedness of engineering students

A study of engineering students’ intercultural competence and its implications for teaching

Research problem: The purpose of this study is to examine U.S. engineering students’ intercultural competence and its pedagogical implications. Three research questions are addressed: [1] What are engineering students’ levels of awareness and sensitivity toward intercultural communication? [2] What are their perceived needs in learning intercultural communication? [3] Given these findings, what are some useful approaches and methods to teach intercultural communication in the engineering communication service class? Literature review: The literature review examines current studies on U.S. engineering students’ intercultural competence and establishes the scope of the study: intercultural awareness and sensitivity. The researcher consulted literature in intercultural studies, international education, and engineering education. Methodology: The researcher conducted a mixed method study, using surveys, textual analysis, and interviews. 272 engineering undergraduates at a Midwestern public university participated in the study. Participants were recruited from an engineering communication class. Data were collected through survey instruments, written responses to cross-cultural dialogs and critical incidents, and interviews. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed. Results and Discussion: Participants exhibited vague and passive awareness of intercultural communication, average to high intercultural sensitivity (subject to self-assessment and social desirability bias), and partial acceptance of intercultural communication education. Based on these findings, the researcher suggests a cultural-general approach to teaching intercultural competence in engineering communication service classes. The study is limited to research participants at one institution and two aspects of intercultural competence. Future studies can involve diverse research participants, address more aspects of intercultural competence, and examine the use of cultural-general teaching methods in the classroom

Developing intercultural communication skills in entry-level technical professional communication courses: Qualitative insights on teaching materials, soft skills, and the use of the introduce-practice-apply-reflect (IPAR) model

I provide considerations for TPC instructors and programs regarding developing students' IC skills. I start by examining key conversations and found that issues teaching IC arise when frameworks, texts, and/or individuals do not define key terms related to culture and IC. To address this issue and create a strong foundation, I establish some of the terms that I use throughout this project, such as Small culture, intercultural communication (IC), and soft skills (SSs). I argue that IC is a type of SS, and SSs require development in three domains: cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioral.I then present three studies. First, in chapter three, I conduct a content analysis of textbooks in the field because textbooks are the primary tool used by many instructors, especially those who may feel uncomfortable teaching IC (Brunsmeier, 2017; Matsuda and Matsuda, 2011). I establish that textbooks may have some issues (such as defining culture and using reductionistic examples). I argue that while textbooks provide several opportunities for developing the cognitive domain (related to IC information), instructors should add supplemental activities that address the attitudinal and behavioral domains.In chapter four, I present a model (known as the Introduce - Practice - Apply - Reflect (IPAR) model) that can potentially address all three domains and can be used to develop students' IC skill. I argue that this model can address each domain; however, I also argue and suggest that instructors should be intentional by including several opportunities for attitudinal development.In chapter five, I present findings from a study that used the IPAR model. This study focuses on students' perceptions of how helpful certain activities were to their IC development. Most students rated the activities where they worked with individuals outside of the academy as the most helpful (interviewing and a client-based project).In chapter six, I discuss how these projects build upon previous knowledge, and I argue that this project offers several additions to the field. Some of those additions include key definitions, the IPAR, and information related to how one can develop students' IC skills rather than simply teach about IC