Oberst, Bethany S.

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Engineering Conferences International

ProceedingsEnhancement of the Global Perspective forEngineering Students by Providing anInternational ExperienceEngineering Conferences International Year 2003Assessing the Value of the InternationalExperienceBethany S. OberstJames Madison UniversityThis paper is posted at ECI Digital Archives.http://dc.engconfintl.org/enhancement/18Assessing the Value of theInternational ExperienceBethany S. Oberst, Ph.D.James Madison Universityoberstbs@jmu.eduAssessing (by what means?) thevalue (to whom?) of (whose?)international experienceOutline• Assessment?• Student surveys: ourstudents’ voices• Data analysis: internationalexperience for faculty• A blended approach:assessment of internationalengineering programs in theUS• AfterthoughtsTo assess, assessment, etc."...assessment is defined as thesystematic basis for makinginferences about the learning anddevelopment of students."Erwin, T. DarySelf-reporting: Our students’voices• Anecdotal evidence or systematic inquiry?• Structured or open-ended questions?• Pre- and/or post- reporting?• Results from approximately 1300 studentevaluations of their studies abroadexperience, 1996- 2003.Our students’ voices: the world• “I feel like my eyes have been opened tothe world.  I am curious about things.  Iwant to know what is happening in theworld.”• “Understand that you are foreigners andthat you should abide by their customs.”• “I learned so much about…nationalidentity and what is means to becolonized.”• “Be prepared to stick out.  You definitelydon’t blend in here!”• “Don’t be arrogant and let people seeAmerican stereotypes.”Our students’ voices: lessons onbeing human• “Realize that you will be a minority for a changeand that is ok.”• “Take nothing personally.”• “I learned that negative experiences have goodeffects on a person.”• You realize “…how strong (or weak) a person youare.”• “Don’t talk so d**m much! Absorbing is muchmore important.”Our students’ voices: on workingin another culture• “We operated in an American fastpaced lifestyle in a European slowlifestyle.”• “The work was more intensivebecause you had to learn to completeit in a completely oppositeenvironment.”• “Find the strength to ask questions…Communicate with others as clearly asyou can to avoid misunderstandings.”Our students’ (funny) voices• On unfamiliar customs:“Socks and shoes have tobe worn at the dinnertable.”Our students’ (funny) voices• On unfamiliar customs:“Socks and shoes have tobe worn at the dinnertable.”• “Florence is the birthplaceof modern man – well,except Greece.”Our students’ (funny) voices• On unfamiliar customs:“Socks and shoes have tobe worn at the dinnertable.”• “Florence is the birthplaceof modern man – well,except Greece.”• “If I see another fresco I’mgoing to scream!”Our students’ (funny) voices• On unfamiliar customs:“Socks and shoes have to beworn at the dinner table.”• “Florence is the birthplace ofmodern man – well, exceptGreece.”• “If I see another fresco I’mgoing to scream!”• “Our 4 am curfew [in Spain]was just too restrictive!”Pros of open-ended studentevaluations• Disclose unexpected aspects of theinternational experience (ex. impactof absence of family)• Can reveal “out of class learning,”good and bad• Provide insights into timemanagement issues• Makes clear the youth of ourstudents!Cons of open-endedstudent evaluations• Give no reliable insight into effect of specificexperiences, courses, etc.• Grammar and spelling can be off-putting forthe reader• Some students gloss over the whole chore• Can be an opportunity for a last-minutewhineInternational experience forfaculty• Bethany Obers, “A Decadeof Experience: Data fromthe Council on InternationalEducational Exchange’sInternational FacultyDevelopment Seminars,”Journal of Studies inInternational Education,http://www.ciee.org/IFDS_Current_research_eval.cfm?subnav=IFDCThe research• 1000 questionnairesreviewed (about 60% returnrate)• A decade of data• Anonymous reports• Many quantifiable results• Valuable background dataon respondentsFindings• Development experiences havemore impact on creation of newcourses than on initiation of newresearch projects.• Development experiences havethe most impact on the revision ofexisting courses to make theminternational.• Faculty are willing to pay part ofthe expenses.More findings• 85%+ said that the experience had a greatimpact on their total professional life.• Majority of participants were from the socialsciences (esp. history, political science)• No engineers participated despite topicssuch as environmental preservation in NewZealand, and an over-view of modern-dayTurkey offered by the Middle East TechnicalUniversity (METU) in Ankara.Conclusions fromassessment• International experience for engineeringfaculty would be a good investment andwould predictably bring about a beneficialinternationalization of the curriculum.• Resources are available for groupexperiences if an engineering college wantedto focus on a particular part of the world.More conclusions• It will take some effort to persuade someengineering faculty to be “internationallydeveloped.”• If the expected outcome of a developmentexperience were explicitly in the area ofteaching, rather than research, that wouldhave benefits for the students andencourage more teaching oriented faculty toparticipate and to change.• Data analysis of questionnaires givesactionable results.Assessment in engineering• Sufficient data exist now to permit goodinformation to be gathered on whatengineering students learn in aninternational experience.• Field may be moving too rapidly for some tocapture essential information.• International experiences delivered throughelectronic means present particularproblems for assessment.University of RhodeIsland Assessments• High-level review of project reports• Tracking of job placements• Feedback from graduates• Student satisfaction surveys• Enrollment figures• National and international awards• http://www.uri.edu/iep/index.htmlAfterthoughts• It’s time to collect assessment informationfrom across universities• It’s also time to look for comparable datafrom engineering schools around the world• There may be some interesting data fromother professional fields• The public’s demand for assessment datadoesn’t seem to want to go away.For more informationBethany S. OberstExecutive Director,International ProgramsMSC 5731James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA  22807USAVoice: +1 540 568 6419Facsimile: + 1 801 8008E-mail: oberstbs@jmu.edu

Assessing the Value of the International Experience

https://dc.engconfintl.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1018&amp;context=enhancement

Assessing the Value of the International Experience

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Engineering Conferences International