Integrating Study Abroad Into the Curriculum: Theory and Practice Across the Disciplines

by Elizabeth Brewer (Editor), Madeleine F. Green (Foreword), Kiran Cunningham (Editor)

With the increased interest in study abroad from government, educators, employers and students, the question is study abroad engendering the desired intercultural competencies and intellectual development?To achieve this goal, this book proposes two structure study abroad to bridge the separation of academic learning from experiential and intercultural learning; and integrate study abroad with the undergraduate curriculum.In proposing this integration, the editors take into account the need for institutional change, and recognize faculty members’ concerns about maintaining the integrity of the curriculum, teaching in areas outside their expertise, and keeping up with ever-evolving institutional missions.This book opens with two chapters presenting different theoretical perspectives relevant to the integration of study abroad into the curriculum. The following nine chapters provide examples from a variety of disciplines – from anthropology and religious studies, to literature, urban studies, biology and public health – and within such contexts as distance learning, service learning, and the senior thesis. The concluding chapter considers faculty development activities and institutional structures and policies that support curriculum integration. While the examples are drawn from Beloit College and Kalamazoo College – liberal arts colleges with substantial study abroad enrollments, and nationally recognized for their innovative practices – readers will recognize they are easily adaptable to their own institutions. The two colleges achieved their curricular innovations with limited financial resources, and in the context that most of their students are dependent on financial aid. The transformational ideas and practices described here provide material for reflection and campus conversations for anyone concerned with developing global citizens and well-educated students, and offer a blueprint for implementation.

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Pchu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent insights.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offers very useful and insightful material for those interested in integrating study abroad into the college/university curriculum. I particularly enjoyed the chapters by Darren Kelly as I think of all the chapters his were the most practical and manageable. The other chapters are noteworthy, but will involve a lot of work. Contributions to this book were made by faculty from Kalamazoo College and Beloit College. Both benefited from funding from the Kellogg Foundation and the Mellon Foundation, which greatly facilitated the implementation of their internationalization strategies. Not all colleges and universities can do this.

Some chapters were redundant and rehashed the same material. For me, 4-5 chapters were highly effective, the others, while not bad, seemed a bit contrived and hard to replicate on another campus.

But overall, this is definitely an important read for anyone working in the field of international education.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Offering an extensive review of study abroad preparation and post-return courses that are currently being taught at Benoit and Kalamazoo Colleges, this book captures a wide variety of key areas on which to focus in order to make study abroad a truly transformative experience for students, both developmentally and academically. I found particularly interesting the chapter on embedding study abroad in foreign language acquisition and pedagogies, though this book covers study abroad in every disciplinary context from the natural sciences to literary studies. Some very interesting ideas presented here.