Supporting Students' Critical Reflection during Study Abroad
by Ann Abbott
This week I will give a very brief talk at a meeting of all students who will be studying abroad next semester. Study abroad students all take an online, one credit hour course that engages them in critical reflection before, during and after their study-abroad experience. I am one of the facilitators for that course, and I love it.
I enjoy reading their posts. I like learning about places that I have never been. It's wonderful to be reminded of places that I have visited and sometimes know very well. It's gratifying to see how they grow and change.
Here are the slides that I will use during the presentation. Afterward, Assistant Dean Nicole Lamers, one of the people behind the creation of this online course, will explain the logistics of the course.
LAS 291/292 by AnnAbbott
PLAN. Students make plans and pack their bags for their trip abroad. But the pre-departure part of the online course urges students to map their plans for their future--their studies and their careers. And it's important to do that kind of planning because their time abroad will go by in a flash. So many students come back saying, "I wish I would have..."
POST. In addition to the social media posts that most students will share during their time abroad, this course ask students incisive questions that help them document and reflect on their experiences in a different, deeper way. Furthermore, writing has been shown to help us think, so these posts can direct students' thinking in ways that the visual nature of most social media cannot.
SCHEDULE. During their time abroad, students will schedule a lot of fun things: trips, visits, get-togethers. They also need to schedule this course into their calendars so that they reflect and write consistently throughout the semester, not just a race to write it all at the end. Facilitators are waiting to read what they write and engage in a supportive conversation with them.
CONNECT. Finally, when students return, this course will help them re-connect to the campus and to their goals all over again. The course supports them on re-entry, and it guides them to articulate the transformation they went through in ways that resonate with admissions committee for graduate school and future employers. One year from this meeting, these same students will be there again, helping the next group of students before they go abroad. They will be paying it forward--through this course.
These slides feature pictures my daughter has taken during her time abroad. And I will share a bit about my own experiences abroad--in 1988-89!
This week I will give a very brief talk at a meeting of all students who will be studying abroad next semester. Study abroad students all take an online, one credit hour course that engages them in critical reflection before, during and after their study-abroad experience. I am one of the facilitators for that course, and I love it.
I enjoy reading their posts. I like learning about places that I have never been. It's wonderful to be reminded of places that I have visited and sometimes know very well. It's gratifying to see how they grow and change.
Here are the slides that I will use during the presentation. Afterward, Assistant Dean Nicole Lamers, one of the people behind the creation of this online course, will explain the logistics of the course.
LAS 291/292 by AnnAbbott
PLAN. Students make plans and pack their bags for their trip abroad. But the pre-departure part of the online course urges students to map their plans for their future--their studies and their careers. And it's important to do that kind of planning because their time abroad will go by in a flash. So many students come back saying, "I wish I would have..."
POST. In addition to the social media posts that most students will share during their time abroad, this course ask students incisive questions that help them document and reflect on their experiences in a different, deeper way. Furthermore, writing has been shown to help us think, so these posts can direct students' thinking in ways that the visual nature of most social media cannot.
SCHEDULE. During their time abroad, students will schedule a lot of fun things: trips, visits, get-togethers. They also need to schedule this course into their calendars so that they reflect and write consistently throughout the semester, not just a race to write it all at the end. Facilitators are waiting to read what they write and engage in a supportive conversation with them.
CONNECT. Finally, when students return, this course will help them re-connect to the campus and to their goals all over again. The course supports them on re-entry, and it guides them to articulate the transformation they went through in ways that resonate with admissions committee for graduate school and future employers. One year from this meeting, these same students will be there again, helping the next group of students before they go abroad. They will be paying it forward--through this course.
These slides feature pictures my daughter has taken during her time abroad. And I will share a bit about my own experiences abroad--in 1988-89!
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