Student Outcomes Of Participating in an International Research Experience
- Conference
- Location
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Columbus, Ohio
- Publication Date
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June 24, 2017
- Start Date
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June 24, 2017
- End Date
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June 28, 2017
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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International
- Tagged Topic
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Diversity
- Page Count
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12
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--28862
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/28862
- Download Count
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557
Paper Authors
Lauren Michelle Hatfield Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Lauren is a graduate assistant for Research and Graduate Studies in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech. She supports the Research and Graduate Studies team by conducting research and assisting on research projects focused on current engineering students and the programs which serve them. Lauren is pursuing her Ph.D. in Educational Research and holds a BA in English from the University of Connecticut and an M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from the University of South Carolina.
Catherine T. Amelink Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Dr. Amelink is Director of Graduate Programs and Assessment in the College of Engineering, Virginia Tech. She is also an affiliate faculty member in the Departments of Engineering Education and Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Virginia Tech.
Nicole P. Sanderlin
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
orcid.org/0000-0001-9481-7916
Dr. Sanderlin serves as the Director of Global Engagement for Virginia Tech's College of Engineering. She provides leadership for international initiatives and works closely with engineering faculty to develop new institutional partnerships and international opportunities for engineering students. Her research focuses on internationalization of higher education, faculty engagement, and international program assessment.
Heather Elizabeth Lyne Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Heather is the Graduate Assistant for the Virginia Tech Global Engineering, Engagement and Research office. She supports the College of Engineering in developing international partnerships and implementing student-oriented programs. She works across-sectors with diverse partners in order to provide international opportunities for engineering students.
Heather earned her B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Georgia in May of 2012, where she also served as a Student Ambassador for the Discover Abroad office. She is currently working on a Master's degree in Public and International Affairs and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management with the expected graduate date of May 2017. Her focus is on community change and cultural democracy.
Brent K. Jesiek Purdue University, West Lafayette (College of Engineering)
Dr. Brent K. Jesiek is an Associate Professor in the Schools of Engineering Education and Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University. He also leads the Global Engineering Education Collaboratory (GEEC) research group, and is the recipient of an NSF CAREER award to study boundary-spanning roles and competencies among early career engineers. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Tech and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Science and Technology Studies (STS) from Virginia Tech. Dr. Jesiek draws on expertise from engineering, computing, and the social sciences to advance understanding of geographic, disciplinary, and historical variations in engineering education and practice.
Abstract
Current engineering literature calls for engineers to develop global competencies through international experiences. Studies have examined whether or not students develop global competencies, but there are fewer studies that look at how those competencies translate to the research environment. The International Research Experience for Students (IRES) at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) allows College of Engineering graduate students and undergraduates the opportunity to participate in a guided research experience over a range of engineering fields at the University of Nottingham over a summer. The students spend three weeks prepping at Virginia Tech and then immediately travel to the UK for seven weeks of full-time research. In this paper, we provide a detailed explanation of the IRES program and use a mixed methods study to explore whether the comprehensive international experience had any impact on the participants’ development of global competencies and any impact on the participants’ international research skills. Results indicate that the IRES program structure facilitates increased cultural knowledge and understanding of the challenges and benefits associated with international research. Two other significant findings were that after participating in the program, students indicate cultural knowledge is necessary in completing an international assignment and that participation also influenced students’ perceptions of what skills are needed to participate in international research.
Hatfield, L. M., & Amelink, C. T., & Sanderlin, N. P., & Lyne, H. E., & Jesiek, B. K. (2017, June), Student Outcomes Of Participating in an International Research Experience Paper presented at 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio. 10.18260/1-2--28862
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