Work in Progress: Assessing Intercultural Competency in an E-learning Environment

Jennifer R Amos; Hyun Hannah Choi; Kenneth D. Long; Adam Rusch

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Conference: 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Publication Date: June 26, 2016
Start Date: June 26, 2016
End Date: June 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-692-68565-5
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: International Division Technical Session 5
Tagged Division: International
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 10
DOI: 10.18260/p.27213
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/27213
Download Count: 763

Paper Authors

biography

Jennifer R Amos University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

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Dr Amos joined the Bioengineering Department at the University of Illinois in 2009 and is currently a Sr Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate programs. She received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering at Texas Tech and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from University of South Carolina. She has developed and offered more than 5 courses since joining the faculty and has taken the lead roll in curriculum development for the department.

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Abstract

As the world rapidly progresses toward a complex global community from a collection of independent nation-states, it is increasingly evident that the future of education lies in preparing students to collaborate, communicate, and cooperate in dynamic, multidisciplinary, and multicultural spaces. The development of discipline-based differences, terminologies, and personalities is nothing new, and as bodies of knowledge continue to grow and increase in complexity, working across disciplines translationally to address increasingly broader global challenges, such as the MDGs and their descendants, also increases. Similarly, the need for culturally competency is expanding beyond the number of students realistically supported by traditional study abroad programs. This project utilizes global health as the paradigm within which to pursue a novel e-learning environment in partnership with an African university to develop this capacity for international interdisciplinary translation. The program is committed to prepare the global health leaders of tomorrow with sensitivity to globalization, experience with international partnership, and a mindset of interdisciplinary collaboration. These experiences will be a springboard for increasingly collaborative curricular experiences for American and African university students to work together to develop competency in intercultural interaction and to engage in sharing their unique perspectives and experiences. This study is to measure students’ intercultural competency--their ability to participate in a multicultural team-based learning environment effectively--and to determine the effectiveness of curriculum to affect intercultural competency. This effort is not only to improve the quality of the program but also to communicate our findings related to curriculum developments to establish effective teaching methods with other programs through peer reviewed journal publications and conference presentations. This study extensively analyzes students’ learning progress in intercultural competence. Data involving both quantitative and qualitative methods are used to assess student learning using pre-/post surveys and examine performance in discussion board activities, reflection assignments, projects and grades. The study emphasizes translating skills between disparate groups, be it a cultural, academic, or physical separation, as fundamental skills for the students of tomorrow.

Citation
Format

Amos, J. R., & Choi, H. H., & Long, K. D., & Rusch, A. (2016, June), Work in Progress: Assessing Intercultural Competency in an E-learning Environment Paper presented at 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana. 10.18260/p.27213

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - As the world rapidly progresses toward a complex global community from a collection of independent nation-states, it is increasingly evident that the future of education lies in preparing students to collaborate, communicate, and cooperate in dynamic, multidisciplinary, and multicultural spaces.  The development of discipline-based differences, terminologies, and personalities is nothing new, and as bodies of knowledge continue to grow and increase in complexity, working across disciplines translationally to address increasingly broader global challenges, such as the MDGs and their descendants, also increases.  Similarly, the need for culturally competency is expanding beyond the number of students realistically supported by traditional study abroad programs. This project utilizes global health as the paradigm within which to pursue a novel e-learning environment in partnership with an African university to develop this capacity for international interdisciplinary translation.
The program is committed to prepare the global health leaders of tomorrow with sensitivity to globalization, experience with international partnership, and a mindset of interdisciplinary collaboration. These experiences will be a springboard for increasingly collaborative curricular experiences for American and African university students to work together to develop competency in intercultural interaction and to engage in sharing their unique perspectives and experiences. 
This study is to measure students’ intercultural competency--their ability to participate in a multicultural team-based learning environment effectively--and to determine the effectiveness of curriculum to affect intercultural competency. This effort is not only to improve the quality of the program but also to communicate our findings related to curriculum developments to establish effective teaching methods with other programs through peer reviewed journal publications and conference presentations. 
This study extensively analyzes students’ learning progress in intercultural competence. Data involving both quantitative and qualitative methods are used to assess student learning using pre-/post surveys and examine performance in discussion board activities, reflection assignments, projects and grades. The study emphasizes translating skills between disparate groups, be it a cultural, academic, or physical separation, as fundamental skills for the students of tomorrow.  
AU  - Jennifer R Amos
AU  - Hyun Hannah Choi
AU  - Kenneth D. Long
AU  - Adam Rusch
CY  - New Orleans, Louisiana
DA  - 2016/06/26
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Work in Progress: Assessing Intercultural Competency in an E-learning Environment 
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/27213
DO  - 10.18260/p.27213
ER  -