Learning Objectives
In collaboration with the Global Education Advisory Committee (GEAC), the Office of Global Education has developed four overarching learning outcomes that can be met on any international academic or clinical experience. High-impact practices, like study abroad, have been shown to positively impact academic engagement—resulting in higher levels of learning success—and can help students develop lifelong skills that are of increasing importance to employers, the workplace, and the world. In addition to the course- and discipline-specific learning objectives that faculty leaders expect of their students, the Office of Global Education’s four learning objectives listed below help to outline the harder-to-define global, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and intercultural skills that we are confident all students gain during their international experiences.
Global Study faculty leaders are asked to incorporate at least one of the below objectives into their course syllabus to encourage the development of students’ intercultural agility:
Learning Objective #1: Academic
Learners will contextualize education in a global setting and apply knowledge acquired from their host countries to their academic pathways. Learners will:
- Frame course content in the historical, political, and cultural context of the host country.
- Compare complex systems within and across local, regional, and global perspectives and their impact on individuals and communities.
- Apply discipline-based approaches to analyze international issues, theories, and debates.
- Develop appreciation for and understanding of the history, culture, social characteristics, and/or economy of a new country or region.
Learning Object #2: Career
In an international context, learners will develop their self-identity and capacity for in-demand career competencies. Learners will:
- Demonstrate proficiency in (a) cross-cultural communication, (b) empathy, (c) problem-solving, (d) resiliency, (e) adaptability, and (f) navigating cultural differences in the workplace.
- Develop skills to articulate personal and professional growth while building relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.
- Embrace challenges, take personal accountability, and articulate growth from failure.
Learning Objective #3: Cultural
Learners will develop a holistic awareness of cultural difference and an understanding of culture's role in informing beliefs, ways of thinking, biases, and privilege. Learners will:
- Demonstrate social, emotional, and intellectual growth through cross-cultural interactions.
- Develop an inclusive vocabulary and practice active listening to foster open communication and empathy.
- Develop a greater understanding of their own culture(s) in relation to that of the host country/through a comparative lens.
Learning Objective #4: Lifelong Learning & Global Citizenship
Learners will expand their comfort zone with balanced challenge and support to improve their ability to (inter)act in unfamiliar and/or uncomfortable situations. Learners will:
- Contribute to a safe, positive, in-person learning environment that emphasizes personal connection and respect with other learners
- Question perspectives, challenge assumptions, analyze claims, and evaluate evidence to inform their ability to think critically and with a growth mindset.
- Cultivate a lifelong “global mindset” that promotes respect, empathy, curiosity, and meaningful cross-cultural connections in our interconnected world.