Seventy scholars from around the world met on the Elon campus June 11-12 to discuss the impact of study abroad and off-campus domestic study.
The Center for Engaged Learning at Elon University hosted a symposium titled “Integrating Global Learning with the University Experience: Higher-Impact Study Abroad and Off-Campus Domestic Study.” The event engaged 70 college and university scholars in discussions about ways to enhance and improve global learning experiences.
“Global learning through study abroad and off-campus domestic study fits into a larger context of students’ educational experiences,” says Center for Engaged Learning Director Jessie Moore. “This symposium explored questions that are important for educators to consider, including the importance of pre-departure instruction, the pathways that lead students to study away experiences, and the ways that faculty members can prepare to lead these global study opportunities.”
The symposium included presentations about new research on student and faculty experiences with study away and its integration with broader university education. Elon faculty who presented include Amy Allocco, Michael Carignan, Elizabeth Coder, Daniel Faill, Cynthia Fair, Sarah Glasco, Prudence Layne, Carmen Monico, Tim Peeples, Joan Ruelle and Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler. Elon faculty member Amanda Sturgill joined with international educator Neal Sobania for a welcome and opening keynote address, which featured seminar leaders from the Center’s 2015-17 multi-institutional research seminar on Integrating Global Learning with the University Experience, which has fostered much of the research featured at this symposium.
The closing keynote speaker was Dawn Michele Whitehead, Senior Director for Global Learning and Curricular Change at the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Her work focuses on advancing practices, strategies and projects for integrative global learning across the undergraduate curriculum. At the heart of her work is the concept of inclusive excellence to ensure that all students have access to high-quality global learning experiences.
The research seminar and this summer’s symposium are just two examples of the Center for Engaged Learning’s efforts to bring together international leaders in higher education to develop and to synthesize rigorous research on central questions about student learning. The Center fosters investigations of engaged learning and high-impact educational practices; hosts multi-institutional research and practice-based initiatives, conferences, and seminars; and shares related resources for faculty and faculty developers on high-impact practices for engaged learning. Each research seminar includes 24-36 participants.
Current Center for Engaged Learning seminar topics include:
- Residential Learning Communities as a High-Impact Practice (2017-2019)
- Faculty Change Towards High-Impact Pedagogies (2016-2018)
- Integrating Global Learning with the University Experience: Higher-Impact Study Abroad and Off-Campus Domestic Study (2015-2017)
Previous seminars were conducted on the following topics: