Michael Carignan, associate professor of History, has been named the Center for Engaged Learning Senior Scholar for the 2019-2020 academic year.
Michael Carignan, associate professor of history, has been named the Center for Engaged Learning Senior Scholar for the 2019-20 academic year.
The Senior Scholar position supports a CEL research seminar leader’s or participant’s continued exploration of the seminar topic to complete publishing projects and to extend research related to the seminar, with the goal of the scholar actively assuming leadership in national and international conversations about the engaged learning topic.
Carignan participated in the CEL research seminar on Integrating Global Learning with the University Experience (2015-17) and joined a team interested in intercultural growth among students in short-term study abroad programs. The team used a variety of data-gathering methods, including quantitative surveys and qualitative coding/analysis of student written reflections, to determine how, when, and whether students develop intercultural competence in short-term study abroad situations. His research team has an accepted book chapter (“Assessing Intercultural Competence in Student Writing”) and articles under review.
Carignan also is interested in how reflective writing as a high-impact practice impacts his teaching and recent scholarship.
Part of his research into the pedagogical aspects of writing started when he co-developed an assessment for a winter term study abroad program for the Honors Program in 2013. Through the assessment of student reflections, he concluded that students were able to express intercultural competence and potentially grow through the experience of writing about it. This project earned his program continued support from the University and this research is now accepted for publication as a book chapter, “Early Impact: Global Mindedness and Intercultural Competence in a First-Year Honors Abroad Course,” in a forthcoming volume of the National Collegiate Honors Council on honors and study abroad.
As the senior scholar, Carignan will continue these inquiry projects on intercultural competence and the role of reflective writing in teaching and learning, particularly in study away contexts.
Carignan joins Eric Hall, professor of exercise science and faculty athletics representative, as the second CEL Senior Scholar.
For questions regarding the CEL Senior Scholar position, or about the Center for Engaged Learning, please contact CEL Director, Jessie L. Moore, jmoore28@elon.edu.