Context

Many students cannot leave the U.S. for the time expected from a semester or summer study abroad program for academic, financial, or personal reasons.  Consequently, short-term “embedded” programs abroad are more accessible for IU students seeking an educational experience outside the U.S. In 2016-17, 30% of students on all IU campuses participated in a program of two weeks or less duration. 

Step-by-Step Implementation

  1. Consider how your course can be enhanced by building international travel into a segment. This can take place during spring break or early May (for a spring course) or for Thanksgiving break or between semesters (for a fall course).  Note that online courses can have embedded components abroad.  
  2. Consult experienced faculty and staff who have created such courses in the past regarding best practices for designing embedded programs. 
  3. Design the syllabus to prepare students for the disciplinary learning outcomes of your course. As well as including cultural and historical background they will encounter in the host country.   
  4. Align the planned on-site experiential components. These components could have pedagogical goals, build in contact with local citizens of the host country, and plan survival language skills for the students. Examples include visits to monuments, museums, businesses, social service agencies, government institutions, cultural sites, nature preserves, etc.   
  5. Plan the course 12-18 months ahead of when you plan to teach it, getting permission from your department regarding your plans.  

Effectiveness

Students highly value their international experiences, because it transports them beyond the learning process that takes place in a traditional classroom. They indicate that while abroad they learn about themselves on an individual level, the other country and its culture, and their own country and culture. Students also find that they bond with their fellow travelers and instructor in ways not common on campus. Faculty indicate that teaching a course overseas tends to be the most satisfying pedagogical experience of their careers, given the deep engagement of the students in the learning process which goes well beyond the classroom.