Eric.ed.gov – International Education in the 21st Century: The Importance of Faculty in Developing Study Abroad Research Opportunities

This paper argues for a reimagining of education abroad that fuses short-term programming with some kind of experiential research component led by home campus disciplinary faculty, especially those in the sciences, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, in order to better integrate the study abroad program into the core undergraduate curriculum. To show how this could be done, this paper: (1) provides a brief background on study abroad; (2) reviews the relevant literature on the learning goals, program assessment, and faculty engagement in education abroad programs; (3) examines the current state of academic integration within study abroad; (4) explores the growth in undergraduate research at both home and overseas; and (5) identifies the unique opportunities represented in the extensive patterns of international faculty research collaborations, and explains how these patterns could be leveraged into new kinds of study abroad programs. The argument is supported with evidence of innovative programs at several American universities. A bibliography is included.