Considering the History of Education Abroad Programs to Create Assignments Serving both the Academic & Professional Needs of Students

Lara Smith-Sitton, Kennesaw State UniversityFollow
Joan E. McRay, Middle Tennessee State University

Publication Date

7-15-2019

Abstract

This contribution explores two technology-based assignments—a travel journal & video bio and a Wikipedia translation project—that were developed for implementation in study abroad courses. Developed in consideration of historical and contemporary study abroad program structures, instructors and program directors can modify and adapt the assignments described for many different courses and locations. Each assignment builds upon specific learning outcomes emphasizing international components that advance critical language, research, and writing skills. Secondary goals of these assignments are the creation of deliverables that articulate to future employers the depth and value of education abroad programs and how these experiences have prepared students who participate to engage in careers in the global marketplace. Learning objectives, considerations about technology requirements, frameworks of the assignments, and a rationale for the components are discussed in detail.

Author Bio(s)

Lara Smith-Sitton is Assistant Professor and Director of Community Engagement in the English Department at Kennesaw State University. She teaches writing and rhetoric courses and oversees the graduate and undergraduate internship program. Her publications and research topics include community engagement, internship program design, and 18th- and 19th-century rhetoric.

Joan E. McRae is Professor of French in the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Middle Tennessee State University where she teaches French culture and literature, international detective fiction, and humanities. Her research interests include manuscript culture, poetry of the late Middle Ages, and language pedagogy.