Office of International Programs

Support provided by Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence and the University Office of Global Programs
at the Pennsylvania State University.

This Toolkit offers a portfolio of tested and applicable strategies with the goal to improve instructional quality and the overall student experience in international faculty-led programs. The Toolkit  has been developed and organized around two primary focus areas: Global Citizenship and Academic Development. Recognizing that the international travel component can occur at any time during the course, tools have been developed and organized around three key phases of instruction: Pre-Departure, In-Country and Post-Study Abroad. The tools have been developed and further organized around five broad-ranging threads: Communication, Utilization of Technology, Primary and Secondary Research, Experiential Learning, and Culture and Identity. These threads have been chosen for their appropriateness to education abroad programming. Communication is inclusive of language learning and intercultural communication. Utilization of technology includes computer-assisted instruction as well as popular forms of on-line communication such as blogging. Primary or field research refers to collecting data in the international context through questionnaires, interviews, or forms of ethnographic inquiry. Experiential learning refers to those activities that involve experience and reflection, such as journaling. Culture and identity is inclusive of activities relating to cultural learning and identity development.

Education Abroad Faculty Toolkit