Experiential Learning by Business Students on Short Term Study Tours

This study incorporates a qualitative, case study based approach to analyze the impact of a short domestic study tour on business students of a Mumbai based college. The methods for data collection were structured questionnaires, feedback forms, interviews, focus groups, and work diaries. Short and economical study tours within the country have succeeded tremendously in their objective and have provided a very high level of learning experiences. There is strong evidence of experiential learning which seem to produce a significant, almost magical, impact on students.

Toward Decolonizing Development Education: Study Tours as Embodied, Reflexive, and Mud-up

The relevance of development studies has come under intense scrutiny with increasing calls for development education to decolonize its materials, pedagogies, and discursive practices. This article draws on a short-term study tour to India, where co-building a mud house with a tribal community and local university became a creative, intercultural site, encouraging reflexivity and learning through embodied insights. Such learnings “from” and “with” knowledges negated by Western modernity are in essence decolonial pedagogies, enabling students to critically examine their own preconceived ideas of development, while building skills to meaningfully navigate the contested contemporary field. Study tours, we argue, have immense potential toward decolonizing development education.

Assessing changes in mood state in university students following short-term study abroad

Short-term study-abroad (STSA) programs provide a more accessible alternative for students who would otherwise not consider engaging in academic activities overseas. Though improvements in the levels of intercultural sensitivity and general academic aspects attained by STSA programs have been previously examined, much less is known regarding the impact such programs have in the mood of students. Here, we examined changes in mood state associated with participation in an STSA program in a group of Japanese university students. Mood states were assessed using the Profile of Mood States (POMS), the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), and the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6). Results indicated that the POMS mean scores of Vigor-Activity and SWLS peaked at the time immediately following participation in the STSA program; moreover, the same scores were found to be at comparable levels even one month after the end of the program. These results indicate that participation in STSA programs can positively influence the mood state of university students, suggesting that the benefits associated with participation in such programs extend beyond typically reported improvements in the academic domain.

Developing Global Citizens through International Studies: Enhancing Student Voices and Active Learning in Short-Term Study Abroad Courses

Educating global citizens has become part of higher education in international studies. Scholars argue that education includes having a global worldview that critically evaluates complex challenges in an ever-changing environment. Most agree that something more than classroom lecture is required to transform students’ perspectives, but debates exist about exactly what “more” means. Short-term study abroad courses have evolved as one way to offer a global experience to students, especially those who must balance work, school, and family life while also facing the economic restraints of higher education. These programs, however, have been criticized as providing little more than a voyeuristic view into the lives of others with no real experience with cultures, development of global citizenship, or true engagement with global issues. This study assesses the impact of a short-term study abroad program on students’ perceptions of their role as global citizens and identifies pedagogical tools that increase the likelihood that students will embrace global citizenship as a transformative learning experience. Using reflection papers and photo elicitation, this article shows that immersive short-term study abroad experiences that include extensive community engagement have the potential to change students’ perception of the world and the way they see their role in it.

Short-Term Study Abroad Research: A Systematic Review 2000-2019

Short-term study abroad (STSA) programs are the fastest growing segment of experiential learning programs in management education and the least studied. This is the first systematic review of STSA research, which focuses on 156 studies on STSA published between 2000 and 2019 and proposes a conceptual model to guide STSA research scholars. Through this detailed review, we provide a greater understanding of the scale, scope, key themes, and methodology of STSA research. Our article identifies the four key groups of theories used to inform STSA research, and provides insight into the variables and characteristics of STSA research, and the role of STSA in management education. Our review identifies 85 thematic outcomes found in the STSA literature and gives a particular focus to the 29 cross-cultural outcomes that characterize this literature. The review provides the first systematic analysis of cross-cultural outcomes within STSA research and identifies behavioral attributes as among the most studied. Cultural and learning theories were found to be the dominant theories that informed the underlying concepts in the STSA literature. Our review also provides a comprehensive agenda and directions for future STSA research, discussion on its impact, and its place in management education.