A Qualitative Look at the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on American College Students Studying Abroad

COVID-19 has impacted higher education greatly, with many colleges and universities being forced to quickly implement procedures for operation as closures and restrictions shifted many programs online. These abrupt changes amounted to uncertainty and challenges for students worldwide. Students who were studying abroad during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic faced unique challenges as programs shut down and many returned home from overseas. The current study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on U.S. study abroad students through a qualitative lens. Students reported unique stressors related to being abroad during the onset of the pandemic, such as missed experiences, financial loss, travel difficulties, and stressors related to academic programs. Additionally, many reported considerable and lasting impacts on emotional and behavioral health. This study provides preliminary evidence for the effects of COVID-19 on study abroad students, and highlights the importance of addressing the needs of this population during and after the pandemic.

Understanding Austria from Afar: Treating Regional Variation in the Virtu-al German as a Foreign Language Classroom.

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced nearly every aspect of the academic world, and study abroad is no exception. Particularly in the foreign language learning sector, the unprecedented switch from in-class lectures to distance learning brought with it many challenges. Not only were language instructors tasked with creating an interactive language learning atmosphere from afar but continuing to spark student motivation while catering to a broad range of learning goals constituted a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. The following case study therefore seeks to provide an easily adaptable and interactive task-based activity for the German as a foreign language classroom that should support learners in gaining a deeper understanding of the social dimensions and usages of Austrian regional varieties. Furthermore, the activity is designed so as to be applicable in both an online as well as face-to-face classroom and accommodate foreign language instructors with less experience in digital course delivery and/or minimal access to learning management systems. Abstract in German Die COVID-19 Pandemie hat nahezu jeden Aspekt der akademischen Welt beeinflusst, und Study Abroad ist keine Ausnahme. Gerade im Bereich des Fremdsprachenerwerbs hat die beispiellose Umstellung von Präsenzunterricht auf Fernlehre viele Herausforderungen mit sich gebracht. Nicht nur wurden Fremdsprachenlehrer:innen mit der Aufgabe konfrontiert, eine interaktive Sprachlernatmosphäre aus der Ferne zu schaffen, sondern auch die Motivation der Schüler:innen trotz der Situation zu wecken, aufrechtzuerhalten und gleichzeitig ein breites Spektrum an Lernzielen zu berücksichtigen. Dies hat eine scheinbar unüberwindbare Hürde dargestellt. In der folgenden Fallstudie handelt es sich daher um die Bereitstellung einer leicht adaptierbaren und interaktiven task-based Aktivität für den Deutsch als Fremdsprachenunterricht, die Lernende dabei unterstützen soll, ein tieferes Verständnis der sozialen Dimensionen und Verwendungen österreichischer Regionalvarietäten zu erlangen. Darüber hinaus ist die Aktivität so konzipiert, dass sie sowohl im Online- wie auch im Präsenzunterricht Einsatz finden und von Fremd-sprachenlehrer:innen mit wenig(er) Erfahrung in der digitalen Abhaltung von Lehrveranstaltungen und/oder minimalem Zugang zu Lernmanagement-systemen umgesetzt werden kann.

Community Engagement Abroad: Perspectives and Practices on Service, Engagement, and Learning Overseas

Community Engagement Abroad: Perspectives and Practices on Service, Engagement, and Learning Overseas, edited by Pat Crawford and Brett Berquist, is a valuable contribution to the literature on global community engagement and study abroad, charting one institution’s history and practice from a variety of perspectives.

U-Curve, Squiggly Lines or Nothing at All?

Despite their controversial status in the current literature on sojourner adjustment, classical U-curve and four-stage models of culture shock continue to enjoy remarkable popularity. This study aims to investigate their validity by starting from (recollected) sojourner experience. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 50 students who had taken part in the European Erasmus exchange to see if any adaption patterns would emerge that tally with previous conceptions or offer alternatives to them. Our results show that neither moments of crisis or shock, nor any of the four stages or the typical culturally induced adjustment problems were generally reported. Accounts instead focused on success, personal growth, and a three-phase structure that divided the experience mainly in terms of social contacts and eventfulness. Furthermore, emotional ambivalence emerged as a distinctive feature throughout the entire stay. We propose that the specific characteristics of the Erasmus experience account for some of our results. Students’ close relationship with their international peers, which is one of these features, may thus facilitate cultural adaptation. Abstract in Spanish A pesar de su estado controvertido en la literatura actual sobre la adaptación de todos los que pasan tiempo en el extranjero, los modelos clásicos de choque cultural de curva en U y de cuatro etapas continúan tener una gran popularidad. Este estudio tiene como objetivo investigar su validez partiendo de la experiencia (recordada) de un residente temporal. Aplicando un enfoque cualitativo, realizamos entrevistas semiestructuradas con 50 estudiantes que habían participado en el intercambio europeo Erasmus para ver si surgía algún patrón de adaptación que coincidiera con concepciones anteriores u ofreciera alternativas a las mismas. Nuestros resultados muestran que, en general, no se informaron momentos de crisis o choque, ni ninguna de las cuatro etapas o los típicos problemas de adaptación culturalmente inducidos. Las representaciones, en cambio, muestran el éxito de los estudiantes, el crecimiento personal y una estructura de tres fases que dividió la experiencia principalmente en términos de la densidad de eventos y contactos sociales. Además, una ambivalencia emocional emergió como un rasgo distintivo durante toda la estancia. Proponemos que las características específicas de la experiencia Erasmus dan cuenta de algunos de nuestros resultados. Para dar un ejemplo, parece seguro que las relaciones de los estudiantes con sus compañeros internacionales de estudios facilitan la adaptación cultural.

Bringing a Global Perspective to Students via Telesimulation

The aim of this Simulation Based Experience (SBE) was to replicate a global initiative via a telesimulated environment. Due to COVID-19, all study abroad trips were canceled by both the University and the governments of both the United States and Peru. In order to facilitate the learning goals and objectives, faculty developed a fully functional, online module via Zoom, which simulated in-country experiences. Three four-hour Zoom sessions allowed faculty to utilize INASCL standards of best practice to facilitate SBE activities such as pre and post-operative education for an Embedded Participant (EP) playing the role of patient (INACSL Standards Committee, 2016; Lioce et al., 2020). 80% of students attempted to speak Spanish over the course of the SBE. During the debrief process, students were asked to provide affective words regarding the SBE which indicated trepidation in utilizing the Spanish language and not understanding content. On the final day of simulation, all students found value and collaboration in the process. Telesimulation via Zoom allowed students to be immersed in an unknown culture, and the use of breakout rooms encouraged engagement with EP one-on-one. Zoom for remote simulation is a plausible replacement for HFPS due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Research is needed to explore and compare cultural gains and sensitivity to students in-country versus through remote learning.

Reaching and Supporting Students with Disabilities in Study Abroad

As universities develop strategies to simultaneously boost study abroad participation and diversify participants, they are devoting more attention to understanding the unique needs of underrepresented groups. This study explores the institutional barriers and support services for students with disabilities by the 25 American institutions that offer the most robust study abroad opportunities according to the Institute of International Education (IIE). The paper offers a new way of evaluating the support and resources currently targeted at students with disabilities, points out future research needs, and concludes with recommendations for practitioners.

Education abroad: Bridging scholarship and practice

In their new book, Ogden, Streitwieser, and Van Mol (2021) create an accessible and succinct collection of some of the most salient areas of research in education abroad (p. 4). Authors from many countries contributed to each chapter, creating a five-part book that is a well-organized synthesis of the present-day field. Education Abroad: Bridging Scholarship and Practice is a welcome addition to the field and would be an excellent read for both novice and experienced scholars, as well as practitioners working at all levels. Each chapter examines key issues in education abroad and includes a history of the topic as well as possible directions for further research, guiding audiences at all levels to further exploration.

Global Literature in Tandem with Study Abroad: Cultivating Intercultural Competence for Preservice Teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine how literature study and study abroad, in combination as methods of internationalization, influence preservice teachers’ (PSTs) intercultural competence and potential future classroom practices. Elementary education PSTs studied abroad in Germany for five weeks. As part of the preparation, they read a German novel identified as global literature. While abroad, they saw the corresponding movie and had conversations with German peers to better understand it within its cultural context. Three sources of data - My Cultural Awareness Profile, a Germany Questionnaire, and a Critical Blueprint novel reflection essay – were analyzed. To better connect experiential learning abroad to future teaching, faculty guided PSTs to critically examine their pre- and post-responses. The findings indicate global literature is effective to begin to shift PSTs cultural perspectives. In combination, literature study and study abroad bring a global perspective to teacher preparation that can cultivate PSTs’ intercultural competence.

Study Abroad Strengths-Based Curriculum: Advancing Self-Reflection and Relationship-Building Leadership Skills

Immersion in a strengths-based, study abroad program provides extensive opportunity for leadership growth. Navigating the unknown adds to the challenge students experience during their student-organized activities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how a strengths-based curricula design advanced the leadership competency levels of self-reflection and relationship building during a graduate, short-term study abroad program. The findings show that before and during the program, self-reflection led to thoughtful discussions, which led to valuing differences. Self-reflection contributed to deeper self-awareness of how an individual’s primary strengths and blind spots led to mutual respect. On-going mutual respect enhanced relationships through appreciation for diversity. The strengths-based knowledge aided in acknowledging and valuing differences in one another, which positively impacted relationships.

Disrupting Neoliberal and Neocolonial Ideologies in U.S. Study Abroad: From Discourse to Intervention

This review highlights the neoliberal and neocolonial ideologies embedded within discourses surrounding U.S. study abroad, specifically with regard to global citizenship. Drawing on existing literature and recent rhetoric promoting study abroad, it contextualizes contemporary U.S. study abroad from a critical perspective. Synthesizing the voices of critical scholars builds toward the need for intervention that intentionally incorporates critical pedagogies including decolonizing pedagogies and a focus on guided critical reflection and equitable interaction. This article includes a review of research focused on such critical frameworks in study abroad as a potential guide for study abroad educators and administrators to begin to reframe U.S. study abroad.