Best Practices for Pre-Departure Programming

Semester & Academic Year AbroadShort-Term Abroad

Best Practices for Pre-Departure Programming

Jenny Kawatajkawata@allegheny.edu

Allegheny College 

Jessica (Jay) Halchak jhalchak@iup.eduIndiana Univ. of Pennsylvania

 Kathleen Ellwood

kathleen.ellwood@gowithcea.comCultural Experiences

Abroad  

Mandy Reinigarr14@psu.edu

Penn State Altoona 

Tina Johnson tjohnson@randolphcollege.e

duRandolph College

 Jon Stauff

stauffj@tcnj.edu The College of New Jersey

Session Disclaimer

• We are facilitators--not experts! • This is a resource session

 • Discussion and information sharing is encouraged

 • Testing of techniques and materials is recommended

  

Semester & Year Abroad

MaterialsStudent Engagement / Student

ReflectionFeedback Techniques

Best Practices

MaterialsSemester & Year Abroad• Invitations: Evite, paper invites, email, etc.• Forms• Host Program Information • Passport and Visa Guidance Sheet• Pre-Reflection Forms for Experiential Learning• Resource Websites and Handouts

 

Timetable: Inquiry              Application             Accepted             Pre-Departure             Arrival  (On-Site)                                                                                               Meeting(s)

                   

 Country Guide            Forms                  Packet,                     Readings,               Local Info                                                                       Handbook,                Travel stuff,              Maps, bag,                                                                        Visa, Passport       Last Minute Papers         Course info

Student EngagementSemester & Year Abroad

• Pre-Reflection Discussions• Returnee Student Match Ups with Newly Accepted Students• Blogging• Culture Shock Activities: Pinata - oh, Hello! • Games: Jeopardy!, Family Feud, Communication

Challenge• Content Sessions with (On Campus) Professionals:

o Safety, Security, & Life as an American Abroado Don't get Arrested, if you do--don't call meo Hey, Man, what's the 3-1-1?

• Phone counseling one to one connections, answer specific needs for each applicant

              

Pre-Departure Feedback TechniquesSemester & Year AbroadOnline Surveys• Survey monkey• Abroad101.com• Re-entry Programming• One-on-one • Alumni ambassador programs• Study Abroad Café

 

Short-Term Abroad

MaterialsStudent Engagement / Student

ReflectionFeedback Techniques

Best Practices

Materials-Short-Term Abroad

• Ice Breaker Activity/Cultural Simulation • Pre-departure handbook

o Covers University Policies and tips• Reference Materials

o ATM/Cellphone guide, Map/Subway navigating skills

• Emergency Plano Given to Faculty o Emergency Cards to students

• Country Specific Informationo Currency exchange rate and customary greetings

   Note: Not all items will work at your institution.  Much of a successful Pre-departure session is about trial and error.

Principles of Personal LeadershipMindfulness invites us to "wake-up" to our habitual behaviors, to bring self-awareness forward as both instrument and teacher, and to look at each situation with fresh eyes.  Creativity invites us to bring forth something new. Instead of acting or speaking from habit, we discern the action or words appropriate to each situation we’re in. Creativity also invites us to pay attention to what feels personally generative and life-enhancing, what brings forth joy and builds upon our unique capabilities.

Practices of Personal Leadership

Attending to Judgment

Attending to Physical Sensation

Attending to Emotion

Cultivating Stillness

EngagingAmbiguity

Aligning with Vision

Student EngagementShort-Term Abroad

Personal Leadership: Critical Moment Dialogues• Teach students principles/practices in pre-departure

setting o Require two to four reflection worksheets during

sojourn abroad• Examples from Randolph College Ecuador short-term

international study seminar   Create an environment where students want to learn the information  - ex. Randolph case studyCreate opportunities for reflection • Ex. Blogs, hands on exercises, cultural assignments,

cultural simulations

Pre-Departure Feedback TechniquesShort-Term Abroad• Post Session Feedback

o Surveys - On-line or papero Focus Groups

• Post Trip Feedback on Pre-Departureo Surveys - On-line 

Ex. homegrown surveys or Abroad101.como  Re-entry Program

Ex. Ice Cream/Pizza Party Debriefings 

Did pre-departure prepare them for trip? Ambassador programs 

at fairs, info. sessions, etc.

Best PracticesShort-Term Abroad

• Define your outcomeso What do you hope to achieve

• Engage the studentso Allow them to be involved in learning

• Prepare them for what they will potential experienceo Make them aware of cultural shock

• Solicit feedback after pre-departure and after the tripo On-line feedback tends to work best

• Use feedbacko Ex. Altoona

Pre-Departure Programming Example:Radford: The Three-Hour Pre-Departure

Marathon

• Using a passport, students visit stations and collect stamps o Health/Safetyo Academic Rigoro Culture Shocko Packingo Student Conduct (incl. Alcohol/Drugs)o Communication

• Lobby is set up as a port-of-entry, each station has "passport control"

• Students receive a visa stamp upon completion for the country where they are headed.

Radford: The Three-Hour Pre-Departure Marathon

• International Education Center - 20-page handbook• Faculty-Staff Committee - designs content of station

presentations and selects materials o Student Affairs, Police Department, Faculty,

Administrators  • Returnee Students (Global Highlanders) - port-of-

entry officers and passport control officials, also co-presenting materials with a faculty-staff member

• Game/prizes available to those successfully answering questions based on station content

Radford Model - Pros and Cons

Pros -• One-stop shopping• Faculty-staff

collaboration• Active from a physical

standpoint • Social benefits -

students meet everyone who will be abroad

• Lots of materials distributed

• IEC Branding

Cons - • TMI - Too much

information at one time?

• Danger of superficial treatment of important content

• No guarantee faculty leader will reinforce message

• Overgeneralizations

Resources

• wilderdom.com/games/Icebreakers.html• http://www.unr.edu/oiss/toolbox/index.html  • www.abroad101.com• www.pacific.edu/culture• www.plseminars.com•  Thiagarajan, S. (2006).  Barnga: A Simulation Game

on cultural clashes. Boston: Intercultural Press• Hofstede, G.J., Pedersen, P., and Hofstede, G.

(2002).  Exploring Culture: Exercises, Stories and Synthetic Cultures. Boston: Intercultural Press

 

Small Group Activity

DIVIDEDISCUSS

DISCOVER

DISCUSS

Best Practices: Materials 

What works for you? What have you tried?

 

DISCUSS

Best Practices: Student Engagement 

What works for you? What have you tried?

 

DISCUSS

Best Practices: Feedback Techniques

 What works for you? What have you tried?