User Guide for Parents
Welcome to the Global Scholar Online Course!
This course has been developed by The Center for Global Education including information from students who have studied abroad, the staff who work with them in the U.S. and abroad, faculty who teach students abroad, and researchers in the field who have developed materials to help students through the process. Students will benefit from their experience by finding out tips and techniques to prepare for their program, how to cope with challenges that may arise while they're abroad, how to make the most of their study abroad experience while they’re there, tips for dealing with issues that may arise after their return home, and advice on where they can go from here personally and in their career preparation. It provides them the opportunity for cross-cultural learning, making better sense of their experiences abroad, and to further refine their skills in cross-cultural observation, adaptation, and communication.
Along with content developed by the Center, we have shared some of the best material in the field, including some resources from What’s Up With Culture? , School of International Studies, University of the Pacific, Bruce La Brack, ed. (2003), funding by FIPSE, U.S. Department of Education and Maximizing Study Abroad: A Students' Guide to Strategies for Language and Culture Learning and Use by Paige, R. M., Cohen, A. D., Lassegard, J., Chi, J. C., & Kappler, B. (2002)with permission from the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) at the University of Minnesota.
The course consists of three separate sections designed to be of help to students depending on what stage of the study abroad journey they are in:
Course 1: Before you leave
Course 1 is for students who are in the pre-study abroad stage, whether they are thinking about study abroad, searching for a program, or preparing for departure. This course provides them with the opportunity to determine their goals for study abroad, know how to search for the program that is best for them, learn what documents they need, and prepare for cross-cultural and language learning. We encourage you to take an active role in this section, helping your child to choose the program that is right for them and making sure that they are prepared for their journey!
Course 2: While You’re Abroad
Course 2 is for students who are already abroad on their study abroad program. Whether they have just arrived overseas, are well into their program, or are getting ready to return home, this course will give students the tools to make the most of their experience abroad! They will find out how to cope with challenges that may arise while they're abroad, how they can take care of things they may not have prepared for, and how to get ready for their return home.
Course 3: Once You Return
Course 3 is for students who have returned home after their study abroad program. Here they will find tips and techniques to help them with their return home, how to cope with the issues that may arise after they return, and how to continue the learning. This course provides them with the opportunity to continue with reflections on the foreign experience, on the odd, sometimes painful and unexpected process of cultural re-adaptation, on the integration of their intense international experiences with their current intellectual and emotional lives, and on where they can go from here personally and in their career preparation. It provides them the opportunity to continue the cross-cultural learning process, to make better sense of their experiences abroad, and to further refine their skills in cross-cultural observation, adaptation, and communication. We encourage you to go through parts of the course with your child; the process of returning home often presents more of a challenge than going abroad was. Students at this stage often need a great deal of support from their family and friends.
The user guide for students contains more comprehensive information about the different course components.
The user guide for students contains more comprehensive information about the different course components. |
