The ability to recognise and understand your own cultural context is a prerequisite to understanding and interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds. An intercultural learning approach encourages us to develop an understanding of culture and cultural difference, through reflecting on our own context and experience.

Over the past three decades, the population of international students throughout the world has steadily increased. Although university students choose to study in locations other than their home country for a variety of reasons, including professional development and disciplinary training, nearly all education abroad programs have intercultural learning as a central goal. In this Element, perspectives derived from cross-cultural psychological research are applied to an investigation of the effectiveness of study abroad as a mechanism for intercultural learning. Effectiveness is broadly defined and includes not only overall favorable program outcomes, such as gains in intercultural skills, knowledge, attitudes, and awareness, but also a recognition that study abroad experiences and outcomes may vary depending upon participants' diverse and intersectional identities. Best practices for facilitating intercultural learning through study abroad are identified and strategies are outlined for addressing the methodological challenges of research in this area.

As a consequence of globalization and internationalization, there has been a dramatic increase in the number and diversity of students who are gaining international educational experience. Making connections between contemporary study abroad research, theory, and practice, Intercultural Interventions in Study Abroad describes innovative programmes that have been designed to deepen the intercultural learning and engagement of student sojourners. In addition to reviewing the benefits and limitations of these interventions, this volume offers recommendations for further enhancements in the field. Exploring examples of intercultural interventions in a wide variety of countries from pre- to post-study abroad, this book helps readers develop a critical awareness of their strengths and limitations, and provides directions for future developments in intercultural pedagogy. Written by intercultural educators and study abroad scholars from different parts of the world, each chapter describes an innovative pedagogical intervention that has been designed to enhance intercultural learning and engagement, including: designing and implementing pre-sojourn intercultural workshops; using guided, critical reflection to deepen students' intercultural learning and engagement; monitoring class interaction to maximize intercultural learning; optimizing intercultural learning and engagement abroad through online mentoring. Truly international in scope, this text is essential for study abroad professionals who seek to enhance the intercultural development, global-mindedness, and second-language learning of students through innovative intercultural programming.

As the world becomes more globalized, student populations in educational settings will continue to grow in diversity. To ensure students develop the cultural competence to adapt to new environments, educational institutions must develop curriculum, policies, and programs to aid in the progression of cultural acceptance and understanding. Multicultural Instructional Design: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is a vital reference source for the latest research findings on inclusive curriculum development for multicultural learners. It also examines the interaction between culture and learning in academic environments and the efforts to mediate it through various educational venues. Highlighting a range of topics such as intercultural communication, student diversity, and language skills, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for educators, professionals, school administrators, researchers, and practitioners in the field of education.

A central purpose of this book is to question the claims commonly made about the educational benefits of study abroad. Traditional metrics of enrollment increases and student self-report, and practices of structural immersion, are being questioned as educators voice growing uncertainty about what students are or are not in fact learning abroad. This book looks into whether these criticisms are justified—and what can be done if they are.The contributors to this book offer a counter-narrative to common views that learning takes place simply through students studying elsewhere, or through their enrolling in programs that take steps structurally to “immerse” them in the experience abroad.Student Learning Abroad reviews the dominant paradigms of study abroad; marshals rigorous research findings, with emphasis on recent studies that offer convincing evidence about what undergraduates are or are not learning; brings to bear the latest knowledge about human learning and development that raises questions about the very foundations of current theory and practice; and presents six examples of study abroad courses or programs whose interventions apply this knowledge. This book provokes readers to reconsider long-held assumptions, beliefs and practices about teaching and learning in study abroad and to reexamine the design and delivery of their programs. In doing so, it provides a new foundation for responding to the question that may faculty and staff are now asking: What do I need to know, and what do I need to be able to do, to help my students learn and develop more effectively abroad? Contributors:Laura BathurstMilton BennettGabriele Weber BosleyJohn EngleLilli Engle Tara HarveyMitchell HammerDavid KolbBruce La Brack Kris Hemming LouKate McClearyCatherine MenyhartR. Michael PaigeAngela PassarelliAdriana Medina-López PortilloMeghan QuinnJennifer Meta RobinsonRiikka SalonenVictor SavickiDouglas StuartMichael Vande BergJames ZullWhile the authors who have contributed to Student Learning Abroad are all known for their work in advancing the field of education abroad, a number have recently been honored by leading international education associations. Bruce La Brack received NAFSA’s 2012 Teaching, Learning and Scholarship Award for Innovative Research and Scholarship. Michael Paige (2007) and Michael Vande Berg (2012) are recipients of the Forum on Education Abroad’s Peter A. Wollitzer Award.

What can students learn from studying abroad? Building the theoretical foundation for learning outcomes -- How can we help students learn? Building the pedagogy to achieve learning outcomes -- How do I apply the PRISM? Building a cache of materials and strategies for developing student learning -- Appendix A: Making it work: syllabus for a one-credit course -- Appendix B: Making it creative: moving beyond the classroom -- Appendix C: Making it available: student handouts

Comprehensive and evidence-based, this book presents the best practices for designing and sustaining study abroad programs to maximize the outcomes and benefits of education abroad for all students. Distilling the history, research, and variations of study abroad programs, Goertler and Schenker provide a clear-eyed analysis of the lessons learned and the common obstacles associated with education abroad. Organized in three parts – the state of education abroad in the US; research on education abroad outcomes; and best practices – Goertler and Schenker demonstrate the benefits of long-term study abroad for the development of advanced language skills and intercultural competence, and the need for diversity in participation. Chapters offer theory-based, practice-proven recommendations to invigorate, innovate, and implement successful study abroad programs that are sustainable and ethically engage with the local community. The authors discuss design features to maximize language proficiency and intercultural competence. Grounded in up-to-date research and theory, the book responds to the challenges associated with long-term education abroad programs and provides recommendations on (re)invigorating long-term programs and diversifying participation in education abroad. From Study Abroad to Education Abroad is vital reading for academics, researchers, and students in the fields of language education and education policy, as well as practitioners, such as language program coordinators and education abroad administrators.