Summer study-abroad program as experiential learning: Examining similarities and differences in international communication

Colleges and universities nationwide are adding courses on international and intercultural communication to their curriculum as a way to prepare their students for the global workplace which awaits them. As part of this process, both on-campus and study-abroad courses have been initiated and expanded to enhance students' knowledge of and sensitivity toward other cultures (Driskill, Arjannikova, & Schneider, 2010). Study abroad courses specifically allow for a more authentic educational experience, "an opportunity of observing society by living in physical and social conditions utterly unconnected with his own" (Battsek, 1962, p. 228). While international and intercultural campus initiatives are important and beneficial, nothing can compare with the actual experience of being somewhere different and needing to communicate effectively.According to Hooper (2000), mastery of the process of cross-cultural learning, communication, and human relations is more important than the depth to which one comes to know the culture under study. Based on prior research and instructional goals, Driskill et al. (2010) have created four categories of learning objectives to assist educators in creating effective courses: awareness, knowledge, skills/behavior, and motivation/attitudes. Specifically, these four objectives are: (1) to become more aware of one's own culture and communication styles and how they differ from that of other cultures (Gaston, 2001); (2) to understand how culture affects the communication process (Millette, Steinfatt, & Hericks, 2000); (3) to develop analytical skills in examining intercultural interactions (Pierson, 1996); and (4) to increase sensitivity to "the complexity of intercultural interactions" (Bradford & Drzewiecka, 1997, p. 2). While the authors believe that all four categories of learning objectives are important, for the purpose of this exploratory study, awareness, knowledge, and attitudes are the central focus.Literature ReviewCentral to the development of intercultural communication competency is experiential learning and situated cognition (Jacobson, 1996). Experiential learning focuses on the role of experience in the learning process as well as the role of reason operating within the context of experience. Experiential learning has personal involvement, is self-initiated, is pervasive, and is evaluated by the learner, therefore having relevance to the whole person (Schunk, 2012). Personal involvement and pervasiveness are especially important to this study as cognitions and feelings as well as behavioral and attitude changes are explored in relation to the study abroad experience.In the context of study abroad specifically, situated cognition plays a critical role in the experiential learning process because, according to this theory, learning should be authentic to the context of study and situated in a community of practice. "Learning is a co-constructed process in which all participants change and are transformed through their actions and relations in the world" (Driscoll, 2005, p. 159). Schunk (2012) noted that situated cognition is important to the development of competency. The heart of situated cognition in the context of this study is reflected in the following statement by Battsek (1962). There is the intrinsic value of being forced into social situations where the security and protection of the home is absent and of gaining an awareness of situations, which does not often come to a young person unless he is forced to take a stand on social matters that have no real meaning for him in his own surroundings. (p. 229)Lindsey (2005) presented similar findings, stating "study abroad offers a unique opportunity for students to confront both differences and similarities in many aspects of culture and values, as well as develop specific skills in multicultural competence" (p. 232), a process that requires dialogue and discussion, according to Danzig and Jing (2007). …