Constructing the Learning Outcomes with Intercultural Assessment: A 3-Year Study of a Graduate Study Abroad and Glocal Experience Programs

Abstract

Constructing the learning outcomes and designing the optimal learning environment are valuable practices in teaching and learning endeavors. Doing so for intercultural learning requires a deft balance of learner inputs and instructional acumen. Assessment of intercultural competence is an essential component since it offers
 learners and instructors insights on where students are, where they wish to grow, and the success of treatment
 outcomes. In this study of practice, we examine three years of pre-post mixed-method intercultural assessment data, along with teaching and learning practices and outcomes, to gain insights into how this work of instructional design for intercultural competence can succeed. We also provide suggestions for improvements. The learners were 203 MBA students from the U.S. Pacific Northwest who were enrolled in either a short-term study abroad program or a “glocal” learning experience course. Learners were assessed using the Inter
 cultural Effectiveness Scale (IES) and the AAC&U VALUE Rubric on Intercultural Knowledge and Competency (IKAC). Results support the criticality of intentional instructional course design based on intercultural assessment data for improved intercultural competency development.

Summer study abroad in Japan: Maximizing intercultural competency development through self‐guided cultural exploration and reflection tasks

“…Most of the IES dimensions overlap with the key dimensions revealed by the study of Matveev and Merz (2014), such as culture specific knowledge, attitude, open-mindedness/ flexibility, and motivation. The IES has been tested with thousands of respondents around the world and used in diverse SA contexts, such as India (Richards & Doorenbos, 2016), Indonesia and Romania (Bell et al, 2017), Ghana, France, China, Italy, and so forth (Nguyen, 2017), rural Africa (Armstrong, 2020) and as an assessment tool for campus wide internationalization efforts (Cartwright et al, 2021). 1 The IES consists of six dimensions: self-awareness, exploration, world orientation, relationship development, positive regard, and emotional resilience.…”

“…To assess the qualitative evidence, the AAC&U's Intercultural Knowledge and Competence Value Rubric ( 2009) was used as an assessment rubric. The Intercultural Knowledge and Competence Value Rubric six dimensions overlap substantively with the IES six dimensions (Cartwright et al, 2021). Students' writings were analyzed by both authors separately for evidence of ICC development.…”

Growing intercultural speakers in novice Italian: A virtual versus face‐to‐face comparison

“…In addition, the IKC rubric articulates criteria and developmental performance descriptors on four levels for each component. It has been shown to have construct validity and reliability (Gray et al, 2019) and has been used for qualitative outcome assessment to capture a snapshot of student level (Richards & Doorenbos, 2016), as a direct measure of learning (Cartwright et al, 2021), and as a guide for aligning learning outcomes with interventions (Guberman, 2020).…”

Enhancing Team Communication Skills via Portable Intercultural Module in a Systems Thinking Class

“…Additionally, the rubric has been assessed to have construct validity and reliability [21]. It is often used for formative assessment and qualitative outcome assessment to directly measure student learning [22] and as a guide for aligning learning outcomes with intervention objectives [23].…”