Experiential learning… remotely: Study abroad, global citizenship and NGO management

Abstract

Experiential learning has become a fundamental pillar of higher education, particularly in public administration and nonprofit management programmes. This approach purposefully aims to engage learners directly in (a) concrete experiences; (b) focused, personal reflection; (c) abstract conceptualizations and (d) active experimentation. As universities have increased attention on experiential learning, they have also developed more study‐abroad opportunities that position global citizenship as a primary expected learning outcome. Following the cancellation of study‐abroad opportunities during the COVID‐19 pandemic, this study provides an opportunity to review the student outcomes of two courses with the same materials, course focus (NGOs in Southeast Asia) and learning objectives: a study‐abroad cohort in 2016 and a remote cohort in 2020. The findings suggest that the remote version may lead to similar outcomes in terms of global citizenship dispositions as the in‐person version, although students in the remote version exhibited a more superficial, homogenized response to course materials. Implications for online, on‐site and hybrid learning are discussed.