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The role of the fieldbook: a pedagogical tool for intercultural learning

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The role of the fieldbook: a pedagogical tool for intercultural learning

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Content Running head: THE ROLE OF THE FIELDBOOK 1

THE ROLE OF THE FIELDBOOK:
A PEDAGOGICAL TOOL FOR INTERCULTURAL LEARNING

by

Whitney Huss Sherman

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

August 2016

Copyright 2016 Whitney Huss Sherman
THE ROLE OF THE FIELDBOOK

2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I have deep gratitude and respect for my chair Dr. Mark Robison, whose feedback,
attention to detail, and encouragement was instrumental in finishing my dissertation. I am also
grateful for the other committee members, Dr. Robert Filback and Dr. Anne Marlenga. I
wholeheartedly appreciate your valuable suggestions and guidance. It was an incredible
experience to discuss my topic in great depth with such esteemed leaders in international
education.
Thank you to Pitzer College Office of Study Abroad and International Programs. To
Mike Donahue, Dr. Michael Ballagh, and all of the study participants. I am forever grateful for
your support and interest in helping me pursue this study.
To my husband Wes, my guiding light, who has stood by me through it all. Without you,
I would not have achieved this very delicate balance of school, career, and new motherhood. To
Ivy, my Lou, my love—you have already taught me so much about patience and perseverance. I
can’t wait to introduce more of the world to you. To my parents, thank you for teaching me that
leaving your comfort zone brings new possibilities. Your eternal support and guidance has been
crucial in all aspects of my life. To my oldest sister, Megan, your own academic success showed
me that with curiosity and persistence, anything is possible. To my middle sister, Abby, thank
you for the constant inspiration to be the best version of myself. To my mother-in-law, Barbara,
thank you for guiding the way and offering endless positivity. To my soul sister Anna, I have so
much gratitude for your spark and light. To my cohort and friends in the program, thank you for
sharing your journey. We are agents of change who are shaping the landscape of learning and
education—let’s take on the world.
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This labor of love elucidated my life’s purpose: to advance the reach of international
education. Since first teaching abroad in Poland in 1999, and subsequently teaching, studying,
and managing programs among different cultures throughout the world, I am truly enthralled
with the power that intercultural dialogue can have in fostering deep respect and mutual
understanding. In the words of Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, “The only true voyage
of discovery, the only fountain of Eternal Youth, would be not to visit strange lands but to
possess other eyes, to behold the universe through the eyes of another, of a hundred others, to
behold the hundred universes that each of them beholds.”

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Table of Contents
List of Tables 5
List of Figures 6
Abstract 7
Chapter One: Overview of the Study 9
Background of the Problem 10
Statement of the Problem 13
Purpose of the Study 14
Significance of the Study 15
Organization of the Study 18
Chapter Two: Literature Review 19
Context of Study Abroad 19
Intervention in Study Abroad 25
Intercultural Competence 29
Pitzer College Study Abroad 35
Experiential Learning Theory 39
Chapter Summary 46
Chapter Three: Methodology 47
Research Questions 47
Population 47
Methodological Framework 49
Data Collection 51
Trustworthiness of Data 53
Role of Investigator 54
Chapter Summary 55
Chapter Four: Results and Discussion 56
Program Context 56
Study Sample 63
Part I: Results for Research Question One 66
Part II: Results for Research Question Two 83
Chapter Summary 95
Chapter Five: Conclusions 96
Summary of the Study 97
Summary of Findings 99
Research Question One 99
Research Question Two 102
Limitations and Delimitations 104
Implications for Practice 105
Future Research 110
Conclusion 111
References 113
Appendix A: Fieldbook Document Analysis Protocol 127
Appendix B: Pitzer in Nepal Fieldbook Coding Rubric 128
Appendix C: Interview Protocol for Pitzer Fieldbook Administrators 129

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List of Tables
Table 1: Study Abroad Levels 23
Table 2: Pitzer in Nepal Academic Courses and Credit 58
Table 3: Fieldbook Document Analysis Protocol 65

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List of Figures
Figure A: Deardorff’s Process Model of Intercultural Competence 31
Figure B: Stages of Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity 32
Figure C: Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle 40
Figure D: Experiential Learning Framework for Study Abroad 42
Figure E: Experiential Learning Framework for Study Abroad 50
Figure F: Model of Learning Through Personal Experience 57
Figure G: Visual Sample of Fieldbook Assignments 62
Figure H: Promoting Intercultural Learning through the Fieldbook 69

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Abstract
In the age of an interdependent global economy, it is increasingly important for
institutions of higher education to produce skilled graduates who have the knowledge,
awareness, and expertise to function across cultures. While study abroad participation is at a
record high, there is a gap between the learning that university administrators expect to occur as
a result of study abroad and the learning outcomes that are actually met. Current research
indicates that there must be a commitment to support ongoing student learning in study abroad
programs, but there are few studies that examine a single learning intervention tool in depth.
This qualitative case study explored how a series of structured writing assignments known as the
Fieldbook facilitate intercultural learning within Pitzer College’s study abroad program in Nepal.
The study also examined the ways in which the Fieldbook exhibits characteristics of experiential
learning. The study population consisted of Pitzer College study abroad program directors and
individual student Fieldbooks from Pitzer in Nepal, a semester-long study abroad program for
U.S. undergraduate students. A combination of experiential learning theory (Kolb, 1984;
Roberts, Conner & Jones, 2013) and the process model of intercultural competence (Deardorff,
2006) served as the framework. Results of the study establish that the Fieldbook contributes to
intercultural learning through: living with local families, engaging in metacognitive strategies,
reinforcing content knowledge, and receiving individualized feedback from Fieldbook
facilitators. The Fieldbook also aligns with key principles of experiential learning theory
including its use as a safe space for program participants to navigate their cultural experiences,
its capacity to guide learner reflection, and its ability to appeal to learners’ interests. Overall,
this study found that Pitzer’s Fieldbook is a highly relevant pedagogical device which steers the
learning that takes place during the study abroad experience. A major implication of the study is
THE ROLE OF THE FIELDBOOK

8
that study abroad programs should adopt guided reflection strategies as the cornerstone of the
program format.
Keywords: intercultural learning, experiential learning, guided reflection, study abroad,
campus internationalization

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CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
National policymakers consider the internationalization of U.S. higher education critical
in order for universities to produce skilled graduates who have the capacity and disposition to
comprehend and act appropriately on issues of global significance (International Association of
Universities, 2012; Boix Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). Contemporary society requires graduates
to possess the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in a global economy. This relationship
between skills and knowledge involves not only higher education institutions but also
governments concerned with national prosperity (Naidoo, 2003). To produce skilled graduates,
universities offer opportunities for students to pursue their academic studies abroad which can
often lead to increased global awareness and the acquisition of transferable skills. Not all study
abroad programs maximize student learning; however, with appropriate pedagogical design,
administrators can customize programs that catalyze learning and instill deep intercultural
competence.
This study examines how intercultural learning is facilitated and supported within Pitzer
College’s semester study abroad programs. In particular, the research investigates the role of the
Fieldbook, a learning tool implemented across five Pitzer Programs including Pitzer in
Botswana, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Italy, and Nepal. The study focuses on the Fieldbook’s
implementation in Nepal along with examining perceptions of it from other Fieldbook facilitators
within Pitzer study abroad programs. Through a series of structured writing assignments, the
Fieldbook requires students to explore the theoretical and experiential learning components of
their study abroad program where they examine, clarify, and express their thoughts, feelings, and
beliefs as they develop throughout the semester abroad (Pitzer in Botswana, 2015). The
Fieldbook aims to play a vital role in each student’s intercultural learning by requiring
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interaction with the host culture in order to complete assignments. Students reflect upon and
analyze each experience within the context of the Fieldbook. This is done through integrating
course readings, lectures, and discussions from their core cultural course (Pitzer in Botswana,
2015). This study focuses on the Fieldbook’s use as a curricular tool specifically in the Pitzer in
Nepal program and will examine the extent to which it promotes substantive intercultural
learning among participants.
Background of the Problem
Many campuses across the U.S. are in the process of executing comprehensive
internationalization plans in order to graduate skilled and knowledgeable students ready to face
the global workforce. Increasing study abroad participation among U.S. university students is a
common strategy used to expand international engagement at higher education institutions. The
intersection of globalization, internationalization, study abroad, and intercultural learning plays a
major role in preparing students to flourish in the global economy. This section considers how
facilitating intercultural learning can further internationalize U.S. campuses while aligning with
the forces of globalization.
Globalization and Internationalization
Globalization pervades almost all aspects of contemporary society in numerous ways. It
fosters a functional interdependence among cultural values, religious beliefs, the structures and
functions of media and communication, as well as education (Kim & Bhawuk, 2008). As a
result of technological advances, increased trade, and improved transportation, globalization
invokes dramatic changes across economic, political, social, and cultural contexts. The
definition and scope of globalization widened significantly since first referenced as
“globalization of markets” in a global economics context (Levitt, 1983, p. 92). As globalization
THE ROLE OF THE FIELDBOOK

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strengthens and increases the speed of communication across cultures, the global economy
transforms to become interconnected and primarily knowledge and information-based. As a
result, individuals across cultures need access to this knowledge as well as the ability to navigate
different communicational and cultural contexts.
The massive shifts taking place throughout society require educational institutions to
respond in order to thrive in the global economy. To cope with this dynamic climate, institutions
alter their missions and structures in order to meet globalization’s demands (Rumbley, Altbach &
Reiser, 2012). Changes across institutions include implementing initiatives such as branch
campuses, international partnerships, and English-medium degrees and language programs
(Altbach & Knight, 2007). These activities are a response to globalization known as
internationalization, where institutions integrate an “international, intercultural, or global
dimension in the purpose, functions, or delivery of higher education” (Knight, 2003, p. 2). In
order to build capacity at the student level, major research institutions and elite liberal arts
colleges lead internationalization efforts where they implement strategies such as increasing
international student enrollment, internationalizing the curriculum, and offering immersive
international opportunities for students such as study abroad. Incrementally, these types of
institutions adjust their visions, missions, goals, and values to promote the idea that, through
means such as study abroad programming, they equip their graduates with the tools to thrive on
the global stage.
Although universities refine their missions to emphasize the importance of international
education, institutions need to operationalize the delivery of their study abroad programming.
Institutions generally agree it is important for their students to be global citizens who have
diverse worldviews and global perspectives within their academic fields, communication skills,
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cross-cultural sensitivity and adaptability; however, there is a gap between the knowledge and
practice of acquiring such abilities. Intercultural competence is not innate; it is a developmental
process that must be adequately supported through appropriate preparation, substantive
intercultural interactions, and relationship building (Deardorff, 2009). This calls for institutions
to consider how the curriculum, instructors, and components of study abroad programs support
intercultural learning and ultimately foster intercultural competence among students.
Internationalization and Study Abroad
Due to the demands of globalization, institutions have placed a greater focus on the
volume and reach of higher education study abroad programs. As a result, study abroad
participation rates among U.S. students have increased from between 50,000 and 60,000 during
the 1980s to 304,467 during the 2013-2014 academic year (IIE, 2015). These figures coincide
with the progression of internationalization plans at various U.S. institutions.
Internationalization plans connect institutional activities with the learning necessary to produce
graduates with key knowledge and skills. As a general guide for campus action,
internationalization plans may consist of an overall vision, strategic priorities, action items, and
benchmarking and performance indicators (Olson, Green & Hill, 2006). As many of these plans
focus on promoting international learning, university administrators view study abroad
programming as a measurable solution for achieving certain internationalization goals. While
specific outcomes of internationalization plans may vary, they often call for action to produce
graduates who are global-ready for the twenty-first century workforce (Bremer, 2006).
While study abroad is recognized as an important learning experience that can contribute
to internationalization, programs vary greatly in their learning objectives, scope, and design. As
U.S. institutions internationalize their campuses and study abroad participation continues to
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increase, there is a need for higher education administrators to consider how the design of study
abroad programs develops, supports, and prepares global-ready graduates.
College and university leaders generally understand that study abroad experiences have
the potential to facilitate intercultural learning, where students build the knowledge, skills,
attitudes, and awareness that promote competencies such as higher-order skills and knowledge
about global issues (Bennett, M. J, 1993; Bennett, J. M., 2008; Deardorff, 2006). Within the
international education field, the acquisition and development of such competencies is defined as
intercultural competence, or the ability to behave and communicate effectively and appropriately
based on one’s intercultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes in order to achieve a specific goal
(Deardorff, 2006). Study abroad can play a vital role in institutional internationalization efforts.
When students return to campus with refined skill sets and fundamental abilities that will help
them succeed beyond graduation, both the student and institution gain.
Statement of the Problem
Upon returning to campus from a study abroad program, students often report to faculty
and study abroad administrators that their perspective on the host culture shifted (Lou & Bosley,
2008; Vande Berg, Paige & Lou, 2012). In order to ensure and intensify this metacognitive
impact, research demonstrates that programs should be intentionally designed to include certain
program characteristics that support intercultural learning (see Bennett, 1993; Bennett, 2010;
Engle & Engle, 2004; Hammer, 2012; La Brack, 1993; Lou & Bosley, 2008; Paige, Cohen,
Kappler, Chi, & Lassegard, 2002; Paige, Cohen, Kappler, Chi, & Lassegard,, 2006). Typically,
such program components focus on single student homestays, language pledges, coursework, and
co-curricular programming that aim to deepen the host culture interaction and connection (Lou &
Bosley, 2008). While characteristics of the program can be impactful, returning students often
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“have difficulty articulating specific knowledge acquisition and behavioral changes resulting
from that experience” (Lou & Bosley, 2008, p. 276).
Institutional stakeholders concerned with meeting internationalization goals cannot
assume students will return to home campuses with refined communication skills, deepened
cultural knowledge, and a global perspective. As a result, study abroad programs must be
constructed with intentionality and a commitment to support ongoing student learning. Despite
administrators recognizing that intercultural learning should be connected to internationalization
objectives, few program models exist with proven success in promoting learning of this nature.
Among current international education research, there is a dearth of studies that examine the
implementation and use of a single intervention method as a unit of analysis. Therefore, it is
valuable to focus on one curricular tool used across several programs and linguistic and cultural
contexts: the Pitzer Fieldbook.
Purpose of the Study
This study investigated how intercultural learning and the acquisition of intercultural
competence are operationalized through the use of a single intervention method called the
Fieldbook. As a case study, the implementation and use of this teaching tool was examined
within the context of the Pitzer in Nepal study abroad program in order to determine the extent to
which it facilitates intercultural learning, or the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and awareness that
promote intercultural competence as defined above. Utilizing qualitative means including
interviewing Pitzer program staff and analyzing individual Fieldbooks, the study provides a
better understanding of how the Fieldbook shapes the facilitation of intercultural learning among
program participants. It also describes the extent to which the Fieldbook demonstrates evidence
of experiential learning.
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A combination of experiential learning theory (Kolb, 1984; Roberts, Conner & Jones,
2013) and the process model of intercultural competence (Deardorff, 2006) served as the
framework for conceptualizing how the Fieldbook catalyzes intercultural learning. The
framework emphasizes the importance of interaction and experience, reflection, cognitive load
management, and the role of the teacher or learning facilitator—all of which contribute to future
learning experiences and the development of intercultural competence. Experiential learning
theory consists of a cycle where learning is implicit and continuous; it begins with an experience
that incites reflection and results in formulating a hypothesis about the meaning of the experience
(Kolb, 1984). The process model of intercultural competence identifies certain attitudes needed
to promote effective and appropriate communication and behavior (Spitzberg & Changnon,
2009). Chapter Two further considers the relationships between experiential learning theory, the
process model of intercultural competence, and study abroad in an intercultural context. This
study answered the following research questions:
• To what extent does the use of the Fieldbook promote intercultural learning among
participants in Pitzer College Study Abroad Programs?
• In what ways does the Fieldbook support the principles of experiential learning
theory?
Significance of the Study
This dissertation examined the efficacy of the Fieldbook in order to provide scholarly,
evidence-based results that can contribute to the construction of a single intervention method to
be adapted into study abroad programming across various linguistic and cultural contexts.
International education research demonstrates that certain intervention strategies such as guided
reflection, orientation and re-entry courses, and providing cultural mentors such as host families
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are central to student learning abroad (Bennett, 1993; Bennett, 2010; Engle & Engle, 2004;
Hammer, 2012; La Brack, 1993; Lou & Bosely, 2008; Paige et. al, 2002; Paige et. al, 2006).
Despite evidence that such characteristics are effective, many study abroad initiatives fail to
focus on a single, dominant intervention method such as the implementation of the Fieldbook
and its extensive reflective writing assignments. Without intentionally designing study abroad
programs around intervention strategies, students are unlikely to be able to successfully articulate
newly acquired, transferrable skills and are more likely to view the study abroad semester or year
as disparate from their holistic undergraduate experience (Hovland, McTighe Musil, Skilton‐ Sylvester, & Jamison, 2009; Selby, 2008).
While Pitzer adopts several intervention methods including host families, cultural
mentors, and basic orientation and re-entry programming, the Fieldbook is the fundamental
intervention approach carried out across its programs. Pitzer College was selected as the subject
of the case study because its approach to study abroad program design and implementation is
unique within international education. While the Fieldbook assignments are adapted to the
cultural context of its seven flagship programs, Pitzer faculty, study abroad staff, and students
universally recognize and support the use of the Fieldbook. Students are introduced to aspects of
the Fieldbook during the application phase and as a curricular component that has been in
existence for close to two decades. Prospective study abroad participants are familiar with the
idea of the Fieldbook prior to applying. Pitzer’s employment of the Fieldbook and guided
reflection through writing is not limited to its flagship programs as Pitzer students participating
in over 140 approved non-flagship programs (direct enrollment or outgoing exchange programs)
are required to participate in a parallel writing course. Students regularly submit assignments
electronically to on-campus Pitzer faculty.
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Another distinct characteristic of Pitzer Study Abroad and International Programs is their
consistently high study abroad participation rates, with close to 75% Pitzer students participating
in the office’s seven flagship study abroad and 140 direct enrollment and exchange programs
(Pitzer College Admissions FAQs, n.d.). Compared to the 9.9% national average for
undergraduate study abroad, Pitzer exceeds study abroad participation standards (IIE, 2015).
Furthermore, for the past eleven years, Pitzer has been consistently named the highest producing
undergraduate institution for Fulbright Fellows (“Top Producers of Fulbright Students,” 2015).
Ten percent of the College’s 2014 graduate class won Fulbright Fellowships (“Pitzer College
Named #1 Fulbright Producer”, 2015).
By investigating how Pitzer utilizes a major teaching tool, this study adds to international
education literature by examining the extent to which the single intervention method of the
Fieldbook can facilitate intercultural learning in study abroad programs. The research is
beneficial for all stakeholders in the international education field, as students, faculty, and
practitioners can gain a better understanding of how and why the Fieldbook is implemented.
Furthermore, practitioners will learn how experiential learning theory can be applied to
programming in order to maximize student learning abroad.
As U.S. institutions internationalize their campuses and study abroad participation
continues to increase, there is a need for higher education administrators to consider to what
extent study abroad programs develop, support, and facilitate intercultural learning. When study
abroad programs are comprehensively designed and delivered, they can serve a fundamental
purpose in preparing students to succeed in a globalized economy. It is important to consider
how a key program component can impact intercultural learning and the acquisition of
intercultural competence among study abroad participants.
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Organization of the Study
This dissertation consists of five chapters. The first chapter introduced the problem and
the context surrounding it as well as the purpose of the study and an explanation of the study’s
significance. The first chapter also introduced Pitzer College and its relevance as a case study.
Chapter Two examines the literature related to study abroad and intercultural learning as well as
experiential learning, a major theoretical framework used in supporting student learning abroad.
Chapter Three provides a detailed explanation of the methodological approach to conducting a
qualitative case study. It also gives greater detail and context to Pitzer College Study Abroad
Programs and the Fieldbook as the study’s unit of analysis. The fourth chapter presents the
results of the case study, answering the research questions and establishing key themes. Lastly,
Chapter Five outlines the findings of the study and implications for both research and practice.

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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter reviews the relevant literature on intentional study abroad programming and
the role it plays in the development and acquisition of intercultural competence. Through
examining intercultural competence measures, limitations, and outcomes, this chapter considers
how the design of study abroad programs relates to intercultural learning. It also discusses the
framework of experiential learning and how it can be used to understand how pedagogical
strategies such as guided reflection can support and develop intercultural learning during a study
abroad experience.
Context of Study Abroad
Over the past four decades, study abroad programs have risen in popularity. In the 1980s,
participation rates ranged between 50,000 to 60,000 students per year. During the 2013-2014
academic year, those figures have increased over 500% to reach tripled to reach 304,467
according to the Institute of International Education (2015). Despite such growth, the total
proportion of undergraduate students who take advantage of study abroad remains low at less
than 10%, with the majority of students participating in short-term programs (IIE, 2015). IIE
defines short-term as occurring in the summer or lasting less than eight weeks, whereas mid-
length last one or two quarters or one semester and long-term programs occur over an academic
or calendar year (2015). The majority of students who study abroad (62%) participate in short-
term programs with 35% choosing mid-length and only 3% selecting long-term programs (IIE,
2015).
Current study abroad practice includes government-sponsored initiatives such as critical
language scholarship programs but also for-profit and non-profit provider programs as well as
university-administered programs. Along with the diversity of programs offered, locations now
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include both developing and developed countries. Though numerous options are available to
students, 53% of students choose to study in Europe with Latin America at 16%, Asia at 12%
and Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania combined at 10 % (IIE, 2015).
While higher education institutions expand opportunities to encourage more students to
acquire international experiences, U.S. policymakers have started to recognize the value of study
abroad. The Obama Administration launched several initiatives to deepen U.S. government
engagement with citizens abroad. Recently, the National Security Council’s Global Engagement
Directorate hosted a summit at the White House to discuss U.S. government initiatives and
strategies for encouraging American students to study, volunteer, and work abroad (Green,
2014). This event was the first of its kind to bring together students, international educators,
digital media strategists, and travel industry professionals to collaborate on inciting interest for
millennials to experience the world outside of the United States.
Outcomes of the summit aimed to strengthen several other study abroad-focused
government initiatives. These include the 100,000 Strong in the Americas, an ambitious goal to
increase student mobility between the U.S. and Latin America (U.S. Department of State, 2015)
and the Department of Education’s launch of the first fully defined international strategy (U.S.
Department of Education, 2012). In addition, the U.S. Department of State recently established a
study abroad office to advocate and promote the access of study abroad (U.S. Department of
State, 2015). Such efforts demonstrate that the U.S. government recognizes the value of and
supports students pursuing study abroad opportunities.
Study Abroad Program Models and Intercultural Learning
Study abroad programs meet students’ needs and interests in a multitude of ways through
certain approaches and models. Study abroad practitioners categorize the three most common
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semester-long programs into distinct models known as island, hybrid, and direct
enrollment/immersive (Engle & Engle, 2003). The island model replicates the curriculum and
structure of an American university, where students study alongside other U.S. students using a
set curriculum designed specifically for the study abroad participants. Often regarded as a “self-
contained context” or “bubble” (Norris & Dwyer, 2005, p. 121), island programs also may bring
faculty from U.S. institutions to teach participants onsite. The hybrid model enables greater
opportunity for intercultural interactions as students may enroll in special courses designed for
only U.S. study abroad students as well as courses alongside matriculating students at a local
university (Norris & Dwyer, 2005). Direct enrollment/full immersion programs allow students
to directly apply to and study alongside degree-seeking students at a local university. Individual
student support is often limited and usually provided by the host university’s international
student office (Norris & Dwyer, 2005). Other models include study tours, short-term study,
service learning, internship, as well as other specialized programs.
The degree to which certain program models facilitate intercultural learning varies.
Throughout the past few decades, there has been an assumption that the more immersive
environment made available to the student, the more learning will occur. Therefore, the direct
enrollment model was often considered the best method for building intercultural competence.
However, research has found that hybrid approaches can have equally sustainable effects on
participants, specifically in the areas of intercultural awareness and personal and academic
growth (Norris & Dwyer, 2005). This aligns with the concept of contact hypothesis (Pettigrew
& Tropp, 2000), which demonstrates that contact with the host culture does not necessarily
alleviate prejudice and in fact may even advance stereotypes (Otten, 2003). Unless students
perceive their experience as individualized (Paige, 1993) participants may not maximize their
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intercultural learning abroad. Therefore, the hybrid program model can be valuable in its ability
to customize and provide key learning experiences for participants (Norris & Dwyer, 2005).
As a way to systematize the design and implementation of programs and its impact on
intercultural learning, researchers have established prescriptive models that dissect how certain
program components impact the degree to which intercultural learning occurs. According to a
hierarchical classification system proposed by Engle and Engle (2003), it is clear that semester-
long programs afford the greatest opportunity to experience intercultural learning. Engle and
Engle identify program components that interact in order to create a certain approach or
emphasis within a program, primarily in the context of culture-based program types within study
abroad destinations that require foreign language skills (2003). The components consist of
length of sojourn, entry target-language skills, language used in coursework, the context of
academic work, types of student housing, opportunities for guided or structured cultural
interaction and experiential learning as well as the role of guided reflection on cultural
experience (Engle & Engle, 2003).

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Study abroad levels
______________________________________________________________________________
Table 1
Program
Components
Level One:
Study Tour
Level Two:
Short-Term
Study
Level Three:
Cross-Cultural
Contact
Program
Level Four:
Cross-Cultural
Encounter
Program
Level Five: Cross-
Cultural
Immersion
Program
Duration Several days to
a few weeks
3 to 8 weeks,
summer
programs
Semester Semester to
academic year
Semester to
academic year
Entry target-
language
competence
Elementary to
intermediate
Elementary to
intermediate
Elementary to
intermediate
Pre-advanced
to advanced
Advanced
Language
used in
course work
English English and
target-language
English and
target-language
Predominately
target-language
Target-language
in all curricular
and extra-
curricular
activities
Academic
work context
Home
institution
faculty
In-house or
institute for
foreign
students
Student group
or with other
international
students
In-house
student group
Local norms,
partial or
complete direct
enrollment
Housing Collective Collective
and/or home
stay
Collective,
home stay
visit, home
stay rental
Home stay
rental or
integration
home stay
Individual
integration home
stay
Provisions for
cultural
interaction,
experiential
learning
None None None or
limited
Optional
participation in
occasional
integration
activities
Required regular
participation in
cultural
integration
program,
extensive direct
cultural contact
via service
learning, work
internship
Guided
reflection on
cultural
experience
None Orientation
program
Orientation
program
Orientation
program, initial
and ongoing
Orientation
program,
mentoring, on-
going orientation
or course in cross-
cultural
perspectives,
reflective writing
and research
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Note. Reprinted from Study abroad levels: Toward a classification of program types, by Lilli
Engle and John Engle. Retrieved from Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad
(2003).
Engle & Engle’s classification system represents an intercultural learning spectrum where
students on one end are briefly introduced to a culture as part of a study system and at the far end
of the continuum, students can experience holistic cross-cultural immersion provided that the
program components are in place. For example, a study tour often lasts several days to a few
weeks where students need basic target-language competence, use English in their course work,
and primarily interact with their home institution faculty in an academic environment (Engle &
Engle, 2003). Typically, there are no opportunities for students to engage in intercultural and
experiential learning through guided reflection or cultural interactions (Engle & Engle, 2003).
On the opposite end of the scale is the long-term study abroad program which lasts a
semester or year, where students have advanced language proficiency, enroll in local institutions,
participate in homestays, and regularly take part in intercultural activities such as community
service or internships (Soneson, Lochner-Wright, & Navari, 1997; Engle & Engle, 2003; Norris
& Dwyer, 2005). This type of program, considered Level 5: Cross-Cultural Immersion Program,
intentionally supports intercultural learning through numerous provisions for cultural interaction.
Students at this end of the learning scope often participate in extensive orientation programs,
cultural mentoring through language exchange partners or extracurricular activities, and/or a
cross-cultural awareness course where they complete reflective writing and research (Engle &
Engle, 2003). The last two components listed on the table above, provisions for cultural
interaction and guided reflection, are integral to maximizing student learning abroad. Without
intentional design and implementation of each aspect of the as well as the combination of
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program components, students may not benefit from intercultural learning and increasing
intercultural competence.
Intervention in Study Abroad
The common thread among research in study abroad is that certain curricular and co-
curricular aspects of their programs must be intentionally integrated to achieve intercultural
learning outcomes. The term “intervention” implies that establishing such program components
is a means to take action in order to improve learning outcomes. Bennett (2008) outlines several
principles for developing intercultural competence, all of which underscore the need for certain
activities and experiences to be facilitated by faculty or administrators. She establishes that
factual knowledge about a certain culture such as history, geography, or politics is not equivocal
to carrying out effective intercultural interactions in that culture. To be effective in intercultural
interactions, the learner must acknowledge the learned and shared values, beliefs, and behaviors
of a culture (Bennett, 2008).
Bennett’s principles also assert that cultural contact does not necessarily lead to
intercultural competence and can invoke a sense of feeling unstable due to certain trigger events.
Nonetheless, the resulting trigger events are often the impetus for developing intercultural
competence (Bennett, 2008). Lastly, cultural contact does not always reduce stereotypes and
prejudice. Under certain conditions, intercultural contact may increase stereotypes and prejudice
(Pettigrew & Tropp, 2000). The above principles illustrate that utilizing appropriate intervention
strategies such as providing cultural mentors curricular integration is paramount. Thus,
intercultural learning can take place through adhering to a comprehensive program design that
takes these principles into account (Bennett, 2008).
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International education literature reexamines the intentionality of study abroad and the
extent to which educators should involve themselves in the study abroad experience (Vande
Berg, Paige & Lou, 2012). According to several research studies (Bennett, 1993; Bennett, 2010;
Engle & Engle, 2004; Hammer, 2012; La Brack, 1993; Lou & Bosley, 2008; Paige et al, 2002;
Paige et. al, 2006), the idea of staff or faculty intervening in study abroad programs, both through
curricular and co-curricular means, is central to student learning abroad. Also referred to as
cultural mentoring (Paige & Goode, 2009), numerous context-specific intervention approaches
exist, many of which depend on factors such as the program model, length, and learning
outcomes (Lou & Bosley, 2008). Developing intercultural competence is not innate—
participants need training and mentoring in order to change their “natural behavior […] and
transcend traditional ethnocentrism and to explore new relationships across cultural boundaries
(Bennett, 1993, p. 26).
Intercultural researchers agree that students need to be educated on what intercultural
competence is, how to cultivate it, and where to apply it. One research study in particular, the
Georgetown Consortium Project (Vande Berg, Connor-Linton, and Paige, 2009) is foundational
due to its longitudinal data, large sample size, and findings which demonstrate that intercultural
learning through study abroad increases through intervention methods such as education,
training, and mentoring. The study assessed 1,300 students across 61 study abroad programs
administered by U.S. institutions. It aimed to explore whether, and to what extent, certain
program and learner characteristics correlated with gains in student learning. The researchers
found that students benefit when their learning is facilitated through means such as structured
experiential activities, guided reflection, the context of academic work, and cultural mentors
such as host families. Implications of the study suggest that in order to maximize student
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learning, administrators and faculty must provide certain program components that can invoke
pivotal experiences.
Well before the Georgetown project’s findings began to resonate across the international
education field, the University of the Pacific (Pacific) has offered a program to support
intercultural development through a “continuum of experiential learning” since the mid-1970s
(La Brack, 1993, p. 245). Pacific provides two academic credit-bearing courses called Cross-
Cultural Training I and II, a pre-departure and re-entry course offered before and after the study
abroad program respectively (Vande Berg & Paige, 2009). According to La Brack, the re-entry
course “uses the actual overseas experience as a behavioral/social text to be deciphered,
analyzed, and finally melded with the student’s ongoing academic pursuits and personal
development” (1993, p. 245). As students examine where their recent study abroad experiences
intertwine with their present behaviors and emotions, they are able to “psychologically,
theoretically, and pragmatically” make sense of both the past and present (La Brack, 1993, p.
255). Pacific methodically introduces students to important intercultural concepts and skills
during the pre-departure phase, asks students to apply such concepts and skills while abroad, and
then upon re-entry, has students reflect upon how they applied these concepts and skills—all of
which facilitate intercultural competence (Vande Berg & Paige, 2009).
While Pacific implements pre-departure and re-entry courses as part of their study abroad
programming, there are other ways to ensure the development of students’ intercultural
competence. Sharing the general perspective of other study abroad researchers and practitioners,
researchers Lou & Bosley (2008) questioned the notion of complete immersion in the host
culture as being the optimal learning environment (Vande Berg & Paige, 2009). Using software
and email, Lou & Bosley (2008) designed “Intercultural Study within Cultural Immersion,” a
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writing-centered, online course for undergraduate students to take place during the study abroad
experience. Through writing assignments, peer reviews, and regular online interaction with
home university instructors, home university international students, and fellow students studying
abroad at various locations, the course facilitated learning concurrently with the before, during
and after stages of study abroad. The assessment of intercultural learning happening throughout
the course was pivotal, and the researchers used the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) to
substantiate the course’s efficacy in meeting its goals and learning outcomes (2008). The IDI is
an intercultural competence assessment tool that will be discussed further on in chapter two.
The course’s overall intent was to respond to the theory and research that underscores
how crucial intervention in study abroad is. The course serves the purpose of providing
systematic “effective, multifaceted immersion [that] provides the space and time for reflection
and guided discussion” (Lou & Bosley, 2008, p. 276). To engage in the intercultural learning
process “requires a framework within which students reflect on their experiences, analyze
behaviors and values, suggest tentative conclusions or generalizations, and apply such to the next
set of experiences” (Lou & Bosley, 2008, p. 278). Iterations of the course initially started in
1995 and are currently being implemented (Vande Berg & Paige, 2009).
A major component of Lou & Bosley’s course and other means to support intercultural
learning is the notion of facilitating student reflection. As a part of the intentional design of
programs, researchers agree there is a need for faculty and administrators to provide students
with ample opportunities to critically reflect upon and make meaning out of their experiences
(Braskamp, Braskamp & Merrill, 2009; Selby, 2008). Through focused reflection during the
study abroad experience, new knowledge is formed and can be applied to new situations
(Savicki, 2008). To boost student learning, program curriculum should deliberately provide
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opportunities for reflection on key experiences. Without such structure, students are unlikely to
be able to successfully articulate newly acquired transferrable skills and are more likely to view
the study abroad semester or year as disparate from their holistic undergraduate experience
(Hovland, McTighe Musil, Skilton‐ Sylvester, & Jamison, 2009; Selby, 2008).
When study abroad programs are comprehensively designed and delivered, they can
serve a fundamental purpose in preparing students to succeed in a globalized economy. It is
important for international educators to consider the contribution of recent research on
intercultural learning in order to fully understand existing frameworks and major strategies
behind intercultural learning. Based on the above research, programs that have a comprehensive
curriculum utilizing key strategies such as focused reflection can maximize intercultural learning
and the acquisition of intercultural competence among participants.
Intercultural Competence
Upon returning to campus from study abroad, it is common to hear a student remark how
their perspective has changed or that they are more aware of the rest of the world (Vande Berg,
Paige & Lou, 2012). Despite these common reactions, the idea of what students actually gain by
going abroad is elusive as there is no universally accepted definition of intercultural competence
(Deardorff, 2006). Researchers and practitioners across a range of fields from business to
education have adapted conceptualizations of intercultural competence to their specific context
and continue to redefine its function in their field (Spitzberg & Changnon, 2009).
Although intercultural competence is not universally defined across disciplines (and often
within specific disciplines), it is generally understood as the metacognitive practice of acquiring
the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to communicate and perform effectively and
appropriately in cultural contexts outside of one’s own (Bennett, 2008; Deardorff, 2006). The
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acquisition of intercultural competence, also a point of contention, can be understood as the
blending of cognitive and behavioral abilities to achieve a unifying goal (Bennett & Bennett,
2004; Deardorff, 2006; Hammer, Bennett, & Wiseman, 2003; Spitzberg & Changnon, 2009).
Within the context of education, the term intercultural competence is synonymous with
intercultural learning, intercultural effectiveness, intercultural capital, intercultural
communication competence, intercultural literacy, intercultural sensitivity, cross-cultural
awareness, multiculturalism, global mindset, and global learning, (Deardorff, 2006, 2011;
Bennett, 2008; Braskamp, 2008; Boix Mansilla & Jackson, 2011; UNESCO, 2013; Pöllman,
2014).
There are numerous frameworks associated with intercultural competence. The Process
Model of Intercultural Competence established by Deardorff (2006) is one of the most widely
recognized, having resulted from a seminal study that generated an agreed-upon consensus
among leading intercultural experts (Spitzberg & Changnon, 2009). As a grounded theory
model, it posits that intercultural learning is a linear process with no predetermined final goal for
students in the classroom—each experience becomes its own goal in the intercultural learning
process (Byram, 1997; Spitzberg & Changnon, 2009).

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Figure A. Deardorff’s Process Model of Intercultural Competence (Spitzberg & Changnon, 2009,
p. 33)
When students move through key experiences, they continue to learn, change, evolve,
and become transformed as time goes on. As a circular model, students shift between knowledge
and comprehension, internal outcomes (change of perspective), external outcomes such as
adopting appropriate behavior in certain situations, and experience an attitudinal transformation
surrounding certain personality characteristics such as being respectful, open-minded, and
curious. When students move through the continuum, research indicates that catalyzing key
experiences for each study abroad participant is integral to the learning process.
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Similar to the process model, the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity
(DMIS) adopts a constructivist approach that explains how people interpret cultural difference
(Bennett, 1986; Hammer, Bennett & Wiseman, 2003). Bennett’s work (1986) posits that
individuals experience six stages of cultural orientation as they acquire intercultural competence.
As individuals move through the six stages, they experience various cultural differences and the
DMIS demonstrates that their intercultural competence advances (Bennett, 1986; Hammer,
Bennett & Wiseman, 2003). Each cultural event or conflict plays a key role in how they shape
their worldview. Through each cultural conflict or event, the individual gains the ability to better
dissect and construct cultural difference, advancing their worldview.

Figure B. Stages of Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (Bennett, 1986)
According to Hammer, Bennett & Wiseman (2003), the stages of the DMIS reflect a state
of cognitive development where interpreting cultural differences can alter one’s perspective,
become “an active part of one’s worldview,” and lead to an “expanded understanding of one’s
own and other cultures and an increased competence in intercultural relations” (p. 423). The first
three stages depict more ethnocentrically-focused worldviews and demonstrate how people avoid
cultural difference by denying its existence, becoming defensive, or minimizing its importance.
The last three stages represent an ethno-relative alignment where one is aware of cultural
difference through accepting its importance, adapting one’s perspective, or integrating
intercultural sensitivity into one’s identity.
The initial cultural difference orientation commences within the ethno-relative range and
encompasses three stages: denial, defense reversal, and minimization. Denial consists of
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individuals who believe their own culture is superior and “the only real one” (p. 424). Defense
reversal is identified when individuals embody the idea of “us” vs. “them” as they often feel
attacked or threatened by cultural differences. Characteristics of individuals in the third stage,
minimization, may possess the point of view that people across cultures are similar—in
biological processes, certain religious, philosophical, economic, familial ideals, and other
categories the individual may recognize. Nonetheless, individuals who have reached
minimization must still progress through the second DMIS range in order to evolve
interculturally.
During the DMIS’ second and final range, the ethnorelative orientation, individuals
experience acceptance, adaptation, and integration as the final three stages. Acceptance involves
the realization that one’s own culture is a single worldview out of many. An individual in this
stage has the ability to recognize cultural differences both within and outside one’s culture.
Adaptation is when the individual possesses empathy and has the ability to take perspective on
one’s own and foreign cultures. Shifting out of the cognitive realm and into an affective state
and behavior modification, this individual can “express their alternative cultural experience in
culturally appropriate feelings and behavior” (p. 425). The outcome of adaptation is based on a
changed perspective. The individual habitualizes their frame of reference, establishing the
foundation of possessing characteristics of biculturality or multiculturality. Integration, the last
phase of the DMIS, describes the phase in which one’s self-identity is not limited to any central
culture, rather one can fluidly shift from one worldview to another. It is important to note that
integration is not more ideal than adaptation but characterizes more and more people such as
those of non-dominant cultures, third culture kids (children who grow up outside of their parents’
home culture), long-term expatriates, and other “global nomads.”
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The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), developed by Hammer, Bennett, and
Wiseman (2003), is an instrument developed to pinpoint an individual’s position within
Bennett’s theoretical model. As a 50-item survey, IDI tests an individuals’ cognitive, behavioral
and affective skills development both prior to and after the intercultural experience. The results
specify where an individual lies on the developmental spectrum of stages which include Denial,
Defense/Reversal, Minimization, Acceptance, Adaptation, and Integration. Extensive research
demonstrates that the IDI appropriately evaluates an individual’s intercultural sensitivity upon
undergoing the assessment (Hammer, Bennett & Wiseman, 2003; Paige, Jacobs‐ Cassuto,
Yershova, & DeJaeghere, 2003).
The use of the IDI to measure intercultural development within study abroad is gaining
popularity due to more evidence demonstrating the IDI’s validity and reliability (Vande Berg,
Paige, & Lou, 2012). Implications of this research underscore the importance of creating
curriculum that guides students through the DMIS stages (Olson & Kroeger, 2001). This also
coincides with the movement calling for greater accountability in higher education in order to
validate the benefits of study abroad through effective and measurable assessment (Stebleton,
Soria and Cherney, 2013).
Given the extent to which college-aged individuals experience some of life’s most
developmentally formative stages, introducing high impact educational practices such as study
abroad is fundamental. Bennett (1986) suggests that for those who have little experience outside
of their own culture, their default condition of intercultural sensitivity is the denial of cultural
difference. These individuals usually only possess their own cultural worldview where “they are
unable to construe (and thus are unable to experience) the difference between their own
perception and that of people who are culturally different” (Hammer, Bennett & Wiseman, 2003,
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p. 423). Therefore, study abroad can play a monumental role in expanding students’ worldviews
and ultimately altering their lives.
Pitzer College Study Abroad
The Pitzer College Office of Study Abroad and International Programs utilize a study
abroad program model that features the Fieldbook, a pedagogical and assessment tool that
facilitates intercultural learning while integrating its use into the program curriculum. The
Fieldbook is a series of writing assignments that was developed to measure student learning on
Pitzer’s programs abroad. It is utilized within each program’s interdisciplinary core course as a
way to use student writing to connect with the program’s theoretical and experiential learning
components.
In the early 2000s, researchers Carol Brandt and Thomas Manley conducted a case study
evaluating the role of the Fieldbook (2003). According to the researchers, the Fieldbook first
developed in Pitzer’s Parma, Italy study abroad program as early as 1991. By 2003, four key
content areas of the Fieldbook emerged (Brandt & Manley, 2003). This iteration of the
Fieldbook consisted of: observational exercises called “Letters Home,” narrative accounts known
as “Stories,” “Focus Questions” or thematic expository essays, and an open format known as
“Design Your Own.” “Letters Home” required students to write four to five letters of 1,250-
2000 words describing the people, places, emotions, ideas, and events in rich detail. “Stories”
(750-1,250 words) were true or fictional narrative accounts that depict newly observed
dimensions of the host culture, of which the students write four to six per semester. “Focus
Questions” asked students to use their abilities to synthesize multiple viewpoints and center
around complex issues that are posited at strategic time periods during the program. Students
responded using course content such as readings, discussions, and lectures as well as interviews
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and first-hand experience. Lastly, “Design Your Own” entries called for students to select an
artistic method of communication such as map-making, poetry, photography, drawing, or
creative writing in order to explore various facets of the culture.
Drawing from ten years of data derived from student Fieldbook writing as well as staff
and student survey responses, Brandt & Manley aimed to capture the effectiveness of the
Fieldbook (2003). The outcome of the case study resulted in the researchers establishing that the
Fieldbook in its 2001 version is a useful educational tool which requires continuous adjustment
and improvement. The case study also identified nine learning attributes elicited by the
Fieldbook. Firstly, the Fieldbook actively engages students with the subject matter, driving them
to become directly and personally involved with the host culture and issues at hand. The study
found that the Fieldbook also invokes students’ curiosity around various aspects of the host
culture, and the scrupulous timing of assignments ensures that students are not overwhelmed by
cognitive overload or general anxiety. In requiring regular recording and student reflection, the
third learning modality found by the researchers, the Fieldbook tracks student learning over time
and serves as reference points to be used later in the semester. The fourth learning component
enables students to fully immerse themselves in the writing and thinking process where they can
describe, dissect, analyze, and synthesize.
Brandt and Manley argue that the Fieldbook also provides students with the opportunity
to identify what they know and do not know about a specific topic, also enhancing skills related
to synthesizing and connecting prior knowledge. The sixth area identified focuses on uncovering
key information and insights. Because it is academic in nature, the Fieldbook pushes students to
focus on the content and structure of their writing, avoiding the tendency of journals to be
unfocused and unplanned. The researchers found the Fieldbook also serves as a method to
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prepare and encourage in-class discussion around the Fieldbook topics. Related to this attribute
is the use of the Fieldbook as a means to construct knowledge—both theoretical and experiential.
Lastly, the Fieldbook imparts a responsibility for students to take ownership of their learning, a
major contributor to increasing self-regulation skills (Brandt & Manley, 2003).
Recent iterations of the Fieldbook vary by program location. Length differs for the
assignments which usually include Kinship and Family Relations, Experiences and Impressions:
A Personal Account, Contemporary Issues, Interview, Critical Encounters: Cross-Cultural
Perspectives, Family History, Religious Ritual, Group Discussion Sessions, as well as Design
Your Own (Pitzer College, 2015). The Fieldbook asks students to draw from observations,
everyday experiences, and conversations and utilize writing as a medium to understand, value,
and share the lessons that each country’s “cultures, peoples, languages, and landscapes have to
offer” (Pitzer College, 2015, p. 1). Since 1991, the Fieldbook has continued to evolve as it
focuses on using student writing to make meaning of individual cultural experiences.
In order to measure student learning using direct evidence, Pitzer Fieldbook
administrators assess each Fieldbook assignment using a coding rubric which corresponds to
learning outcomes of the core course and is tailored to the cultural context at hand.
Administrators determine if the students’ writing shows evidence of the indicators below and
whether or not it is “strongly evident (developed/highly developed),” “somewhat evident
(emerging),” or “not evident” (see Appendix B). Each Fieldbook assignment is coded using the
below indicators:
• Interaction with members of the host culture around specific issues and topics
addressed in the assignment (detailed conversations and interviews with members
of the host culture)
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• integration of personal experience and/or observations (especially conversations
with members of the host culture) with readings and lectures
• the ability to observe host culture behavior without interpreting or judging based
on one’s own culture
• a global-local reflection: analysis of issues, ideas, events from perspective of own
culture and that of host community/culture
• empathy, respect, and understanding for the host culture perspective
• acknowledging and expressing personal feelings that arise through interactions
with host culture without judging host culture
• global-local reflection on culture: new understandings/perspectives of own culture
based on interaction with the host culture or visa-versa
• heightened sense/greater understanding of issues of social justice related to
topic/assignment
• analysis of issues from multiple perspectives within the host culture (checks
tendency to make overgeneralizations about the culture based on one person or
one group’s perspective)
In 2009, Pitzer piloted its use of coding rubric in its Nepal program and fully
implemented it in 2010. According to the Pitzer in Nepal Comprehensive Review, this process is
used to better facilitate and assess certain areas of intercultural learning among both the study
abroad group and on an individual level (2010). By producing a rubric for each individual
Fieldbook assignment, administrators are better able to adjust assignments, course learning
objectives, and discussions accordingly (Pitzer in Nepal Review, 2010). As of 2015, Pitzer now
administers the coding rubric across seven programs (including summer).
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Experiential Learning Theory
The literature on study abroad emphasizes that it is important to consider the learning and
development that can occur during a sojourn abroad. No longer does exposure to a new cultural
environment ensure that students will undergo transformational experiences that awaken cultural
awareness and alter perspective (Vande Berg, Paige, & Lou, 2012). Program design must aim to
encourage all stakeholders in the study abroad experience (staff, faculty, homestay families, and
students themselves) to be engaged in the learning process and understand how they can
maximize learning (Passarelli & Kolb, 2012). Therefore, adopting an educational intervention
model such as experiential learning theory (ELT) (Kolb, 1984) in the design of the program and
its curriculum can ensure student learning and development (Passarelli & Kolb, 2012).
ELT suggests that when carefully selected experiences are supported by reflection,
critical analysis and synthesis, learning occurs (Dewey, 1938; Kolb, 1984; Savicki, 2008;
Association for Experiential Education, 2015). Guided reflection helps students process the
cultural clash occurring when students face disorienting situations that challenge their
assumptions and values (Savicki & Price, 2015). Experiential learning requires the learner to
take initiative, manage decision-making, and ensure accountability as well as engage in holistic
intellectual, emotional, social, and physical activities in the learning task (Association for
Experiential Education, 2015). ELT has been adopted as an educational framework known as
experiential education and is found across almost every discipline including K-12, higher
education, adult learning, service learning, and outdoor adventure education (Passarelli & Kolb,
2012). Experiential education, based on ELT, is a philosophy and methodology where educators
“purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to
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increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop people's capacity to contribute to
their communities” (Association for Experiential Education, 2015).
Dewey (1938, 1998) established the foundation of ELT. His body of work argues that
there is an organic and intrinsic connection between education and personal experience.
Dewey’s work advises, however, that experience cannot always stand alone as an educational
experience. Rather, Dewey argues that everything depends upon the quality of the experience, as
some experiences may be detrimental to learning. In this regard, educators play a crucial role in
guiding students through experiences where they can ultimately discover its underlying meaning
and deepen their knowledge (Dewey, 1938; 1998; Freire, 2000).
It is a misconception that experiential learning is a technique in which individuals learn
from experience (Kolb & Kolb, 2005). Rather, experiential learning is a philosophy that centers
on the notion that meaningful learning is a holistic, dynamic process driven by concrete action
and reflection. These two dimensions represent transactions occurring between individuals and
their environment (Kolb & Kolb, 2008). The figure below represents a multidimensional visual
representation of the experiential learning continuum where the learner feels, reflects, thinks, and
acts.

Figure C. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle (1974)
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There are several significant principles used to promote ELT in the education realm
according to Kolb and Kolb, two key contributors to the body of ELT research (2005). First,
facilitators must establish a safe environment where learners freely explore and embrace
challenging and often threatening differences. Deeply respecting learners and their experience is
also integral to successful experiential learning. In providing a space for learners to safely act,
reflect, think, and apply, facilitators must consider appealing to learners’ interests in order to
intrinsically motivate them to stay engaged with the learning process. In this regard, learners are
more inclined to take ownership of their learning. As these transactions occur, it is important for
the facilitator to allow for the development of expertise which allows for learners to acquire and
transfer knowledge to different contexts.
ELT will serve as a framework for this study as it provides a theoretical foundation for
understanding the learning process that takes place during study abroad (Passarelli & Kolb,
2012; Pusch & Merrill; Savicki, 2008). ELT’s holistic approach to learning provides an
explanation for how students learn and what role the facilitator plays, underscoring the
importance of the transformation of experience into knowledge (Passarelli & Kolb, 2012). In the
study abroad context, students digest experiences and make meaning out of their university
courses, host family interactions, social life events, cultural interactions, and beyond.
Roberts, Conner and Jones (2013) found that there are five themes that emerge when
ELT is applied to the study abroad experience; these include before the experience, during the
experience, after the experience, learner engagement throughout the experience, and overall
cultural sensitivity. Figure D is adapted from both Roberts, Conner and Jones experiential
learning framework (2013) and Deardorff’s process model of intercultural competence (2006). It
illustrates effective elements of experiential learning theory and the process orientation that
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occurs when students participate in intentional intercultural learning activities on a study abroad
program.

Figure D. Experiential Learning Framework for Study Abroad.
During the pre-departure phase of the study abroad program, educators prepare students
for learning (Roberts, Conner & Jones, 2013). This stage of the process is key as it enables
students to better manage the cognitive load that ensues as they navigate their experiences abroad
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(Roberts, Conner & Jones, 2013). Basic cognitive load theory asserts that in order to facilitate
learning, students must build on existing knowledge (Schmidt, 1993) (Kirschner, Ayres, &
Chandler, 2011). By scaffolding knowledge and connecting new schema to existing schema,
educators accommodate human cognitive architecture and students learn (Vygotsky, 1978;
Schmidt, Loyens, van Gog, & Pass, 2007). Effective practices that facilitate learning during this
stage include goal-setting, group collaboration, discussion around previous experiences related to
intercultural learning, and content-specific lessons (Roberts, Conner & Jones, 2013). According
to Deardorff’s model, introspectively searching for cultural awareness and knowledge serves as a
foundation to build upon, and as a result of goal-setting and knowledge building, individuals
move towards a better informed frame of reference (Deardorff, 2006).
Once students are abroad, known as the “during” phase, appropriately processing each
experience is crucial to their learning. While abroad, students are exposed to a wide array of
cultural and cognitive situations that may seem overwhelming to them, and there is substantial
evidence that intervention in the form of guided reflection evokes experiential learning (Lou &
Bosley, 2008). Learners, especially novices, need guided reflection in order to process these
experiences (McLaughlin et al., 2005). Educators or facilitators play an important role in this
stage as students may not possess the ability to analyze and reflect on their own (Lutterman-
Aguilar & Gingerich, 2002).
Through facilitation, students build skills such as listening, observing and evaluating their
experiences in order to analyze, relate and make meaning (Deardorff, 2006). Roberts, Conner
and Jones (2013) affirm that students can make meaning of their experiences through exploring
their feelings and emotions, analyzing their behaviors around their experiences, and digesting the
cognitive processes that have occurred. Activities that deepen learning during this phase include
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the use of individual assignments that encourage learners to select, describe, respond to, and
analyze a specific experience (Lutterman-Aguilar & Gingerich, 2002; Roberts, Conner & Jones,
2013). Reflective group discussions are also useful in dissecting the experience and scaffolding
the learner’s personal growth and transformation (Freire, 2000; Lutterman-Aguilar & Gingerich,
2002; Roberts, Conner & Jones, 2013).
Roberts, Conner and Jones contend that reflecting on a study abroad experience after its
culmination can prolong the experience (2013). Giving learners additional opportunities to
continue their reflection after they have returned strengthens the connection between the goals
they may have set in the pre-departure phase (Kolb, 1984; Roberts, 2006; Roberts, Conner &
Jones, 2013). Furthermore, the “after” stage is foundational for increasing motivation to take on
future experiences (Pintrich & Schunk, 1996). Activities that enhance learning during this stage
center on educators supporting students as they apply their newly acquired knowledge to new
contexts (Roberts, Conner & Jones, 2013). One example would be encouraging students to be
active in connecting with international students on their home campuses through joining student
organizations. The third stage also envisions a shift of internal frames which results in the
development of respect, empathy, ethnorelativity, and tolerance for ambiguity (Deardorff, 2006).
The framework highlights three major themes occurring throughout the study abroad
experience. In alignment with the Process Model of Intercultural Competence, the individual’s
progression through this framework predicts effective outcomes such as appropriately
communicating and behaving in an intercultural situation (Deardorff, 2006). This is dependent
on facilitators appropriately engaging learners throughout the experience, a second major theme
of the framework. In the study abroad context, learner engagement is a form of cognitive
interaction taking place between the learner and the instructional content established by the
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facilitator (McLaughlin et. al, 2005). Research demonstrates that several factors impact learner
engagement including motivation, opportunities for meaningful learning to occur, learner
physiological and cognitive readiness, and the content level of the subject matter (McLaughlin
et. al, 2005). As a result, educators must be cognizant of how students overcome such obstacles
and remain engaged throughout the entire study abroad process.
A third theme represented in the framework is intercultural sensitivity. This topic
dominates international education research as study abroad experiences are often the impetus for
experiential learning to occur (Roberts, Conner & Jones, 2013). Therefore, various models of
intercultural competence including Deardorff’s Process Model of Intercultural Competence
(2006) and the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (Bennett, 1986), as referenced
above, provide explanations as to how study abroad experiences move learners through different
stages toward personal development and transformation.
Pitzer’s Fieldbook writing assignments are an example of experiential learning theory in
practice as they emphasize the central role that experience plays in the learning process (Kolb,
1984). By asking students to set goals and collaborate (pre-reflection) and select, describe,
respond and analyze their experiences (guided reflection), Pitzer offers a “holistic integrative
perspective on learning that combines experience, perception, cognition, and behavior” (Kolb,
1984, p. 21). Students value the engagement and active learning that results from participating in
reflective journaling activities such as the Fieldbook (O’Connell, Dyment & Smith, 2015). The
framework above seeks to analyze the process of experiential learning that takes place within the
individual Fieldbook writing assignments and ultimately capture the extent to which the
student’s writing demonstrates tenets of experiential learning theory.

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Chapter Summary
The current landscape of study abroad highlights the need to design learning experiences
that align with cognitive and learning theories. As study abroad participation rates among U.S.
university students rapidly increase, the number of programs offered by higher education
institutions and provider organizations also sharply climbs. While study abroad programming
varies in length, focus, and structure, there is a need to consider how key theoretical frameworks
such as experiential learning can support effective practices across study abroad formats.
The existing research proves that in order to promote the acquisition of intercultural
competence among participants, study abroad administrators and faculty must design intentional
learning experiences and consider the value of experiential learning theory. Not only does
intervention such as guided reflection deepen and sustain student learning, it also enables both
students and institutions to meet the demands of globalization through increasing student skills,
knowledge, and awareness of the world’s cultural contexts.

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CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Institutions of higher education respond to the demands of globalization in various ways.
One major internationalization strategy is offering opportunities for students to gain international
experience through study abroad. As participation in study abroad programs continues to
increase throughout the world, there is a need for higher education administrators to consider
how their study abroad programs can develop, support, and prepare global-ready graduates.
Through document analysis and interviews, this study sought to analyze how intercultural
learning is facilitated through the implementation of the Fieldbook, a pedagogical and
assessment tool utilized across Pitzer Programs.
Research Questions
In order to determine how intercultural learning and the acquisition of intercultural
competence are operationalized through the use of the Pitzer Fieldbook, the study answered:
• To what extent does the use of the Fieldbook promote intercultural learning among
participants in Pitzer College Study Abroad Programs?
• In what ways does the Fieldbook support the principles of experiential learning
theory?
Population
The case study was conducted at Pitzer College, a member of the Claremont Colleges,
which is a consortium of seven independent and academically rigorous institutions. Pitzer is a
residential, undergraduate liberal arts institution, which hosts around 1,100 students from 38
states and 21 foreign countries. Pitzer’s mission is to produce “engaged, socially responsible
citizens of the world through an academically rigorous, interdisciplinary liberal arts education
emphasizing social justice, intercultural understanding and environmental sensitivity” (Pitzer
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College Mission and Values, 2015). In fulfillment of its mission to promote intercultural
understanding, almost 75% of students participate in study abroad programs (Pitzer College
Summary, 2015). Pitzer offers seven flagship programs along with 140 direct enrollment and
exchange opportunities. This study focused on the Pitzer in Nepal study abroad program
participants during Spring 2013 and Fall 2014 semesters and current staff members from Pitzer’s
programs in Botswana, Ecuador, Italy, and Nepal and Pitzer’s Director of Intercultural Learning.
The main population for this study consisted of two groups. The first included students
who participated in the Pitzer in Nepal Program during either the Spring 2013 or Fall 2014
semesters. The second group consisted of Pitzer program staff or faculty who currently oversee
the implementation of the Fieldbook course or have overseen it in the past. The student sample
consisted of 24 individual Fieldbooks. The program staff population comprised five staff
members, all of who assess Fieldbooks upon completion of the semester.
The rationale behind selecting a more recent time period was intended in order to obtain
data around a more recent iteration of the Fieldbook. Considering the tool is sometimes adjusted
by administrators, capturing data from this time period provided a snapshot of the current status
of the Fieldbook. The data also revealed ideas about the evolvement of the Fieldbook.
Moreover, the data resulted in rich descriptions from staff members who were able to articulate
their recent Fieldbook administration experiences with great detail as opposed to reflecting on
their past understandings of it.
The criteria for selecting the student population included two characteristics: student
participants must have spent either the Spring 2013 or Fall 2014 semester on the Pitzer in Nepal
program and they must have completed the entire Fieldbook as part of the program curriculum.
The program staff participants met the following three criteria: h/she must have taught the core
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course featuring the Fieldbook during the 2014-2015 academic year, participate in grading
Fieldbook assignments, and have at least one semester of experience in implementing the
Fieldbook experience. The Pitzer College Office of Study Abroad and International Programs
provided the collection of Pitzer in Nepal Fieldbooks as they were the most comprehensive and
complete. Pitzer also provided the names and contact information for the staff participants.
Methodological Framework

In order to examine the phenomenon of intercultural learning within Pitzer study abroad
programs, a conceptual framework based on experiential learning theory, Deardorff’s Process
Model of Intercultural Competence (2006) and Roberts, Conner and Jones’ experiential learning
framework (2013) were utilized. Deardorff’s model is based on a developmental process that
must be appropriately supported through preparation, meaningful intercultural interactions, and
relationship building (2009). Roberts, Conner and Jones (2013) proposed a specialized
experiential learning model adapted from Kolb’s work on experiential learning (1984) as well as
the results of a content analysis of cognitive science and intercultural learning literature in order
to analyze intercultural learning. This model demonstrates how five components of an
international experience contribute to student learning: activities before the experience, activities
during the experience, activities after an experience, learner engagement throughout the
experience, and the development of cultural sensitivity (Roberts, Conner & Jones, 2013). For the
purposes of this study, the conceptual framework adopted key characteristics of Deardorff’s
model, Kolb’s experiential learning theory, and Roberts, Conner & Jones’ study and was utilized
as an analytical tool to determine the extent to which the Fieldbook facilitates intercultural
learning and supports experiential learning theory.
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Figure E. Experiential Learning Framework for Study Abroad
While Roberts, Conner and Jones propose that three linear stages occur, this study
focused on how students use the Fieldbook as a means to demonstrate certain pre-reflection,
guided reflection, and learner engagement activities while participating in their program abroad,
or the “During” phase. The study examined individual Fieldbook for evidence of goal setting,
collaboration and engagement with fellow students, content-specific knowledge related to the
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host culture, responding and analyzing of cultural events and incidents, and motivation to
commit to future intercultural experiences. Additionally, learner engagement was assessed in
order to determine how students manage their learning and demonstrate intercultural sensitivity.
Through investigating these themes using evidence from when students were participating in the
Pitzer in Nepal program, the study explored if and how the Fieldbook facilitates intercultural
learning. See Appendix A for the Document Analysis Protocol.
Data Collection
A case study approach was selected as it allows for the focus to be entirely on a specific
unit of analysis at hand (Merriam, 2009). In this case, the unit of analysis was the Pitzer in
Nepal program that utilizes the Fieldbook as a tool. While international education research
demonstrates that certain curricular and co-curricular strategies can strengthen intercultural
learning, few studies examine a single intervention method such as the Fieldbook as a unit of
analysis.
By nature, case studies are particularistic, heuristic, and descriptive (Corbin & Strauss,
2008; Merriam, 2009) and often rely on three basic methods to collect qualitative data:
interviews, document analysis, and observations (Patton, 2002). The data collection for this
study was obtained through document analysis and semi-structured interviews. By combining
research methods, the study aimed to determine the overall value of using the Fieldbook as a tool
to promote intercultural learning and the extent to which it supports principles of experiential
learning.
Document Analysis
The study’s principal method of data collection was analyzing individual Fieldbooks.
Data derived from the Fieldbooks were examined using the experiential learning theory
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framework as a way to contextualize how Pitzer program participants experience intercultural
learning during their semester abroad. Using the Fieldbook Document Analysis Protocol
(Appendix A), the data was quantified in order to understand the extent to which certain
attributes of student learning are present. The individual Fieldbooks served as a primary source
of narrative evidence as the program participants are the originators of the document, recounting
their firsthand experience engaging in the phenomenon at hand, intercultural learning (Merriam,
2009).
In addition to analyzing the individual student Fieldbooks, data collection also included
additional relevant information derived from the core course syllabi from the Pitzer in Nepal
program. The syllabi described individual assignments while the completed rubrics serve as an
assessment tool. Each Pitzer program utilizes a Fieldbook syllabus and individual student
assessment that has similar learning outcomes, activities, and assignments but adapt to the
program’s cultural context. This study investigated the core course syllabi and graded rubrics for
the Nepal program specifically, all of which was provided by Pitzer College Study Abroad
Programs.
The study analyzed the data by carrying out analytical coding, a form of content analysis,
where the researcher will identify recurring categories based on the data (Merriam, 2009). The
ultimate goal when engaging in document analysis is to “furnish descriptive information, verify
emerging hypotheses, advance new categories and hypotheses, offer historical understanding,
and track change and development” (Merriam, 2009, p. 155). Along with conducting interviews,
the study attempted to organize and make meaning out of the data extracted.

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Interviews
Semi-structured interviews also served a role in collecting data as they allow the
researcher to learn their thoughts, feelings, ideas and intentions—those phenomena that cannot
be directly observed (Merriam, 2009). Using a semi-structured approach lends flexibility to the
questions in order to capture participants’ “emerging worldview” (Merriam, 2009, p. 90).
Pitzer’s study abroad staff was interviewed via online videoconferencing, phone calls, and in-
person. The purpose of interviewing program staff was to gain a better understanding of their
beliefs, assumptions, preferences, and expectations on how the Fieldbook contributes to
intercultural learning. The student population was not interviewed because their individual
narratives within the Fieldbooks served as direct evidence of intercultural learning. See
Appendix C for the Interview Protocol utilized with Pitzer Fieldbook administrators.
Throughout the stage of collecting data through document analysis and interviews it is
important to continuously question, compare, inventory, and reflect upon the data. Regularly
reviewing the status and condition of the collected data can facilitate valuable insight that can
strengthen research findings. The data collected in this study focused on the perspective of the
student and program staff, all participants in the application and practice of the Fieldbook. In
extracting data from these populations, the research engaged in inductive analysis and attempted
to process meaning. Through multiple lenses, the study aimed to provide a complete picture of
the where, when, why, and how intercultural learning takes place and the function in which the
Fieldbook performs.
Trustworthiness of Data
This research study used a methodical, inductive, and comparative approach in order to
ensure the data collected was credible (Merriam, 2009). Within qualitative research, there are
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several strategies to promote validity and reliability several of which were utilized by the
researcher including triangulation, member checking, and appropriately timing the collection of
data (Merriam, 2009). Triangulation is described as collecting data from diverse sources and
settings through more than one data collection method (Maxwell, 2013). This study used
triangulation through sampling the student and program staff populations through interviewing
staff and analyzing documents. The data collection stage consisted of regularly comparing and
cross-checking across multiple sources using different methods at different times (Merriam,
2009).
Conducting member checking also strengthened the study’s trustworthiness. Throughout
the data collection process, select participants were asked for feedback on the findings that
emerged from the data (Merriam, 2009). This strategy clarified the perspective of participants,
minimized any misinterpretation from participant interviews, and determined possible researcher
bias (Maxwell, 2013). To ensure that the research depicted an accurate reflection of the
participants’ perception of intercultural learning, the data collection and data analysis phases
overlapped. This allowed the researcher to reflect upon the existing data and gather more
reliable and valid data. While in the process of collecting data, the overall aim was to
continuously extrapolate rich, thick descriptions in order to increase validity and strengthen the
research findings (Merriam, 2009). In carefully conceptualizing the research design and
engaging in strategies to improve validity, the study’s trustworthiness of data was taken into
account.
Role of Investigator
One of the defining characteristics of qualitative research is that it takes place in a
naturalistic setting where the researcher is the primary instrument for data collection and analysis
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(Merriam, 2009). The role of the investigator is considered to be both the strength and weakness
of a qualitative study. The researcher’s experiences, feelings, perspective and background can
influence data collection and outcomes which then impact the study’s validity (Patton, 2002).
Consequently, this researcher’s own study abroad experiences and international education
expertise provides value and insight but also contributed subjectivity to the data collection and
analysis. Other subjectivity may have been shaped by the researcher’s professional relationship
with Pitzer College administrators. Prior to initiating the study, no previous professional
relationship existed between the researcher and Pitzer administrators; however, correspondence
throughout the course of the project took place in order to procure support and substantiation for
the study.
Chapter Summary
By identifying, interviewing, and analyzing narrative evidence from key stakeholders in
Pitzer’s study abroad programs, this study sought to uncover how intercultural learning occurs,
determine the implications of intercultural learning, and uncover any relationships found among
the Fieldbook and intercultural learning. In addition, analyzing key documents such as
individual Fieldbooks, graded rubrics, and course syllabi served as direct evidence of student
learning. A qualitative approach identified the breadth and depth of intercultural learning that
takes place within Pitzer College’s Study Abroad programs.

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CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The purpose of this study was to investigate the intersection of intercultural learning and
experiential learning theory via a group of structured writing assignments known as the
Fieldbook, which is utilized by Pitzer College study abroad programs. The first chapter
presented the misconception that students studying abroad innately acquire intercultural
competence. Chapter Two provided a review of the literature on intercultural and experiential
learning research and theories, and Chapter Three described the research study’s methodology.
Through analyzing a collection of 24 Fieldbooks from Spring 2013 and Fall 2014
semesters as well as conducting semi-structured interviews with five Pitzer study abroad
program directors, this case study sought to determine how a single pedagogical intervention
method can facilitate intercultural learning. This chapter presents the results and analysis of each
research question separated into two sections. The study answered the following research
questions:
• To what extent does the use of the Fieldbook promote intercultural learning among
participants in Pitzer College Study Abroad Programs?
• In what ways does the Fieldbook support the principles of experiential learning
theory?
Program Context

The Pitzer in Nepal program is built on a model in which each component of the program
is interrelated and works together to create a comprehensive learning experience. The program,
in existence since 1974, relies on intensive language training, lodging with local host families,
and exposure to local community in order to maximize student learning. Formal education
offered through lectures and scholarly readings is also key but is considered equally important to
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students’ observations, emotional responses, and personal experiences (Pre-Departure
Orientation Handbook 201, 2016). The program operates based on the integrated learning model
below:

Figure F. Model of Learning Through Personal Experience (Pitzer in Nepal, 2016, p. 14).
Enrolling in intensive Nepali language grants interaction to students through both their living
arrangements and the surrounding community. These three elements connect through enabling
students to learn through personal experience.
The program offers a targeted learning experience by blending both personal and
academic outcomes. The academic component of the program consists of three courses:
Intensive Nepali Language, a Core Course in Nepal Studies, and a Directed Independent Study
Project. Program participants earn 16 semester units of upper division Pitzer College credit,
accepted by most U.S. universities for non-Pitzer students. The table below displays the course
and credit breakdown.

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Table 2
Pitzer in Nepal Academic Courses and Credit
______________________________________________________________________________
Course Credits Semester Units
Courses Offered
Core Course: Nepal Studies 1 4
Intensive Nepali Language 2 8
Directed Independent Study Project 1 4
Total 4 16
______________________________________________________________________________

The core course consists of discussions, lectures, readings, and extensive writing
assignments that make up the Fieldbook. The class blends a traditional classroom-learning
format with the experiential learning aspects of the program such as homestays, study trips, and
field assignments. Lectures feature guest speakers from the surrounding community including
local university professors, representatives from government and non-governmental
organizations, and other relevant figures. The course’s through line is the Fieldbook which
students begin during the first few weeks of the semester and complete by the last week.
Through five assignments, students further reflect on their personal experiences while
participating in their host families and in the community as well as in lectures, in-class
discussions, and academic readings. The five assignments that make up the Pitzer in Nepal
Fieldbook play a central role in steering learning as they require students to both analytically and
descriptively respond to what they are experiencing in the host culture. The assignments occur
every 2-4 weeks in the following order:
1. Kinship and Family Relations
2. Critical Encounters: Cross-Cultural Perspectives
3. Contemporary Issues
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4. Design Your Own
5. Experiences and Impressions of Nepal: A Personal Account
During the program orientation, Pitzer study abroad administrators introduce students to the role
of the Fieldbook, highlighting the idea that it “recognizes that writing is one of the deepest and
most precise measures of experience and an activity that both generates and reflects learning”
(Pitzer in Nepal, 2016, p. 26).
Administrators refer to the Fieldbook as an important tool for both the students and
program staff. The Fieldbook offers students an opportunity to have a record of their experience,
allowing them to document attitudinal shifts throughout the semester. For program staff, the
Fieldbook serves as both a formative and summative assessment device which is not only
accepted as course credit but also verifies student growth and wellbeing. The Fieldbook is
composed of five assignments described using the Fall 2014 core course syllabus below.
The first assignment, Kinship and Family Relations, asks students to interview members
of their family and develop a kinship chart for at least three generations of the student’s host
family. Students also complete a kinship lexicon worksheet to reinforce specific family
terminology in the Nepali language. Lastly, students hand in a descriptive account equivalent to
1-2 pages typed. Due one week after classes begin, students write about their initial observations
on kinship relations and focus on particular aspects of their host families’ dynamics such as age,
gender, and social status. Students are asked, “How do the kinship terms themselves reflect your
observations? Do age or gender differences within the kinship terms connect to the interactions
you have observed in your family?” The assignment emphasizes the importance of description
and to avoid making judgments based on observations.
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For the second assignment, the Critical Encounters: Cross-Cultural Perspectives,
students write a descriptive account of a specific cultural encounter or cultural issue within
Nepali society that has been particularly challenging for them. Upon exploring the Nepali
perspective through personal interactions, students analyze the experience in detail and describe
both sides of the cultural assumption. Four to five pages in length, the assignment encourages
students to reflect on their cross-cultural perspectives and consider how much of their experience
is connected to broader American cultural tendencies.
Third, the Contemporary Issues assignment calls for students to interview Nepalis. A
five to six page analytical essay, students select and explore locals’ perspectives on a particular
topic provided by the core course professor. Students examine the issue at hand, supporting it
with detailed accounts of interviews and conversations and comparing course lectures, readings,
and discussions.
Fourth, the Design Your Own project offers students the opportunity to take either a
conventional or atypical look into something that “has struck you about Nepal.” Students are to
research a certain subject and present their findings through any method of their choosing.
Students may explore Nepali poetry or storytelling, learn a musical instrument, examine Nepali
cooking methods, or any topic previously discussed with the course professor. If the project is a
graphic based approach using photos, maps, charts, drawings or demonstrations, the written
component must be at least two pages. If the project adopts writing as its principal medium
students should submit four to five pages of written text.
The culminating assignment, Experiences and Impressions: A Personal Account, calls for
students to write a descriptive account of a cultural experience that has been particularly relevant
to them. A five to six page essay, the personal account encourages students to process a
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significant impression and present it as a narrative at the end of the semester. This assignment is
submitted at the very end of the semester. Since students have left Nepal upon the director’s
grading of this assignment, students do not necessarily receive feedback on it.
The five assignments collectively make up the Pitzer in Nepal Fieldbook. For the sample
evaluated for this study, the majority of assignments were handwritten which is indicative of the
technology available for students on the Nepal program as internet and printer access is limited.
Students individually submit the assignments during class meetings for the core Nepal Studies
course. Each assignment is assessed using a letter grade and should it be turned in late, the
student’s grade for that particular assignment will be impacted.
Below is a visual example of a Fieldbook from the document analysis sample. The
scanned images depict the first page of each of the five assignments. This particular student’s
Fieldbook was entirely handwritten and totaled 29 pages. The Kinship and Family Relations
assignment consisted of two pages of the descriptive account along with one page of the required
Nepali vocabulary worksheet entitled Kinship Lexicon. The Critical Encounters totaled six
pages, the Contemporary Issues assignment numbered nine pages, and the Design Your Own
assignment totaled three written pages along with two pages of photographic evidence of the
student’s project on local pottery. Lastly, the Personal Account totals six pages. The Fieldbook
samples varied in length with some assignments typed and some handwritten. The example
below serves as a representative sample.

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Figure G. Visual Sample of Fieldbook Assignments

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Study Sample
In order to understand the extent to which the Fieldbook activates intercultural learning
and adheres to experiential learning principles, this research study conducted semi-structured
interviews and analyzed Fieldbooks completed during the Pitzer in Nepal Spring 2013 and Fall
2014 programs. Fieldbooks for each of the 24 program participants were thematically coded
using the rubric based on the Experiential Learning Framework for Study Abroad (presented in
Chapter Three). The Framework provides a foundation upon which the study evaluates
interaction and experience, reflection, connecting prior knowledge, and cultural acuity without
judgment or assigning value. Prior to completing extensive document analysis, interviews were
conducted with the on-site program directors and the Director of Intercultural Learning via
online videoconferencing, phone conversations, and face-to-face meetings. Ranging from 24 to
140 minutes, the protocol presented in Chapter Three and Appendix C guided the interviews.
Upon transcribing interviews, the data was analytically coded and analyzed in order to ascribe
meaning to the directors’ thoughts, feelings, and opinions.
The Fieldbooks were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis that aimed to
determine both the degree of intercultural learning occurring as well as how students’ Fieldbook
writing corresponded with experiential learning principles. The data mining process for the
interviews and document review consisted of constructing categories based on patterns of
meaning and reoccurring themes (Merriam, 2009). The categories within the Fieldbook Analysis
Protocol initially guided the investigation but insights, nuances, and themes emerged as the
research pursued the communication of meaning, the overall objective of content analysis
(Merriam, 2009).
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Each Fieldbook assignment was coded and then counted in terms of the number of
students who demonstrated strong, emerging, or no evidence of intercultural learning in each
assignment. For example, if a student explicitly articulated a goal they were motivated to
achieve and elaborated with a detailed description on its meaning, significance, or method of
how to meet the objective, this was considered strong evidence. Weaker allusions to goal setting
were considered emerging evidence, with no reference to goal setting as zero evidence. The
summary table below represents the percentage of students who demonstrated evidence for all
five assignments combined (Kinship, Critical Encounters, Contemporary Issue, Design Your
Own, and Personal Account). The analysis was careful to not rely solely on data quantification
as the context and nature of the data carries much significance in qualitative content analysis
(Merriam, 2009).
The figures show the percentages of students whose writing demonstrated certain
elements of learning. The percentages display the totals for all five assignments combined
(Kinship, Contemporary Issues, Critical Encounters, Design Your Own, and Personal Account)
and do not take into account the learning outcomes for each assignment. Instead, these data
show the extent to which students engaged in important experiential and intercultural learning
activities.

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Table 3
Fieldbook Document Analysis Protocol

Pre-Reflection
Goal setting 8% 20% 72%
Collaboration and
engagement with
fellow students
2% 8% 90%
Content-specific
knowledge
related to the host
culture
60% 23% 18%
Guided Reflection

Responding and
analyzing cultural
events and
incidents
79% 17% 4%
Motivation to
take on future
intercultural
experiences
17% 18% 66%

Learner Engagement
Activating Prior
Knowledge
15% 18% 67%
Intercultural
sensitivity
56% 17% 28%

Students who
demonstrated
writing with
strong evidence
Students who
demonstrated
writing with
emerging evidence
Students who
demonstrated
writing with
no evidence
The student's
writing
shows
evidence of:

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As part of pre-reflection, students demonstrate significant evidence of content-specific
knowledge with 60% of students referring to facts, theories, concepts and principles taught in the
core course. The bulk of student learning in the Fieldbooks occurred as part of guided reflection
with 96% of students exhibiting strong or emerging evidence of responding and analyzing
certain cultural events and incidents experienced during their semester abroad. Student writing
minimally reflected intentions to take on future intercultural experiences beyond the semester in
Nepal. Fifty-six percent of students showed strong evidence of Intercultural Sensitivity across
all five assignments combined. In particular, the Critical Encounters and Personal Account
assignments confirmed that students deepened their intercultural sensitivity. To frame the
context of the Fieldbook data and offer deeper insight into the learning process taking place on
Pitzer programs, semi-structured interviews were conducted with key program staff. Table 3
provides an overview of intercultural learning in the Pitzer in Nepal program as reflected in the
Fieldbook, and the sections below examine the extent and nature of that learning in detail by
answering the research questions that guide this study.
Part I: Results for Research Question One
Pitzer College study abroad programs operate using an integrated learning approach that
values both academic and experiential learning through an island study abroad program model.
The goal of this study was to answer two research questions that considered how a single
intervention method impacted student learning on the Pitzer in Nepal program. The first
research question asked to what extent does the use of the Fieldbook promote intercultural
learning among participants in Pitzer College Study Abroad Programs? Upon analyzing data
collected through coding Pitzer in Nepal Fieldbooks and interviewing Fieldbook facilitators from
Pitzer study abroad programs, the research confirms that there is significant evidence that
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indicates the Fieldbook is effective in helping students to advance their intercultural
development. Specifically, the research found that the Fieldbook steers intercultural learning by
enabling students to document and recognize their worldview at a particular point in their
experience. As a tool, the Fieldbook compels students to immediately consider where they are
on the intercultural learning spectrum. In responding to strategic writing prompts, the students
critically consider their worldview in real-time, not months or years after their experience. Each
individual’s pages of writing that make up their semester Fieldbook is a map of conscious
growth, depicting how personal experiences steer the progression of their worldviews.
Figure G below provides a visual description of how the Fieldbook influences
intercultural learning and which factors play a role. There are four major program components
that determine how intercultural learning occurs, all of which are integrated into the Pitzer study
abroad program model. They include Building Metacognition, Participating in a Homestay,
Receiving Individual Feedback, and Acquiring Content Knowledge.
The first, Building Metacognition, is a major contributor to intercultural learning as the
Fieldbooks supports the development of critical awareness of students’ thinking and learning.
By regularly monitoring and assessing their daily experiences, students gain a level of awareness
about themselves on a deeper level than the subject matter. The second, Participating in a
Homestay, ensures that students are placed in direct contact with a new environment where they
will inadvertently face novel emotional, physical, and cognitive experiences each day. Such
interactions taking place within the home and the surrounding community stimulate experiences
in which students are likely to explore within their Fieldbook assignments. The third major
influence, Receiving Individualized Feedback from Program Director, affirms that one-on-one
exchanges allow the director to steer student learning using skilled guidance. Acquiring Content
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Knowledge, the last contributing factor, highlights the more traditional academic component of
the Fieldbook where students call into question theories, concepts, and ideas often discussed in
the core course.
The Critical Encounters and Personal Account assignments also serve as critical
components to intercultural learning as the specific prompts ask students to dissect selected
experiences on a broader and deeper level. The Kinship, Contemporary Issues, And Design
Your Own assignments impact intercultural learning but on a more indirect level as the prompts
are not explicitly focused on exploring attitudes, clarifying values, and ascribing meaning to
certain situations.
The figure below illustrates how the Fieldbook serves as a pedagogical tool that
emphasizes intercultural learning. Concrete experiences and guided reflection, both cyclical
components, are intentional throughout the learning process. By employing metacognitive
strategies, placing students with host families, receiving one-on-one feedback on Fieldbook
writing throughout the semester, and teaching content knowledge, the Fieldbook increases
cultural awareness, advances knowledge, and builds intercultural skills.
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Figure H. Promoting Intercultural Learning through the Fieldbook
The following sections describe each of the segments that contribute to the extent to which the
Fieldbook promotes intercultural learning.
Building Metacognition
The notion of using the Fieldbook to increase self-awareness about intercultural
sensitivity draws on the concept of metacognition, a major domain of cognitive, developmental,
and educational psychology. Metacognition refers to knowledge and awareness of one’s own
cognitive processes, or thinking about thinking (Flavell, 1979). The Fieldbook assignments
encourage students to think about their own thinking as they interact with the environment. This
aligns with developmental psychology literature that emphasizes maintaining awareness and
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control of cognitive processes enhances learning (Flavell, 1979). The Fieldbook as a
pedagogical tool speaks directly to self-regulated learning, an area within metacognition
research. Self-regulation describes certain processes where learners rely on cognitive,
behavioral, and motivational strategies to construct knowledge (Allen, 2013). It involves
students’ ability to take ownership of the learning process through helping them stay aware of
their progress. As students observe their learning process, it is enhanced regardless of academic
domain (Baker, 2006).
The Pitzer in Nepal Fieldbooks exhibit examples of self-regulation across the
assignments. The excerpt below, from a student’s Contemporary Issues assignment in their
Fieldbook, demonstrates how the Fieldbook provides an avenue for students to monitor and react
to their learning.
As displayed above with the use of interview research methodology I was able to gain so
much knowledge by speaking the Nepali language to locals…[sic] crazy. I could of [sic]
gone on for days talking about the 4 individuals I interviewed stories because I was
greatly impacted by them. They painted a vivid picture of what the life of a porter was
and is like today.
This response presents evidence of self-regulation. The student judges the instructional method
of conducting interviews, positively reacting to the assignment requirements. The statement also
describes the student’s individual behavior, showing a high level of engagement with the porters
interviewed. The writing depicts the student’s attitude toward the outcome of completing of the
interviews: the student’s perception of porters has been heavily influenced. The self-reaction and
self-judgment illustrated above strengthen the learning process at hand. As Fieldbook
assignments incite students to monitor and evaluate their learning, it is a medium to build
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metacognitive skills such as self-regulation. With self-observation, self-reaction, and self-
evaluation explored in the Fieldbook, students increase the knowledge, awareness, and skills that
make up intercultural competence (Deardorff, 2006).
Another aspect of metacognition evidenced in the Fieldbooks is the process of emotional
regulation and management. The medium of the Fieldbook acknowledges that students are
emotional beings and through the writing assignments, students deal with the emotional stress
involved in studying abroad. The Kinship and Family Relations assignment in particular
provides students with an avenue to process the emotions that surface with their new living
situations. As the first assignment of the semester, it is due after only one week after the start of
classes. One student writes:
The 1
st
day with my family was complete sensory overload. I was taking in so much yet
felt like I didn’t understand anything going on. I felt a sense of complete isolation and
misunderstanding, which was terrifying. That feeling of fear stemed [sic] from the fact
that I didn’t understand what family ment [sic] in Nepali culture, therefor [sic] I was
comparing it to my own conception of family.
The majority of the Kinship assignments showed evidence of wrestling with the emotional
dynamics of studying abroad. Encouraging students to face emotions is important as educational
psychology literature recognizes that emotional processes influence learning and performance
(Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro, Lovett & Norman, 2010).
Another student closes the Personal Account assignment with acknowledging how
dealing with fear fostered growth and possibility. The student writes, “You cannot grow without
fear. I did not anticipate, however, how profoundly this fear would clutch my heart as I realized
the depth and risk involved in the new relationships I have fostered here.” The student then
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closes the assignment, adding space towards the bottom of the page writing, “I feel unendingly
lucky.”
Participating in the Homestay
The homestay plays a central role in promoting intercultural learning among students.
During the majority of the semester, students are placed with selected families in a rural
agricultural area of the Kathmandu Valley (Pitzer in Nepal Review, 2010). Students participate
in a second homestay during the third month of the program where they live in what is
considered an ethnic community in order to expose students to a different cultural group within
Nepal (Pitzer in Nepal Review, 2010). While interaction with the host family is implicit, it is
also formally built into the Kinship and Family Relations assignment as students must interview
family members and design a chart describing the family structure. As the first assignment, it is
an impetus for students to engage with their new family members. The excerpt below contrasts
Nepali kinship with the student’s family structure in America:
By Nepali standards [I] have not been raised in a real traditional household. However
although in America I don’t feel a strong pull of kinship tugging at shaping my life [sic],
I do think that my birth into a small nuclear family has given me an [sic] skewed view on
kin thus structuring my way of being. But last week I was reborn into a Nepali family
with different cultural norms, religion and set of values differing my views of kinship.
My eyes have been opened to the world of Nepali family relations and just how important
the kin you are born into affects dynamics among age, gender and status difference.
After only one week of living with a host family, this student clearly demonstrates a shift in
perspective. The writing assignment draws examples of host family versus American family
differences, through weaving in observations and illustrations from academic sources. Themes
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around patriarchy and gender politics, labor, family dynamics, and death emerge as a result of
the student completing the Kinship assignment. The students use the assignment to reflect upon
and process the dynamic forces of their new living situations.
Beyond the Kinship assignment, however, students repeatedly referenced rituals, family
events, and specific meaningful conversations with members of their host family. One student’s
Critical Encounters assignment describes the impact of the homestay:
Through my host family experience, I’ve developed an understanding of what collectivist
culture means. I’ve reevaluated how many of the individualist characteristics ingrained in
me coincide with Nepali culture. As a result, I’ve adapted many aspects of my own
thought process and behavior to understand and empathize with Nepali perspectives. I
can’t find fault in my families opinions about lgbtq people, because it is rooted in
ingrained tradition and lack of exposure.
The student expresses respect for another culture’s belief system which was acquired from daily
interactions, conversations, and observations occurring in the homestay environment.
Study abroad literature confirms there is value in certain types of intercultural living
arrangements. As opposed to living with other students on the same study abroad program,
living with host country locals provides greater insight into cultural customs, traditions, and
norms. The Fieldbook is a means to capture attitudes towards and reactions to experiences
taking place within the home. Students use it to create a snapshot of daily life as well as a
method to investigate deeper meanings. One student illustrates:
It’s not those moments that are special to me but the seemingly banal moments where I’d
cut potatoes, watch TV with my family or herd cow for 6 hours. It’s those moments that
allow me to transition from sympathy to empathy, to feel and be genuine…I see the
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world in a way I never have and live each day, not in fear of the unknown but fascinated
by it. Most of all, it has taught me to not just speak but to listen, to appreciate, enjoy, and
love beyond the capacity I once knew or thought was even possible.
This student demonstrates an awareness of a newly acquired intercultural skill set, which often
includes characteristics such as the ability to empathize, listen, adapt, and resolve conflict
(Bennett, 2009). The statements above are congruent with other data yielded by the Fieldbook
and support its use as a mechanism for students to reflect upon their interactions within the
homestay and explore their deeper significance.
Individualized Feedback from the Program Director
The Fieldbook assignments are shared between the students and core course facilitator
(usually the program director) as a way to document growth in many capacities. Analysis of the
Fieldbooks determined that students use them as a safe space to explore, consider, and chronicle
their experiences in Nepal. Its narrative format enables students to describe, contemplate, and
assess conversations, encounters, and observations through writing. Upon completing each
Fieldbook assignment, students are given a completed rubric along with written comments
completed by the core course facilitator. The rubric analyzes the extent to which student writing
demonstrates strong, emerging, or no evidence of the following categories:
• interaction with members of the host culture around specific issues and topics addressed
in the assignment (detailed conversations and interviews with Nepalis)
• integration of personal experience and/or observations (especially conversations with
Nepalis) with readings and lectures.
• the ability to observe Nepali behavior without interpreting or judging based on one’s own
culture
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• a global-local reflection: analysis of issues, ideas, events from perspective of own culture
and that of host community/culture
• empathy, respect, and understanding for the host culture perspective
• acknowledging and expressing personal feelings that arise through interactions with host
culture without judging host culture
• global-local reflection on culture: new understandings/perspectives of own culture based
on interaction with Nepali culture or visa-versa
• heightened sense/ greater understanding of issues of social justice related to
topic/assignment
• analysis of issues from multiple perspectives within Nepali culture (checks tendency to
make overgeneralizations about the culture based on one person or one group’s
perspective
Receiving individualized, meaningful feedback after each Fieldbook assignment allows students
to remain conscious of their learning progress.
The Pitzer in Nepal program director is integral in steering students through the
intercultural learning process. This is primarily done through providing written, individualized
feedback after each Fieldbook assignment. In grading the Fieldbook assignments, the director
looked for evidence of the above categories and typically wrote numbers for the corresponding
categories in the margins of the assignments. Along with categorizing the assignments, the
director usually provided brief handwritten comments throughout followed by four to eight
sentence response to the assignment at the end. Overall, the comments were positive. Typical
phrases that represent the majority of the comments include “I agree,” “Absolutely,” “I
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appreciate your struggling with this,” and “I appreciate what a complex and difficult topic this is
to get at.”
The director’s written responses served as a continuous conversational exchange taking
place between the learner and facilitator. In addition to offering specific topic-related insight
such as “this is very common in West Nepal” and “love marriages are more common in ethnic
groups” for example, the director made an effort to connect with the students through the
personal feedback. In response to one student writing about the constant horn honking among
drivers in Nepal for the Critical Encounter assignment, the director wrote “An interesting look
into an issue that can (often unknowingly) affect all of us at different times. For myself
personally, I found that when I was experiencing low points in the cultural adjustment curve, I
would get especially irritated by the honking horns.” Another example of an authentic
connection between teacher and student include “I’m proud of you for this” as a response to a
student writing about an interviewing Nepalis on LGBTQ issues.
Once again you’ve tackled a topic that is very complex with no clearcut solution or
correct path to endorse. You’ve raised some good questions and important issues
(especially for Nepalis) to contemplate and debate. Westernization cannot be stopped
and English is the language of power and “process.” In my mind, the question is how to
retain the richness and diversity of Nepali culture while the country is changing and
modernizing at such a fast pace. I appreciate the range of people you spoke with and
interacted with while exploring this issue. Good blending of information from your
interviews, readings and lectures and your personal observations into your analysis and
reflections on the issue.
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Not only did the director reinforce the strengths in the mechanics of the student’s writing but the
director also advanced their dialogue surrounding westernization.
In addition to commentary, the director posed guiding questions that implored students to
delve deeper. Representative examples of this include, “What are some examples of specific
behaviors which you have observed in your family (or extended family) that reflect these
relations (e.g. through eating patterns, work, greetings, etc.)?” and “What can the kinship terms
themselves tell you about kinship relations in Nepal?” While the students did not answer these
questions within their Fieldbook writing, the questions pushed them to consider alternative
viewpoints.
Responding to students’ narrative reflections contributes to increased motivation among
students, according to social cognition and experiential learning literature (Kolb & Kolb, 2005).
Phrases such as “Good job supporting your observations with references to readings and [the
guest] lecture” can help positively influence students to achieve certain goals. Written feedback
in this capacity relates to metacognitive learning theory discussed above, as it engages students
to become more aware of their learning as their knowledge construction is documented.
All of the Pitzer study abroad directors oversee the management of their individual
programs, including the administration of the Fieldbook as a teaching tool within the Core
Course. The role of the directors is monumental in connecting students with the host country
culture. All but one of the directors are local to the community and culture with the exception of
the Pitzer in Nepal program director who is American but has substantive, longstanding ties to
the city of Kathmandu, where the program primarily takes place, and the local host families.
Crafting strategic suggestions, ideas, agreements and disagreements is essential in
steering students to observe and analyze cultural nuances outside of the classroom. Therefore, it
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is crucial for program directors to comprehend the crux of intercultural learning. When asked to
give their own definition of intercultural learning, each Pitzer study abroad program director
shared similar values and beliefs around the dynamic learning process. One director noted how
it was clear that a student was engaging in deep learning when that student demonstrated their
willingness to avoid judgment as much as possible, or at least recognize that judgment had
occurred. The director also discussed how important it is for students, as guests of the culture, to
be able to observe and understand different behaviors within that culture. As developing
intercultural competence is an ongoing, cyclical process, observation helps students to construct
knowledge and increase cultural awareness.
In administering the Fieldbook in their individual programs, the directors demonstrated
confidence in their capacities to facilitate, nurture, and strengthen learning. Data from the
interviews reflect that the directors generally believe it should be their responsibility to teach the
program participants metacognitive skills where students look at themselves as “cultural beings
who are products of their own upbringing” as one director described. Throughout the semester,
the director must help students acknowledge the cultural lens in which they view the world. One
director refers to the importance of teaching students to consider their own upbringing as it “has
a huge bearing in terms of their worldview, the way they view themselves, and how they relate to
each other.” Delivering direct and meaningful feedback reminds students to view each situation
with a critical, objective lens in order to widen their perspective.
Acquiring Content Knowledge
While the directors are essential in nurturing emotional and intercultural growth, the
assignments play a role in developing traditional academic knowledge among students including
relevant facts, concepts, and principles. Student writing would often refer to their core course
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lectures, academic journal articles, and established theories especially when completing the
Kinship and Family Relations, Critical Encounters, Contemporary Issues, and DYO assignments.
For example, one student used the Contemporary Issues assignment to explore how climate
change impacts Nepal both from a policy standpoint and from the social learning perspective of
one’s microsystem, or home environment:
As I sat in kitchen after kitchen with these aamaas [mothers] listening to their fond
memories when the rains were dependable and the soil was easy to keep and then
watching their faces change, how their bodies seemed to give way to the mental and
physical fatigue of work and worry. I wondered how statistics in an article could ever
express just exactly what is occurring.
This student connected academic content being taught in the classroom with the individual
experience at hand. Having witnessed firsthand how climate change affects families enhances
what the student is learning in the classroom.
The Contemporary Issues assignment requires students to deconstruct a current topic of
the student’s choice. Therefore, it is unsurprising that 96% of students demonstrated this within
the assignment. Nonetheless, in addition to strong evidence of content knowledge in the
Contemporary Issues assignment, other examples of students connecting academic content with
personal experience emerged throughout the other Fieldbook assignments. For instance, 75% of
Kinship assignments demonstrated strong evidence, 58% of both Critical Encounters and Design
Your Own demonstrated strong evidence, and the Personal Account assignments reflected 25%
of strongly evident content knowledge. One student used DYO to blend principles of Nepali
performing arts and interviews with local villagers along with giving a performance for the Pitzer
in Nepal program participants. The student writes:
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Although Nepali folk music – lok git or literally “love song” – is generally about love,
loss and other worldly laments, the songs themselves have less to do with the story being
told than the rhythm [sic] of the music and aesthetics of the words. The group in which it
is sung is also important because very often, especially between young men and women,
verses are improvised. Thus a particular song can usually be identified by its unique
refrain and melody.
The student goes on, “In this same way, the geo-cultural context of the song is also recognizable
by its beat and lyrics as each of Nepal’s various ethnic groups have developed their own poetic
and musical style.” Designating an avenue in the form of the Fieldbook reinforces the topical
knowledge gained in and outside of the classroom. As a result, students strengthen their specific
cultural knowledge.
Critical Encounters and Personal Account Assignments
The Fieldbook Document Analysis Protocol created for this study (Table 3) illustrates
findings that data from all five assignments reflect evidence of students adopting an ethnorelative
perspective where they observe, understand, accept, and adapt to cultural difference (Bennett,
1986). The Critical Encounters and Personal Account assignments in particular were highly
effective in engaging students to describe and evaluate intersections of cultural diversity. For the
Critical Encounters assignment, 100% of students demonstrated either strong evidence (92%) or
emerging evidence (8%) of intercultural sensitivity. Moreover, the Personal Account assignment
had an average of 75% of students demonstrating strong evidence of intercultural sensitivity with
7% showing emerging evidence.
The Critical Encounters assignment provides deep insight into the extent of intercultural
sensitivity occurring. The assignment prompt calls for students to observe and describe meaning
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and behavior from the host culture perspective, being cautious not to analyze or judge. It
encourages students to avoid attributing meaning or assigning value to observations. Rather,
students should ask many questions of their host families and program staff in order to absorb
and witness according to the syllabus. The data demonstrate that the majority of students took
this suggestion into consideration. One student used the Critical Encounters assignment to
grapple with learning the root of cultural assumptions:
I’ve gained a heightened sense of empathy for lgbtq Nepalis who are unable to express
their true identity, but more importantly [the interviews] expanded the lens far enough to
let me see that the intolerance is not rooted in hate, it’s rooted in a lack of awareness
caused by silence and fear.
The language in this statement describes the student developing empathy around both sides of
this issue. By accepting another point of view and being receptive to others’ beliefs surrounding
this issue and avoiding assigning any value to it, the student demonstrates intercultural
sensitivity. The student goes on to write intentions of continuing to build an understanding of
Nepali perspectives through critically observing LGBTQ issues within Nepali society “as a
whole.” This response is representative of the majority of responses to the Critical Encounters
prompt where students articulate their ability to step back and consider where they as individuals
fit within Nepali culture.
Possessing the capacity to gauge one’s worldview as well as being able to seamlessly
shift between perspectives is directly related to Bennett’s developmental model of intercultural
sensitivity (1986). While Pitzer’s purpose in administering the Fieldbooks is not to exclusively
predict intercultural sensitivity, the student writing reveals certain clues about where a student is
situated on the DMIS scale. This excerpt reveals how the student already possesses an
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ethnorelative viewpoint, the second phase of the DMIS scale: “As foreigners in a country, it is
crucial that we are conscious of the impact we have on those around us.” This phrase reflects
empathy where the student takes perspective of both the host and home culture at hand. Based
on the statement, the student is in the adaptation phase of Bennett’s DMIS.
Another student contemplated the issue of public portrayal of emotion within Nepali
culture writing, “I was staring at their culture. I wasn’t viewing it through a microscope—I was
looking at it ethnocentrically—trying to see if their portrayal of emotion was different from what
I was used to.” This statement illustrates that the student conscientiously recognizes their
worldview transforming as it happens in real time—not once they are back on campus months
after the experience. Another student describes the exact moment his cultural lens expanded in
the Personal Account assignment:
I’m not sure why, but at that moment, on a dirt road…fully four months after arriving in
Nepal, I ‘got it.’ I don’t mean to say that I suddenly fully understood Nepali culture (I
still don’t), or that I was in an instant wholly comfortable in it (I’m still not), but at that
moment, I finally completely accepted that nothing in Nepal is going to be anything like
it would be in America [sic]—and I was okay with that.
The reason why the student’s perspective changed is unimportant in this excerpt. Rather, the
student pinpoints the moment when he was finally okay with giving up control over the cultural
context at hand. Through providing an outlet where students dissect cultural encounters,
students gain the ability to consciously recognize their worldview transforming.
Chapter Two argued that the conceptual development of intercultural learning is still very
fluid. While multiple models of intercultural competence exist, they often overlap and contradict
each other. Implementing structured writing assignments such as those in the Fieldbook allow
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students to become conscious of their perspective as it changes. Through each documented
conversation, observation, and interaction, students’ attitudes, values, and beliefs shift. And by
recording these sentiments, students can fully grasp when their perspective has changed.
Pitzer’s creation and implementation of the Fieldbook provides numerous opportunities
to enhance student intercultural learning. The five assignments, particularly the Critical
Encounters and Personal Account, challenge students to investigate cultural conflicts broadly and
deeply on an introspective and peripheral level. As students intricately deconstruct certain
observations or incidences occurring in the environment such as the homestay, students acquire
content knowledge which is reinforced by direct feedback from the program director. As a
result, students cultivate greater metacognitive skills such as self-regulation.
The complex inner-workings of the Fieldbook underscore its efficacy as a tool for
provoking intercultural learning. Studying and living in a foreign culture for a significant
amount of time provides ample opportunities for students to navigate cultural differences. Using
a structured learning tool such as the Fieldbook compels students to not only engage with the
culture but observe the person they are becoming as they construct cultural knowledge, cultivate
greater awareness of themselves and others, and refine the skill set that makes up intercultural
competence.
Part II: Results for Research Question Two
This study also sought to understand how students use the Fieldbook to engage in
experiential learning within the Pitzer in Nepal program. Experiential learning is a learner-
centered, cyclical process that provides opportunities for students to engage in reflective
observation through direct experience (Kolb, 1984). As a mechanism to stimulate thinking,
connect ideas, and make meaning of the world around them, Pitzer in Nepal’s Fieldbook
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maneuvers students through the cycle of experiential learning by requiring them to reflect upon
and respond to their individual experiences.
The second research question explored in this study asked in what ways does the
Fieldbook support the principles of experiential learning theory? The study found that as a
teaching tool, the Fieldbook conforms to several characteristics of experiential learning. In
particular, the research found strong evidence of experiential learning in the influential role of
the Fieldbook facilitator and the degree to which learners used the Fieldbook to process specific
content-related knowledge. Conversely, some aspects of experiential learning were less apparent
in the collected data. Most notably, the research found that overt examples of goal setting,
collaboration with fellow program participants, and motivation to take on future intercultural
experiences were not strongly evident within the Fieldbook writing.
To frame the data analysis below, it is necessary to recall that during the observation
phase of the experiential learning process, learners often connect to past experiences and prior
knowledge. Learners then go on to form abstract conceptualizations where they construct and
co-construct knowledge, which leads to new ways of thinking. This is followed by the active
experimentation phase where learners test new ideas and cultivate skills in new situations (Kolb,
1984). See Chapter Two for a visual representation of Kolb’s experiential learning cycle (1984)
and for a detailed summary of the theory and application of experiential learning in the context
of study abroad based on the work of Roberts, Conner & Jones (2013) and Deardorff’s process
model of intercultural competence (2006).
Creating a Safe Space for Learning
In experiential learning, educators facilitate hands-on personal experiences that empower
students to connect ideas and construct knowledge (Kolb & Kolb, 2005, 2009). Based on the
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interviews with the Nepal program director as well as all other Pitzer study abroad program
directors, the research determined that the program directors strongly align with this dimension
of experiential learning. The directors vary in nationality, cultural and professional background,
and length of time serving in this leadership capacity; however, each interview indirectly
referenced major concepts of experiential learning.
Though no formal training on experiential learning takes place when a Pitzer program
director is hired, the interviews conducted with the directors found a shared intersection of
certain ELT principles. Kolb and Kolb (2009) emphasize that experiential learning facilitators
should promote respect for learners and their experience, encourage students to take ownership
of their own learning, and provide a space for acting and reflecting, thinking and feeling, and
general conversational learning. Responses from the directors all demonstrated evidence that
they take each student’s individual study abroad experience seriously. They view their program
participants as members of the learning community whom they respect and value, a leading
principle of ELT (Kolb & Kolb, 2005, 2009).
There is also evidence that the program directors understand their responsibility to
providing a conducive environment that promotes organic, concrete, and individual experiences.
When asked how the program is purposeful in helping students to build their knowledge around
the culture, the directors referenced the Fieldbook as a way to carve a space that allows students
to digest their observations, a concept that is key to successful experiential learning (Kolb &
Kolb, 2005). While the Fieldbook acts as a tool for invoking reflection among students, the
directors utilize it to measure their success in providing relevant experiences for their students.
The directors were in agreement about using Fieldbook entries to benchmark how the
student experiences were unfolding throughout the semester. One director noted they look for
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writing where students demonstrate a sense that they “are totally at peace in one place” but
differentiates between students acquiring a sense of belonging versus when the student realizes
that the people they are surrounded by share that same feeling of mutual respect and tolerance.
In addition, the directors rely on the Fieldbook writing to confirm students’ psychological
wellbeing during a particularly dynamic time of their lives.
In analyzing both the Fieldbooks and interviews with the directors, this study found that
the directors play a critical role in mediating between student and host families. All of the
directors appear to be deeply entrenched in the community and thereby enjoy established
relationships with the host families. They are the bridge between the hosts and the students,
navigating between both perspectives. As this link, the director guides students “to feel and to
understand” the culture at hand in order to help students to “get outside their own culture, to
understand another culture, and to see that our culture has the same value as their culture,” as one
director succinctly noted. Another director drew a metaphor, calling the Fieldbook the “spine of
the program,” which by the end of the semester helps students “to stimulate, organize […] and
gather the information of that experience.”
While the directors deemed the Fieldbook as an invaluable program component, they also
unanimously recognized its shortcomings. Their expectations were grounded and realistic as
they indicated that the Fieldbook is not viewed as a panacea to promoting student learning. One
director emphasizes, “We have changed the Fieldbook many times. It is a constant improvement
in updating the readings and including research on the different current issues—it is a constant
improvement.” Another director notes the limits of the set number of assignments in the
Fieldbook. To compensate, the core course professor must incorporate topics rarely examined
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by students in their Fieldbooks into class time. He states, “ […] you can only cover so much.
There are a whole lot of other things that we cannot even start to talk about.”
Sustaining such focus on a major pedagogical tool requires harmonizing other important
program components such as academics, language training, and homestays. Both students and
directors face challenges in balancing Fieldbook assignments with other academic obligations
that make up the holistic learning experience of a Pitzer study abroad program. One director
affirmed, “It’s always been a hard balance for students to complete the assignments because
there are so many aspects of this program that are so intense.” Furthermore, the responsibilities
of being an effective facilitator in this intensive learning experience are significant: “I still feel
overwhelmed with everything—though it is doable.”
In addition to organizing professional duties, another obstacle directors face is the lack of
cohesive, established learning outcomes for implementing the Fieldbook. One director noted
how there are general objectives for the Pitzer program but they are “big, big objectives.” There
was a sense of urgency among some of the directors “to rethink and redesign the assignments of
the Fieldbook” in order to adhere to set learning outcomes. Furthermore, some directors noted
that the assignments should be updated more regularly. For instance, one director contemplated
devising a new assignment based on building an analysis around differences between their
American families and the host families in order to help students understand these different
cultural dynamics. As a whole, the directors were amenable to refreshing the Fieldbook
assignments in order to preserve them as an avenue for students to freely explore their cultural
observations and interactions. Being a facilitator of learning is undoubtedly difficult at times,
but each of the program directors recognized the gravity of their role in providing a pathway to
student growth.
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Guided Reflection
It is evident that the program participants engage in a considerable amount of guided
reflection in their individual Fieldbooks. In particular, the Critical Encounters assignment
especially compels students to engage in self-inquiry as it calls for students to grapple with
challenging cultural encounters or situations. As a result, 100% of the students used the
Fieldbook to describe and analyze at least one cultural event or incident. For example, this
student wrestles with Nepal’s high context communication style, proposing it is more implicit
than the approach often used in American culture:
… I realize that it’s difficult to make valid assumptions as to how these men and boys
interpreted my actions. Although Nepali culture emphasizes indirect suggestion, they
recognize that western culture is much more direct. This is obvious when I walk down
the streets of Thamel, and salespeople aggressively try to pull me into their shops while
speaking English…As an American perhaps I was expected to verbally initiate, as my
culture would permit.
The student uses writing to decipher nuances of intercultural communication triggered by a
recurring situation (getting pulled into shops). In this sense, guided reflection bridges the gap
between the experience of walking down the streets of Thamel with determining the appropriate
behavior to display. Guided reflection allows students to be exploratory and purposeful in
making sense of the why and how of the study abroad experience.
The Fieldbook compels students to explore complex topics and pose questions that are
not easily answered. One student asks, “Still, what does it mean to encounter a culture that is
rapidly becoming more and more similar to our own? I don’t have an answer now; I can only
hope to continue to think about such issues…” Another student struggles to categorize his new
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Nepali family contemplating, “Are these ‘actually’ my cousins? My second-cousins?
Neighborhood children?” Although this student finds difficulty in choosing certain terms to
capture his relationship with his host family, he understands that the challenge is fleeting. He
writes, “This is the strongest sense in which my own language glass is a form of imposition,
something that will slowly yield over the coming months.” Another student reflects upon the
intricacies of Nepali culture and their place within it:
Standing before the stupa that day, the unwavering eyes of the Buddha reveal the ultimate
truth: that in the broader scheme of things, identity, caste, beauty and nationality are
flimsy, fluid and meaningless creations of the ego. But it has only been through the eyes
of the Nepali people that I have come to realize the specificity of my racialized identity
and perhaps how to reach beyond it.
This statement captures how the Fieldbook creates an avenue whereby students have to think
about their observations and interactions and also articulate what they have learned through
them. As a result, engaging in guided reflection actively constructs students’ knowledge and
reinforces individual identity.
Appealing to Learner’s Interests
The Fieldbook is a highly personal account of authentic, individual experiences. In
completing the assignments, the students engage in activities and tasks that are meaningful to
them. Giving freedom to students to choose their subject matter for the assignments promotes
intrinsic motivation, a desire by learners to perform an activity because they find it personally
satisfying and enjoyable (Goldberg & Noels, 2006). Four of the five Fieldbook assignments
allow students to select their own topics to write about. They include Contemporary Issues,
Critical Encounters, Design Your Own, and the Personal Account. By linking educational
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experiences to the learner’s interests, the Fieldbook makes space for “inside-out learning,” a vital
component to experiential learning (Kolb & Kolb, 2009).
The Design Your Own (DYO) assignment especially speaks to learners’ desire to
complete a task that is significant to them. The syllabus calls DYO “an opportunity to be
creative or explore a quirky interest.” Along with outlining the length requirement, the
assignment encourages students to find some alternative method of presenting the findings such
as through written media or visual representations including maps, photo essays, drawings, or
demonstrations. Data from the sample was diverse with students crafting colorful responses in
various forms as they participated in woodworking, papermaking, pottery, Hindu astrology,
learning a Nepali musical instrument, writing and performing songs, and participating in a
community running group. Based on the comprehensive and multifarious DYO projects within
the sample, it is clear the Fieldbook strongly adheres the experiential learning orientation that
interest is integral to learning (Kolb & Kolb, 2005).
Improving Learner Goal Setting
As a gradual, evolving process, some elements of experiential learning may be weaker
than others. The Fieldbook writing samples demonstrated little evidence of students practicing
pre-reflection, a vital to the start of an experiential learning experience (Roberts, Connors &
Jones, 2013). Pre-reflection activities include establishing goals prior to experience,
collaborating with fellow participants, and connecting new knowledge with existing knowledge.
As it stands, the Fieldbook is not a reliable method of encouraging students to set individual
goals for themselves during the Pitzer in Nepal semester. While informal goal setting may have
taken place during pre-departure meetings or program orientation, there are few explicit
references to students establishing formal objectives for the semester within the Fieldbooks. For
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some students, goal setting appeared to be an afterthought—though it was still present, often in
the first Fieldbook assignment, Kinship and Family Relations. One student deliberates on her
perspective that is changing as a result of further investigating her host family’s kinship:
Critically observing and thinking about familiar interactions with the absence of a
Eurocentric mindset is what will ultimately grant me an intercultural learning experience.
The lens I previously saw Nepal through just a few weeks ago has immensely expanded
after furthering my understanding of Nepali kinship…By the end of my home stay I can
confidently say that I will have an unclouded western view of what family means in
Nepal.
Did this student achieve an objective perspective of family by the end of the semester? What
steps were taken to meet this goal? It would benefit the student to further explore this ambition
as goal setting strengthens learning according to ELT literature (Kolb & Kolb, 2005). While the
Fieldbook as a learning device has many strengths as evidenced from this study, a potential
deficiency is the lack of establishing a formal avenue for students to set absolute and normative
goals.
Encouraging students to craft their personal and academic goals for their semester abroad
and encouraging them to regularly refine them may deepen student growth while participating in
the program. While a limited number of students wrote about their goals in the samples, it would
be beneficial to provide an overt avenue where students can contemplate their goals and their
progress, and more easily meet those goals. One student remarks:
For the remainder of my time in Nepal, it is my hope to achieve a more well rounded
perspective of kinship and its true impacts, not from my personal observations or
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readings, but from the people of Nepal themselves. For now I am just one piece lodged
in the kinship puzzle, taking notice of who surrounds me and learning from them.
This student could delve deeper and articulate specific and measurable goals. One example
would be for the student to aim to spend thirty minutes each week talking with a member of
one’s host family about a specific topic around their upbringing. Another student writes about
exploring the interconnectedness of Nepali culture, language, and behavior and how they, “all
continually inform eachother [sic], as well as the ways in which all challenge me to think about
my own once implicit understandings of age, gender, and kinship.” This statement lays the
foundation for goal setting. Further exploring intentions for the semester and establishing set
goals would strengthen this student’s learning experience. What specific issues about age,
gender, and kinship interests this student? Is the student still challenged halfway through the
semester? What about at the end? The general idea of goal setting is present but it is necessary
for the student to take further steps. See Chapter Five for recommendation on strengthening the
Fieldbook pedagogy.
Fostering goal setting throughout the semester could incite motivation for students to
accomplish certain tasks according to experiential learning literature (Kolb & Kolb, 2009). One
student writes in the last assignment, the Personal Account, how to keep this widened
perspective after leaving Nepal:
The relationship of my family and the land is one I will never forget being a part of. In
America, the changing of weather merely means a change in dress. In Nepal, it can mean
a change in lifestyle. When it comes time to return home, I hope to maintain the mindset
I developed here regarding the importance of inquiring and seeking to learn.
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While this student hopes to uphold a sense of curiosity after the end of the semester, there is no
concrete, measurable, or attainable goal identified. The student also excludes actions to take in
order to maintain such a mindset.
Improving Activation of Prior Knowledge
In coding student writing using the above rubric devised for this research, the study
findings suggest that there is limited evidence of students explicitly connecting new knowledge
to prior knowledge. During the research analysis stage, prior knowledge was defined as writing
that deliberately referenced recent program lectures, discussions and course readings as well any
past academic readings or discussions. Cognitive load theory suggests that instructional settings
that encourage learners to meaningfully link prerequisite knowledge with current ideas, concepts,
and theories can enhance learning (Kirschner, Ayres, & Chandler, 2011). While the importance
of bridging new knowledge with prior knowledge may have been emphasized more in the
classroom, there was little evidence found among data extracted from the Fieldbook analyses and
interviews. Specifically, 67% of Fieldbooks showed no evidence of students managing cognitive
load through constructing new knowledge with past knowledge. Furthermore, the interviews did
not refer to any notion of basic cognitive load theory.
The data analysis did, however, determine that of all the assignments, students were more
likely to bridge new areas of learning with prior knowledge during the Contemporary Issues and
Critical Encounters assignments, with 17% of students exhibiting strong evidence in each of
these categories. In examining individualism vs. collectivism as a topic for the Contemporary
Issues assignment, a student connects a Nepali proverb discussed during the program orientation
to content knowledge. “This goes back to one of the orientation sessions we had at the beginning
of the program, in which the Nepali saying ‘Ek thuki suki hajaar thuki nadi’ was compared to the
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American saying ‘Stand on your own two feet.’” Another student recalled a university course he
had taken in order to describe a cultural interaction in the Critical Encounters assignment: “I am
reminded of my readings in Linguistic Anthropology. In many ways culture is a system for
attributing psychological stances through the simple act of observing actions.” This is strong
example of how the student’s writing goes on to further dissect a cultural transaction, building
off his grasp of linguistic anthropology.
Future Intercultural Experiences
The data analysis sought out references in student writing that detail intentions to
participate in future international travel (Nepal or elsewhere), volunteer, engage with the Nepali
community in the U.S., or connect with international students once back on campus. Though
none of the assignments specifically required students to contemplate future experiences beyond
the semester in Nepal, this concept was important for the research study to explore in order to
gauge the extent to which the Fieldbook validates experiential learning theory. In addition to
combing Fieldbooks for evidence, the interviews also revealed no evidence of directors formally
supporting intercultural learning specifically through future endeavors.
As neither implicit nor explicit allusions to seek out future intercultural learning
experiences beyond the semester in Nepal were found, it can be assumed that the students were
deeply entrenched in their current experience. The data reflected no signs of students being
ready to repeat the experiential learning cycle. It would be interesting to look outside of student
writing and observe classes and any concluding events offered by the program as students may
exhibit such motivation outside of their Fieldbooks.
The evidence is clear that the Fieldbook aligns with many attributes of experiential
learning. It serves as a substantial method to navigate the experiential learning process where
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students observe, connect to their experiences, construct new knowledge, and assert new ideas
and skills. The data strongly uphold several key experiential learning traits such as emphasizing
the role of the facilitator, employing guided reflection strategies, and advancing intrinsic
motivation. Conversely, the research found that certain aspects of ELT could be increased.
Establishing a formal avenue for goal setting, activating students’ prior knowledge, and curating
interest to take on future intercultural experiences all contribute to more profound learning that
could be possible during the Pitzer in Nepal program.
Chapter Summary
The qualitative content analysis for this study yielded evidence that the Pitzer in Nepal
Fieldbook highly influences student learning from both an intercultural and experiential learning
perspective. Upon analyzing data gathered from individual Fieldbooks and interviews with key
Fieldbook facilitators, the research determined that the Fieldbook is an effective learning device
that promotes intercultural learning and supports several important principles of experiential
learning. Chapter Five addresses the findings and implications for practice as a result of this
study.

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CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS
The purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth understanding of how the
Fieldbook, a learning intervention tool, operates within the Pitzer in Nepal study abroad
program. According to recent literature, study abroad programming requires intentional design
in order to invoke transformative and meaningful learning experiences. Although there are many
approaches to achieving holistic student learning abroad, most programs fail to build their
pedagogy around a single intervention tool.
This study considered how Pitzer College administers the Fieldbook, a collection of
structured writing prompts in its flagship study abroad programs. Specifically, the study
examined the degree to which the Fieldbook promotes intercultural learning within the Pitzer in
Nepal program. It also determined how the Fieldbook aligns with experiential learning theory, a
constructivist-based approach that asserts learning as a dynamic, multi-dimensional process.
This study analyzed Fieldbook documents along with interviewing Fieldbook administrators
from across Pitzer’s programs. The previous four chapters provided an overview of why study
abroad necessitates learning intervention and what specific components can incite, nurture, and
increase intercultural learning. The following research questions guided the study:
• To what extent does the use of the Fieldbook promote intercultural learning among
participants in Pitzer College Study Abroad Programs?
• In what ways does the Fieldbook support the principles of experiential learning
theory?
The conclusions drawn below answer the research questions, outline the limitations the study
faced, and explain implications for putting the research into practice. The chapter closes with
offering insight into future research possibilities.
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Summary of the Study
Chapter one explained and contextualized the problem: acquiring intercultural
competence among study abroad participants is not innate. It must be strategically cultivated
through curricular and co-curricular means. The chapter illustrated a disconnection between
higher education institutions establishing ambitious plans for internationalization and the
deficiencies around graduating global-ready students. It differentiated globalization from
internationalization, where globalization refers to notions of cultural hybridity, holistic
interconnectedness, and the merging of a capitalist economic system (Chen & An, 2009).
Internationalization is higher education’s response to the forces of globalization. Among senior
university leadership, internationalization is a way to establish a global institutional presence
which may include branch campuses, international partnerships, English-language programs,
English-medium degrees, and study abroad (Altbach & Knight, 2007). Study abroad initiatives
are often considered a solution to expand international reach and tout its graduates as global-
ready.
As study abroad programs expand in order to meet record high participation rates, the gap
widens between what the university thinks it is accomplishing and the student learning that
actually occurs. Therefore, administrators cannot assume that students will return to home
campuses with sharp knowledge and skills that will ensure success in the global workforce upon
graduation. Research indicates that designers of study abroad programs must commit to
supporting ongoing student learning, consistently monitoring and evaluating their programs in
order to provide high quality, relevant academic and co-curricular experiences that enrich
learning and personal growth. Chapter one ascribed meaning to this phenomenon of personal
development, defining it as intercultural competence, or the ability to behave and communicate
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effectively and appropriately in various cultural contexts based on one’s intercultural knowledge,
skills, and attitudes in order to achieve a specific goal (Deardorff, 2006). This chapter also
illustrated the purpose, significance, and organization of the study.
Chapter two outlined the current body of literature on study abroad, the theory and
practice of intercultural learning, and experiential learning theory. It presented an overview of
Deardorff’s Process Model of Intercultural Competence, a grounded theory framework that
recognizes intercultural competence as a linear process with individuals using experiences to
catalyze learning which results in behavioral, attitudinal, and knowledge shifts (2006). The
chapter also dissected Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity which
explains how individuals navigate cultural difference (1986). In addition to outlining these two
influential models, the chapter connected experiential learning theory with the study abroad
experience. ELT proponents argue that learning is a result of participating in a dynamic, cyclical
process driven by concrete action and reflection (Kolb, 1974). It is a misconception that ELT
refers to learning from experience. Rather, it is a purposeful approach carefully designed by
facilitators. The chapter concluded by presenting a framework used to conceptualize how the
Fieldbook promotes intercultural learning. The framework, entitled the Experiential Learning
Framework for Study Abroad, adopts aspects of ELT, Deardorff’s process model, and a recent
empirical study abroad research study conducted by Roberts, Conner & Jones (2013).
Next, chapter three discussed the methodology, including a detailed description of the
sample and population, instrumentation, data collection method, and the data analysis plan. As a
qualitative case analysis, the study sought to define the phenomenon of the Fieldbook and its
efficacy in promoting intercultural learning as well as the extent to which it employs experiential
learning principles. The study analyzed 24 individual Fieldbooks from the Spring 2013 and Fall
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2014 Pitzer in Nepal semesters. It also examined data collected from five semi-structured
interviews conducted with Pitzer faculty charged with administering the Fieldbook. The data
was coded and evaluated using the Fieldbook Data Analysis Protocol (found in Appendix A).
The protocol was adapted from the Experiential Learning Framework for Study Abroad, a model
created for this study that is based on the work of Roberts, Conner and Jones (2013) and
Deardorff’s process model of intercultural competence (2006). Chapter four provides an
analysis of the data.
Summary of Findings
This study explored how both intercultural and experiential learning works in the context
of the Pitzer in Nepal program, a semester-long study abroad experience for undergraduates from
both within and outside of Pitzer College, a small liberal arts college in Southern California. The
research sought to explain the extent to which the Nepal program facilitates intercultural learning
in relation to the Fieldbook, a series of writing prompts students respond to over the course of
one semester. The study also aimed to identify any experiential learning principles present in the
implementation of the Fieldbook. The data was derived from individual student Fieldbooks from
two semesters of the Nepal program as well as semi-structured interviews that were conducted
with study abroad program directors, each of whom oversee the administration of the Fieldbook.
The analysis of the data is presented below.
Research Question One
To what extent does the use of the Fieldbook promote intercultural learning among
participants in Pitzer College Study Abroad Programs? The study identified significant
evidence that demonstrates the Fieldbook fosters intercultural learning among participants. The
analysis of data established five factors that contribute to intercultural learning within the Pitzer
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in Nepal program (see Figure G. Promoting Intercultural Learning through the Fieldbook in
chapter four). These components include living with local families, using the Fieldbook to help
students engage in metacognitive strategies, reinforcing content knowledge through the
Fieldbook, and receiving consistent, written feedback from Fieldbook facilitators. Additionally,
the study found that two of the five assignments were particularly strong in invoking intercultural
learning.
Metacognition and the Fieldbook. The Fieldbook serves as a device to help students
stay aware of their learning and cognitive processes, a principal goal of metacognition (Mayer,
2011). According to educational psychology, learning is considered a change in knowledge that
results from experience (Mayer, 2011). While there are various approaches to learning outlined
in academic literature, one effective method used to increase learning is to teach metacognitive
strategies to students (Mayer, 2011). When students take ownership for monitoring and
controlling their learning, they engage in self-regulation (Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro, Lovett &
Norman, 2010; Mayer, 2011). The Fieldbook compels students to take ownership of their
learning, a result of metacognitive practice. This is done through strengthening and applying
metacognitive skills. By exploring conversations, interactions, and experiences through writing,
students gain awareness of their own thinking and control their cognitive processes which, in
turn, facilitates learning.
The role of the host family. The study determined that living with local families is also
associated with intercultural learning. Students living with host country nationals has long been
a cornerstone of study abroad. Chapter two presented several studies that assert the value of
collective intervention strategies including orientation and re-entry courses and cultural mentors
such as host families. However, few studies have isolated and defined the role of host family as
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it pertains to intercultural learning. The Fieldbook data present the role of the host family as a
major theme and contributor to facilitating intercultural learning. Numerous allusions to
meaningful interactions with the host families appear to suggest that this type of living
arrangement plays a significant role in the student learning experience. The host family initiates
inherent social contact among students and maximizes exposure to the culture and language,
adopting the role of co-educators in students’ lives. The Fieldbook complements this notion as it
enables students to record and further explore their observations, conversations, and interactions
with their families.
Individualized feedback from the program director. The study found that another
major contributor to fostering intercultural learning is the direct feedback students receive upon
completing their Fieldbook writing assignments. The core course facilitator (also the program
director) provides regular, handwritten feedback to students in the form of questions,
agreements, disagreements, and suggestions. Serving as a continuous exchange between
facilitator and learner, this practice steers students across the intercultural learning spectrum by
provoking them to further explore their observations and interface with host country nationals.
This finding is consistent with research which outlines that both novice and advanced learners
benefit from stewards assisting them in developing and analyzing cultural encounters and
cognitive processes (Lou & Bosley, 2008; Lutterman-Aguilar & Gingerich, 2002; McLaughlin et
al., 2005).
Reinforcing content knowledge. Evidence from the Fieldbook data also demonstrated
its use as a method for students to scaffold the knowledge acquired from lectures, course
discussions, and assigned readings. By drawing connections between academic content and their
everyday experiences in Nepal, students use the Fieldbook’s writing prompts to organize their
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knowledge. As a result, students have greater control over their cognitive load. Educational
psychology literature confirms that instructional design can help students manage and control
their own learning, a primary concept of cognitive load theory (Van Merriënboer & Kirschner,
2007). The pedagogical design of the Fieldbook strongly aligns with current cognitive load
theory research. This contributes to deeper intercultural learning as students build the necessary
culture specific knowledge and awareness to successfully interact in Nepal.
The Critical Encounters and Personal Account assignments. The study also found
two of the five Fieldbook prompts to be especially successful in invoking intercultural learning.
Within the Critical Encounters assignment, every student from both the Spring 2013 and Fall
2014 semesters demonstrated evidence of intercultural sensitivity. The Personal Account
assignment, the final Fieldbook writing prompt, guides students to reflect critically on their
experience in Nepal as a whole. Eighty-two percent of students’ Fieldbooks depicted evidence
of heightened awareness or a deeper understanding of their own culture. Student writing
presented strong examples of perspective taking, development of empathy, ethnorelative
viewpoints, curiosity, respect, and greater awareness of host nationals.
Research Question Two
In what ways does the Fieldbook support the principles of experiential learning
theory? In addition to determining the extent to which intercultural learning occurs in the Pitzer
in Nepal program, the study also found that the Fieldbook supports major concepts of
experiential learning. The dynamic, learner-centered process of experiential learning assumes
that knowledge results from grasping and transforming experience (Kolb, 1984). As a cyclical
model with no final outcome, the learner takes in information, interprets it, and acts on that
information (Kolb, 1984; Passarelli & Kolb, 2012). The information that drives this model are
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the interactions, conversations, observations, and experiences students have while participating
in the Pitzer in Nepal program.
The Fieldbook exemplifies three main facets of experiential learning. First, the program
directors, who are also the core course facilitators, appear to successfully establish the Fieldbook
as a learning space for students to engage in reflection. According to Passarelli and Kolb (2012),
learning spaces can encompass physical, cultural, institutional, social, and psychological aspects.
The Fieldbook is a combination of all of these areas. Interviews with Pitzer study abroad
program directors confirm its position as a keystone supporting the learning that takes place.
One director describes this representation saying, “We're not just concerned about what people
write—the product—but how they get to that.”
Another attribute of experiential learning exemplified through the Fieldbook is its ability
to guide reflection among students. It compels students to explore complex topics and pose
questions that are not easily answered. Exploring thoughts, feelings, and beliefs around certain
topics helps students to analyze their own behaviors and clarify why they responded in a
particular way. The Fieldbook is a tool that enables students to interpret conflict, differences,
and disagreement, all of which drive the learning process according to experiential learning
literature (Passarelli & Kolb 2012). ELT asserts that a transaction occurs between individuals
and their environments (Kolb & Kolb, 2008). The Fieldbook is centered at the core of this
tension.
Lastly, the Fieldbook appeals to learners’ interests. As a collection of narratives
composed of individual experiences, the students explore topics and encounters that are
significant to them. Experiential learning literature affirms that invoking intrinsic motivation
leads to learning (Kolb & Kolb, 2005). The Fieldbook promotes critical thinking about
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individual attitudes, interests, desires, and goals. By allowing students to freely select topics on
four of the five assignments, the Fieldbook maximizes intrinsic motivation.
Limitations and Delimitations
While the study confirms the Fieldbook as a valuable intervention tool, there are
limitations that exist. The research provides an in-depth description and analysis of Pitzer’s
Fieldbook, but as a qualitative case study it is a system bounded by time and activity (Creswell,
2014). Therefore, the generalizability of the study findings is limited. While other study abroad
programs may employ writing tools to promote reflection and learning, the Fieldbook documents
examined were unique to the context of the Pitzer in Nepal program.
Another limitation to take into account was the accessibility, availability, and openness of
the participants. The staff were extensively interviewed about their professional duties, and they
may have been hesitant to share their opinions and experiences. In a similar regard, all
documents provided by Pitzer administrators were investigated with caution as they may have
been selected for the exemplary intercultural learning evidence they yield.
This case study is not a longitudinal study; instead it is a snapshot or short-term analysis
of how intercultural learning has occurred on Pitzer programs during a specific timespan. It aims
to capture how recent program participants experienced intercultural learning through using the
Fieldbook as an intercultural learning intervention method. The study did not collect data during
the “pre-departure” or “during” phases of the study abroad semester—only once the Fieldbooks
were completed and assessed by program staff. Lastly, as a case study, it did not focus on
behavioral or ethnographic details—only the cultural experiences as perceived by the student or
staff participants.
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Staff and faculty who were not directly affiliated with the assessment of the Fieldbook
were not selected as part of the sample. Former program participants and staff were not chosen
as a sample as the study does not center on the long-term impact of the use of the Fieldbook.
Additionally, while intercultural learning intervention methods such as reflective writing may
occur in Pitzer’s direct enrollment and exchange programs (neither of which were the focus of
this study), those programs do not systematically or comprehensively implement the use of the
Fieldbook.
Lastly, the study did not address how foreign language learning plays a role in acquiring
intercultural competence. There is an entire body of literature around how language learning
intercedes with intercultural and experiential learning. In analyzing the Fieldbooks, the study did
not consider how language skills help or hinder their learning. Additionally, the study’s content
analysis considered the Fieldbook assignments holistically and did not assess each student’s
learning progression from assignment to assignment.
Implications for Practice
There are several key findings from the study that inform both Pitzer College and the
field of international education. This section will address how on an institutional level, the Pitzer
College Office of Study Abroad and International Programs can integrate the results from the
study into its study abroad program management. Additionally, the section presents how other
study abroad programs could benefit by incorporating some of the major ideas that resulted from
the data analysis.
Implications for Pitzer College
By thoroughly investigating the extent to which the Fieldbook facilitates intercultural
learning, the study determined several implications that could be helpful to Pitzer College. To
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maximize intercultural learning and strengthen the implementation of the Fieldbook, Pitzer
administrators should consider the following recommendations.
Recognize what is valuable about the Fieldbook. Pitzer College consistently leads the
category of “Bachelor’s Institutions” in the number of Fulbright recipient it produces. It would
benefit the administration to investigate the connection between Fulbright awardees and
participation in Pitzer flagship programs featuring the Fieldbooks. It is likely the intercultural
and experiential learning that occurs as a result of students completing the Fieldbook plays some
role in distinguishing former Pitzer study abroad participants’ Fulbright applications.
Highlighting what is valuable about the Fieldbook, particularly its function in helping students to
synthesize content knowledge, strengthen metacognitive skills, participate as a member of their
host families, and foster a connection with the program director, all contribute to establishing
Pitzer as a leader in catalyzing student learning abroad. Thus, a major implication of this study
is that those Pitzer stakeholders concerned with advancing internationalization, preparing global
ready graduates, and achieving greater institutional visibility as a whole should recognize that
Pitzer study abroad’s implementation of the Fieldbook is an extremely valuable asset to its
undergraduate education.
Establish consistent staff development training for core course instructors. The data
analysis indicated a need for establishing regular training for the core course instructors. In most
of the Pitzer programs, the course instructors are also the program directors and they have
numerous responsibilities on their plate. As the study determined the Fieldbook to be highly
influential in student learning, it is recommended that the directors meet annually or biannually
to discuss recent outcomes of the Fieldbook implementations. Whether they reflect upon its
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achievements or limitations, obstacles, or deficiencies within the various cultural contexts at
hand, the directors would benefit from greater collaboration.
Providing ongoing training where instructors could learn more about the theory and
practice of experiential learning would bring greater consistency across programs. Although the
host cultures widely differ, the ways in which the instructors teach, listen, respond, and assess
Pitzer program participants are similar. In an experiential learning setting, the facilitator is
crucial in guiding the learning that takes place. Steering students through the experience,
reflection, conceptualization, and action that makes up the experiential learning cycle requires
proper and ongoing training. Experiential learning educators must fluidly shift roles depending
on which stage of the cycle is occurring and they need to know how and when to take on their
role as facilitator, expert, evaluator, and coach (Passarelli & Kolb, 2012). By establishing
training every other summer, for example, the program directors would strengthen the learning
that takes place and create even more impactful experiences for participants.
Include pre-departure and re-entry components as part of the study abroad
experience. The findings suggest that there should be a heavier emphasis on certain pre-
reflection activities such as goal setting and collaboration with fellow students. Additionally,
there was little evidence of students setting goals for the semester as well as activating prior
knowledge in order to construct new knowledge. One solution to this could be implementing a
for-credit course for all study abroad participants prior to departure. During this course taken on-
campus (or possibly online for students not attending the Claremont Colleges), students could
begin the intercultural and experiential learning processes in advance of arriving in the host
country. Strategically designed, the curriculum could complement and enhance the on-site
learning experience.
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In the same vein, including activities after students have returned to campus would
further advance learner engagement. The data analysis determined that few Fieldbooks revealed
evidence of motivation to take on future intercultural experiences. To ensure students will seek
out additional intercultural learning opportunities, Pitzer could offer activities such as an on-
campus or online re-entry course. Within study abroad literature, there is compelling evidence
that pre-departure and post-return initiatives serve an important role in student learning (Vande
Berg & Paige, 2009). A re-entry course could be designed with an experiential learning
framework that aims to help students make sense of what is occurring upon their return and as
they re-adjust to their former lives. It could also further cement experiential learning principles
such as emphasizing metacognitive skill building and promoting ownership of learning.
Implications for Study Abroad Programs
The study also revealed implications for the international education field to take into
account. If a study abroad program were to adopt the Pitzer model, certain conditions would
need to be in place. It is essential to underscore the power of a single learning intervention tool,
the progression and overarching program mission at hand, and the need for students to engage
with host country nationals.
Adopt a central writing tool as the cornerstone of the program. Firstly, the Fieldbook
is a unique pedagogical tool that is built into Pitzer flagship programs. As its “spine” according
to one program director, it would benefit other study abroad programs to adopt aspects of
Pitzer’s program model. Pitzer programs holistically integrate their program components around
student learning. Living with local families who are regarded as “co-educators” as one director
described, feeds the guided reflection and exploratory writing that takes place. Using one
without the other risks diminishing the processing of individual interactions with the host
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109
country nationals. Without offering opportunities for reflection, students may overlook cultural
cues and possibly slow their intercultural competence advancement. Those administrators
charged with developing and improving new and existing study abroad programs can benefit
from incorporating these findings into their program design.
The delivery of guided reflection is not dependent on technology. While there is
currently emphasis on incorporating technology into education, communication tools such as
blogs, vlogs, podcasts, and other methods may not always be necessary to provoke profound
learning on a study abroad program. The majority of Fieldbook assignments evaluated for this
study consisted of students writing on lined notebook paper by hand. Some Fieldbook entries
were disheveled with words and sentences crossed out, occasional spelling errors, ideas added as
an afterthought, and discernible contemplation and reflection occurring. At the undergraduate
level, students rarely handwrite assignments but for many students on the Nepal program, the
format of the Fieldbook enabled students to eliminate distractions and focus solely on their inner
thoughts and the writing prompt at hand. Study abroad professionals should recognize that deep
learning is not necessarily related to novel methods of learning.
Align writing assignments with the progression of the program. The Fieldbook
writing prompts would need to be strategically planned in order to align with a student’s
intercultural competence at a particular point in time. For instance, the first assignment in the
Fieldbook is the Kinship and Family Relations which calls for students to observe their host
families without judgment, conduct interviews with host family members, and construct basic
content knowledge on kinship terms. The assignments following grant greater autonomy where
students select their own topics which aids in scaffolding their reflections and conceptualizations
of newly acquired knowledge and ideas.
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110
Maximize opportunities for students to engage with the culture. Other aspects for
study abroad program developers to consider include the need to ensure compelling experiences
will take place. Whether they happen within a homestay, among local university students, at an
internship, or at a volunteer site, there should be plentiful opportunities replete with meaningful
observations, interactions, and conversations available to participants. Building a study abroad
program around a pedagogical tool such as the Fieldbook is viable but it is necessary to adapt it
to the culture and program mission as well as strategically decide the theme and timing of the
writing prompts. Most importantly, the program must adopt components where meaningful
experiences are consistently made available to students.
Future Research
The study breaks new ground on exploring how a single learning intervention tool
impacts intercultural learning and aligns with experiential learning. Though this study
contributes to the existing literature, additional inquiry into specific aspects around the
implementation of the Fieldbook would benefit the international education field. First, the role
of the Fieldbook facilitator could be further defined. As experiential learning theory deems
educators to be vital in leading the experiential learning cycle, future research could shed light on
best practices adopted by each of the Fieldbook’s facilitators. Secondly, it would be useful to
assess Fieldbook student writing against an established scale such as the intercultural
development inventory (Hammer, Bennett &Wiseman, 2003). Future research might compare
post-experience intercultural competence measures of Fieldbook users versus the intercultural
competence of students who did not utilize Fieldbooks.
Likewise, it would be interesting to investigate connections between the location of the
program and the depth of learning involved. This may provide an understanding as to the extent
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111
to which the Fieldbook is useful in helping students to experience a culture with greater contrasts
to that of the U.S. Additionally, a longitudinal study that measures former program participants’
engagement in additional intercultural learning experiences should be conducted as this could
provide insight into the long-term impact of the Fieldbook. Future research could also study the
relationship between administering the Fieldbook and the length of the study abroad experience
as intercultural and experiential learning is not necessarily bounded by time. Finally, future
research could take on the perception of the Fieldbook among students, identifying ways in
which students believe the Fieldbook to be beneficial in catalyzing their learning. A recent study
confirmed that students value engagement and the active learning that results from participating
in reflective journaling activities (O’Connell, Dyment & Smith, 2015).
Conclusion
This study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of how a study abroad
program devotes its program to a major learning intervention tool. Defining the extent to which
the Fieldbook promotes intercultural learning and adheres to experiential learning theory closes a
gap in the literature. Although the research is bound to Pitzer’s study abroad programs, the
findings of this study add to the growing demand for greater accountability in student learning
abroad. The overall conclusion, based on extensive document analysis and interviews, is that
Pitzer’s Fieldbook is a highly relevant pedagogical device which grounds the learning that takes
place during the study abroad experience. An excerpt from one student’s final Fieldbook entry
illustrates its power, “I can’t thank the program staff or teachers enough for giving me the tools
and the language to allow myself to think beyond my preconceived notions and assumptions.”
The Fieldbook imparts greater awareness of self and others and lasting cultural insight beyond
students’ departures from Nepal. As forces of globalization grow stronger, it is crucial to ground
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112
the learning that takes place. The Fieldbook assumes this responsibility as it broadens and
deepens the potential for intercultural learning and growth.

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113
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Appendix A
Fieldbook Document Analysis Protocol

The student's writing
shows evidence of:
Strongly Evident
(Developed/
Highly
Developed)
Somewhat
Evident
(Emerging)
Not Evident
Pre-reflection
Goal setting
Collaboration and
engagement with fellow
students

Content-specific
knowledge related to the
host culture

Guided Reflection
Responding and
analyzing cultural events
and incidents

Motivation to take on
future intercultural
experiences

Learner Engagement
Activating Prior
Knowledge

Intercultural sensitivity

THE ROLE OF THE FIELDBOOK

128
Appendix B
Pitzer in Nepal Fieldbook Coding Rubric

The student's writing shows evidence
of:
Strongly
Evident
(Developed/
Highly
Developed)
Somewhat
Evident
(Emerging)
Not Evident
1) interaction with members of the host
culture around specific issues and
topics addressed in the assignment
(detailed conversations and interviews
with Nepalis)

2) integration of personal experience
and/or observations (especially
conversations with Nepalis) with
readings and lectures.

3) the ability to observe Nepali
behavior without interpreting or
judging based on one’s own culture

4) a global-local reflection: analysis of
issues, ideas, events from perspective
of own culture and that of host
community/culture

5) empathy, respect, and understanding
for the host culture perspective.

6) acknowledging and expressing
personal feelings that arise through
interactions with host culture without
judging host culture.

7) global-local reflection on culture:
new understandings/perspectives of
own culture based on interaction with
Nepali culture or visa-versa

8) heightened sense/ greater
understanding of issues of social justice
related to topic/assignment.

9) analysis of issues from multiple
perspectives within Nepali culture
(checks tendency to make
overgeneralizations about the culture
based on one person or one group’s
perspective

THE ROLE OF THE FIELDBOOK

129
Appendix C
Interview Protocol for Pitzer Fieldbook Administrators

Research Question Interview Question
To what extent does the use of the
Fieldbook promote intercultural
learning among participants in Pitzer
College Study Abroad Programs?
What role does the Fieldbook play in the student’s
experience?
How does the use of the Fieldbook relate to
intercultural learning? What role does the Fieldbook
play in promoting intercultural learning in the early
stage of their study abroad experience?
In what way do the Fieldbook assignments guide
intercultural learning for students during their time in
your program?
Which Fieldbook assignment do you think is the most
impactful? Why?
As students finish the program, how does the
Fieldbook impact them and their intercultural
learning?
Are there ways in which the Fieldbook falls short of
your intercultural learning goals? How would you
improve it as a teaching tool?
I understand the Fieldbook syllabus is adjusted after
each semester. Why is it altered and in what ways
does it improve student learning?
In what ways does the Fieldbook
support the principles of experiential
learning theory?
In what ways is your program purposeful in helping
students build their knowledge, skills, expertise
around a particular culture?
Can you talk about your role as a Fieldbook
facilitator? What are your responsibilities and how
does this fit in with your other duties?
Walk me through the experience of the Fieldbook for
a student on your program. What are some of the most
important aspects in implementing and assessing the
Fieldbooks?
When you were trained to administer/assess the
Fieldbooks, what were some of the main intentions
that were emphasized?

Abstract (if available)

Abstract In the age of an interdependent global economy, it is increasingly important for institutions of higher education to produce skilled graduates who have the knowledge, awareness, and expertise to function across cultures. While study abroad participation is at a record high, there is a gap between the learning that university administrators expect to occur as a result of study abroad and the learning outcomes that are actually met. Current research indicates that there must be a commitment to support ongoing student learning in study abroad programs, but there are few studies that examine a single learning intervention tool in depth. This qualitative case study explored how a series of structured writing assignments known as the Fieldbook facilitate intercultural learning within Pitzer College’s study abroad program in Nepal. The study also examined the ways in which the Fieldbook exhibits characteristics of experiential learning. The study population consisted of Pitzer College study abroad program directors and individual student Fieldbooks from Pitzer in Nepal, a semester-long study abroad program for U.S. undergraduate students. A combination of experiential learning theory (Kolb, 1984

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Asset Metadata

Creator Sherman, Whitney Huss (author)

Core Title The role of the fieldbook: a pedagogical tool for intercultural learning

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 08/08/2016

Defense Date 07/01/2016

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag campus internationalization,experiential learning,guided reflection,intercultural competence,intercultural learning,OAI-PMH Harvest,study abroad

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Robison, Mark Power (committee chair), Filback, Robert A. (committee member), Marlenga, Anne (committee member)

Creator Email whitney.sherman@usc.edu,whitneybsherman@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c40-301150

Unique identifier UC11281238

Identifier etd-ShermanWhi-4760.pdf (filename),usctheses-c40-301150 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-ShermanWhi-4760.pdf

Dmrecord 301150

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Sherman, Whitney Huss

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA