Undergraduate Research on Short-Term, Faculty-Led Study Abroad.

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Title:	Undergraduate Research on Short-Term, Faculty-Led Study Abroad.
Authors:	Barkin, Gareth¹ barkin@pugetsound.edu
Source:	Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly. Summer2016, Vol. 36 Issue 4, p26-32. 7p.
Subject Terms:	Foreign study, Undergraduates, Student research, Educational programs, *Foreign students, Social science research
Abstract:	Undergraduate research can add significant depth to shortterm study abroad, an academic practice that has experienced dramatic growth over the past decade (Institute of International Education 2015). Although some studies point to potential benefits of this shift from semester-long or yearlong study-abroad to shorter experiences (e.g. Anderson et al. 2006; DeLoach et al. 2003; Mercer 2015), the constraints of short-term trips present numerous obstacles to achieving a culturally rich experience (e.g. Kehl and Morris 2007; Lemmons 2015; Ritz 2011), particularly for students working in the social sciences. Based on extensive experience evaluating and leading short term course-trips in Southeast Asia, this article makes the case that undergraduate research, when properly supported, can be a central strategy in improving the quality of short term study abroad programs. Such research experiences are likely to remain superficial in the absence of strong, institutional partnerships within the host country. Strong partnerships can make undergraduate social research plausible and productive under the difficult constraints of a short-term program. Strategies for identifying and collaborating with appropriate institutional partners for culturally rich, short-term experiences are presented, and approaches to assessment of the outcomes are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
	Copyright of Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly is the property of Council on Undergraduate Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	Undergraduate research can add significant depth to shortterm study abroad, an academic practice that has experienced dramatic growth over the past decade (Institute of International Education 2015). Although some studies point to potential benefits of this shift from semester-long or yearlong study-abroad to shorter experiences (e.g. Anderson et al. 2006; DeLoach et al. 2003; Mercer 2015), the constraints of short-term trips present numerous obstacles to achieving a culturally rich experience (e.g. Kehl and Morris 2007; Lemmons 2015; Ritz 2011), particularly for students working in the social sciences. Based on extensive experience evaluating and leading short term course-trips in Southeast Asia, this article makes the case that undergraduate research, when properly supported, can be a central strategy in improving the quality of short term study abroad programs. Such research experiences are likely to remain superficial in the absence of strong, institutional partnerships within the host country. Strong partnerships can make undergraduate social research plausible and productive under the difficult constraints of a short-term program. Strategies for identifying and collaborating with appropriate institutional partners for culturally rich, short-term experiences are presented, and approaches to assessment of the outcomes are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	10725830
DOI:	10.18833/curq/36/4/2