ICIA: ICIA: Enhancing Cross-Cultural Communication Enhancing Cross-Cultural Communication

and Transnational Perspectivesand Transnational Perspectives

Curricular Themes and SitesCurricular Themes and Sites

• Fall Semester Sites: Fall Semester Sites: South Africa, Tibet, South Africa, Tibet, Brazil, U.S.Brazil, U.S.

• Spring Semester Spring Semester Sites: Vietnam, Great Sites: Vietnam, Great Britain, Iraq, U.S.Britain, Iraq, U.S.

International PartnersInternational Partners

• International Rescue Committee: Working in over 25 International Rescue Committee: Working in over 25 countries, including with immigrants in the San Diego countries, including with immigrants in the San Diego region, to provide relief, resettlement services, and region, to provide relief, resettlement services, and advocacy for people uprooted or affected by war and advocacy for people uprooted or affected by war and oppression.oppression.

International PartnersInternational Partners

• Horace Mann Middle School: a neighborhood school Horace Mann Middle School: a neighborhood school serving a predominantly immigrant population and serving a predominantly immigrant population and launching an innovative curriculum focusing on social launching an innovative curriculum focusing on social justicejustice

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

– Foster cross-cultural and Foster cross-cultural and historical understandings of historical understandings of identity (cultural, national, identity (cultural, national, racial, ethnic, religious, racial, ethnic, religious, sexual, gender, political) sexual, gender, political) within a global context;within a global context;

– Enhance students’ abilities Enhance students’ abilities to construct bridge to construct bridge between learning inside between learning inside and outside the classroom and outside the classroom and across cultural and and across cultural and national boundaries;national boundaries;

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

• To deepen critical reflection on To deepen critical reflection on the interrelationship of peoples the interrelationship of peoples on different parts of the globe;on different parts of the globe;

• Foster appreciation of Foster appreciation of difference and diversity;difference and diversity;

• Acquire skills that enhance Acquire skills that enhance communication and communication and understanding among diverse understanding among diverse constituencies (students, constituencies (students, faculty, community learning faculty, community learning partners, site directors)partners, site directors)

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

• Draw upon multiple sources, methods, and perspectives to enhance Draw upon multiple sources, methods, and perspectives to enhance global understandings and critical thinking abilities;global understandings and critical thinking abilities;

• Develop multiple literaciesDevelop multiple literacies..

Service Learning BlogsService Learning Blogs

• Students compiled a semester-long service learning blog Students compiled a semester-long service learning blog that required their reflections on the connections between that required their reflections on the connections between the service experience and other course content.the service experience and other course content.

• Goals: Goals: – Increase student interaction concerning service Increase student interaction concerning service

learning experience;learning experience;– Increase and streamline faculty feedback.Increase and streamline faculty feedback.

– https://blackboard.sdsu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jhttps://blackboard.sdsu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_idsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_99599_1=_99599_1

Blogs for Service-Learning Site DirectorsBlogs for Service-Learning Site Directors

• Address serious Address serious challenges of challenges of communication communication among students, among students, faculty, service-faculty, service-learning site learning site directors.directors.

• Must be in place Must be in place from day one.from day one.

Changes?Changes?

• Most students unfamiliar Most students unfamiliar with blogs.with blogs.

• Prepare a checklist for Prepare a checklist for students to better prepare students to better prepare them for success.them for success.

• Like any long-term, Like any long-term, ongoing assignment, clear ongoing assignment, clear check-points necessary check-points necessary throughout the semester throughout the semester that provide faculty that provide faculty monitoring and help monitoring and help students address students address questions and problems.questions and problems.

Student Power Point PresentationsStudent Power Point Presentations

• Required of all students as way to represent important Required of all students as way to represent important aspects of service-learning experienceaspects of service-learning experience

• Translation of service learning experience into academic Translation of service learning experience into academic language and academic forum, e.g. providing historical language and academic forum, e.g. providing historical context to their experience for their faculty and peers.context to their experience for their faculty and peers.

• Bridge between classroom learning and community-Bridge between classroom learning and community-learning experience.learning experience.

• Enriched curriculum for all students by creating globalized Enriched curriculum for all students by creating globalized curriculum for peers.curriculum for peers.

• Introduce the sites to others who may be working at the Introduce the sites to others who may be working at the alternative site next semester or in the future. alternative site next semester or in the future.

Student Achievements with TechnologyStudent Achievements with Technology

• Outstanding use of technology Outstanding use of technology directly integrated into class directly integrated into class performance (visual, charts, performance (visual, charts, text, music, images).text, music, images).

• Global curriculum enhanced Global curriculum enhanced through link back into readings through link back into readings with international content and with international content and specific curricular themes such specific curricular themes such as multiple cultural identities.as multiple cultural identities.

ASSESSMENTASSESSMENT

• Selected response format Selected response format assessment that addresses general assessment that addresses general learning objectives;learning objectives;

• Open narrative response format Open narrative response format that contains relevant information; that contains relevant information;

• Selected response survey collecting Selected response survey collecting data on use of technology data on use of technology specifically;specifically;

• Power-point portfolio assessment Power-point portfolio assessment by three-person faculty team by three-person faculty team

• Service learning blog questions Service learning blog questions specifically address objective of specifically address objective of “acquire skills that enhance “acquire skills that enhance communication”communication”