Title

Compact International Experiences: Expanding Student International Awareness Through Short-Term Study Abroad Courses With Substantial Engineering Technical Content

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2013

Abstract

Compact International Experience (CIE) courses are investigated as a suitable tool to raise student international awareness while retaining substantial engineering technical content. These courses were developed due to a strong student desire for engineering international studies as well as a drive by the home institution for internationalization of the curriculum. The efficacy of such courses is described through experiences gained from delivering two distinct three-semester-unit engineering elective courses in a three-week time frame in France and Australia. While each of these courses, Topics in Fluid Mechanics and Advanced Electronic Circuit Design, focused on its technical content, the desire for student understanding of the cultural environment and the impact of engineering solutions from a global and societal viewpoint were strong driving factors for each. Assessment validates the hypothesis that CIE courses can successfully deliver substantial engineering technical content while providing an enriching international experience to students.

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