Twelve years of short-term study abroad programs: Engineering in a global and societal context

Abstract

A three-week study abroad program for engineering students at Bucknell University has been offered thirteen times from May 2004 to May 2016. The intent of the program is to provide an alternative for students who cannot spend a semester or year abroad, enabling more engineering students to gain international experience before they graduate. Students receive one course credit (4 credit hours) for the program, which counts as a free elective or an engineering elective, depending on department. The program was delivered in: the United Kingdom in 2004, 2006 and 2011; Argentina in 2007 and 2013; Switzerland, Germany and France in 2008; Norway and Sweden in 2009; Brazil in 2010; China in 2012; Costa Rica in 2013; New Zealand in 2014; Italy in 2015; and Chile in 2016. Over 280 students and seventeen different faculty members have participated. This study abroad program was initially designed to address ABET General Criterion 3(h) which notes that graduates must have "the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental and societal context." Specific ABET educational outcomes for the program include: 1) the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context, 2) recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in, life-long learning, and 3) knowledge of contemporary issues. These outcomes have been mapped to ten learning objectives common to all offerings of the course, which are included in the paper. To meet these educational outcomes, the programs are planned around multifaceted themes accessible to all engineering majors, including: Transportation (UK); Water Resources (Argentina); Engineering in Ancient Lands (Italy, China); Engineering in Extreme Environments (Chile); and Energy and Sustainability (Switzerland/Germany/France, Norway/Sweden, Brazil, Costa Rica, and New Zealand). Courses typically consist of a series of lectures, site visits and guest speakers arranged around the underlying technical theme. The paper provides examples of course activities from some of these programs. Student requirements include daily class and field trip attendance, a daily journal, and a term paper written and submitted after the students return to the United States. Faculty assess student achievement directly through the end-of-course term papers that require students to make explicit connections between course activities (presentations and site visits) and the learning objectives. Self-assessment data have also been gathered for all programs. Both the direct assessment and self-assessment data demonstrate a high level of outcome achievement that has remained consistent throughout all offerings of this course.