Outcomes assessment in international engineering education: Creating a system to measure intercultural development

Abstract

The University of Michigan College of Engineering has developed a comprehensive evaluation system to ensure a formative assessment of its programs, the climate for participation in international programs, and the outcomes assessment of the intercultural development of its student participants. In collaboration with the University of Michigan School of Education, a mixed method design with a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was employed. Findings from the initial interviews yielded the following reasons for limited participation in international programs: a) rigid curricula and demanding courses, b) financial implications connected with a longer time to degree, and c) difficulty convincing faculty to accept transferred technical credit from international institutions. The climate survey results indicated that the precollege experiences combined with a supportive infrastructure mean students place a greater value on international education and lead to greater participation, particularly if these overseas experiences better position them for careers in engineering. The level of intercultural awareness of student participants in international programs is similar across race, gender, department, academic level, and cumulative grade point average. Participants behave in tolerant ways toward other cultures but must learn more about their own culture by trying to see it in the way it is seen by people from different cultures.