An academic exchange experience: Lessons learned for study abroad collaborations

Abstract

Study abroad courses are becoming an important part of an information systems and technology education. These types of courses provide students with rich educational experiences, introducing them to different cultures, languages, and work practices that prepare them to work in the global market, as well as providing them the opportunity to use collaborative team skills. While the research suggests that these study abroad experiences are necessary and valuable, coordinating these types of study abroad experiences from the faculty perspective can be a difficult task. This research presents an example case of one such study abroad experience in the form of an academic exchange; it also highlights the findings and lessons learned. The findings in this instance may be generalizable to other academic exchange and study abroad experiences. © 2013 by the Association for Information Systems.