Global + Personal: Undergraduate

Study Abroad Experiences through the Lens of

Cosmopolitan Communication and Digital Mediation

Sophie LamTeachers College, Columbia University

• [INSERT SLIDE HERE WITH SCREENSHOT OF RTW WEBPAGE (BLURRED OUT FACES/NAMES)• INCLUDE CAPTION: “Travelers compose

stories of their journeys online”

Participants composed weekly online articles about their journeys

US Study Abroad education in context

Study abroad as tourism?

Merrimack College/Ashley Tontodonato, Flickr, 2013, CC

James Wilson, Flickr, 2004, CC

Communicating learning experiences while abroad

Background• Qualitative exploration of cosmopolitan

communication, a world-and Other-oriented, ethical approach to interacting with local and distant others (Sobre-Denton & Bardhan, 2012)• Analysis of online reflections of 30 American

undergraduate students participating in globally-based study abroad programs

Research Questions• In what ways do college students communicate

their study abroad experiences for distant audiences in a digitally mediated, pedagogical context?• [What were students’ perceptions participating in a

voluntary service learning program with a digital component?]• [What implications might cosmopolitan

communication have in education, research, and policy?]

Conceptual Framework• Cosmopolitan communication and education (Hansen,

2011; Sobre-Denton & Bardhan, 2012)• Ethical engagement and dialogue with world and Other

(Appiah, 2006)• Learning abroad through reflection and digital mediation

(Jackson, 2011; Lee, 2011; Pitman, 2013; Root & Ngampornchai, 2012)• Postcolonial considerations of study abroad, learning

through travel, and travel writing (Patterson, 2013; Talburt, 2009)

Participants• American students, ages 20-22 (N = 30)• 66% F, 33% M • Recipients of a federal study abroad scholarship for

students from underrepresented populations • “Non typical travelers”- 57% were ethnic minorities• 1/3 had never traveled outside of the U.S. • Traveled to 20 different countries

Participant Context• Volunteered as travel correspondents for 12 weeks• Composed weekly blog entries• Participated in 1-2 videoconferences with matched

classrooms

Methodology/Methods• Critical, interpretivist• Grounded methodology (Charmaz, 2014)• Qualitative thematic analysis• Document analysis of 30 participants’ online

reflections • Semi-structured interviews with seven key

informants selected through purposeful sampling

Findings• Narratives of self transformation• Personal connections with variety of different

groups• Advocacy of learning through travel for their distant

audience• Critical of personal perspectives and notions of

cultural identity

Elena, Chile*“I have learned to be willing to change my expectations and to be willing to adapt to the place and culture. This required that I open my eyes to what is going on around me and realize that my expectations might need to change. This did not mean that I did not stay true to my goals. Even when I needed to observe and change, I continued to be excited and determined to make Chilean friends, explore the city, and become familiar with politics and social problems.”*Pseudonyms have been used for all participants

Sue, Mexico“The people of Oaxaca are so overwhelmingly aware of the problems that affect them and that affect the world more so then anyone I've ever met in the U.S. Yet I sat on some sort of pedestal thinking I knew more and therefore I was better than them. I couldn't be more thankful for the reality check I've received everyday since being here. I think I came here to learn that there is something so much bigger than myself and the U.S. out there.”

Ren, Japan“There are literally billions of potential friends out there waiting to be made. There are countless places where memories can be made, and an unlimited potential to grow within all of us. I hope that my articles have inspired people to travel and realize their potential.”

“One of the defining traits of the Japanese people is a greater sense of shyness than is common in most other countries…”

Nadine, England“When I first arrived, I was so afraid of insulting everyone's culture. London is such a multi cultural city that there was no way I could predict what traditions and customs everyone I met had…I don't want to be blind to the differences between us, but I feel like I'm starting to see my peers as just that, my peers, other human beings going through similar life experiences. I'm finding I can relate to my international friends.”

Rachel, Argentina “While I truly hope you have enjoyed traveling with me, I also hope you are not completely satisfied with only exploring the world through someone else’s perspective…may this experience help inspire you to continue to learn about the world on your own— whether in school, on line, in books, or simply paying attention and (respectfully) asking questions when you meet someone who wants to talk about his or her home country.”

Implications• CC is a hopeful, open way of communicating with the

Other that implicates the self• Possibility of communicating from a cosmopolitan

perspective while also holding essentialist ideas intact• Transforming ideas of Other (local-global ideas)• CC involves complex consideration of issues of

privilege, mobility, awareness of colonial histories, and rhetorical notions of audience/agency • Reflection and learning was supported by digitally

mediated interactions

What is a global experience?

Roger Price, Flickr, 2015, CC

ReferencesAppiah, A. (2006). Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a world of strangers. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.

Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing grounded theory. London: Sage.

Hansen, D. T. (2011). The teacher and the world: A study of cosmopolitanism as education. New York: Routledge.

Institute of International Education. (2015). "Host Regions of U.S. Study Abroad Students, 2001/02-2013/14." Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. Retrieved from http://www.iie.org/opendoors.

Patterson, T. (2015). The Transformative Power of Travel? Four Social Studies Teachers Reflect on Their International Professional Development.Theory & Research in Social Education, 43(3), 345-371.

Sobre-Denton, M. & Bardhan, N. (2012). Cultivating Cosmopolitanism for Intercultural Communication: Communicating as a Global Citizen. New York: Routledge.

Talburt, S. (2009). International travel and implication. Journal of Curriulum Theorizing (Online), 25(3), 104.

All images are public domain and available through Flickr except Slide 2 which was used with permission of participant and other affiliated organizations.