CREATING SIGNIFICANT LEARNING EXPERIENCES ABROAD

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Creating Significant Learning Experiences Abroad

Monica L. Cano

Loyola University Chicago Course Syllabus

British History and Culture STA 130

Florida State University Study Centre, Rm 107

3 credits (please verify with home university)Instructor: Monica L. Cano

Office: Florida State University Study Centre, Office 128

Email: mcano2@luc.edu,available from 9-5pm during the weekPhone: 708-832-8242, available from 9-5pm during the week

Office Hours: By Appointment

Course IntroductionAs students living abroad, you are immersed in a very diverse and rich culture. This course is designed to help you build the foundational knowledge of British history to better appreciate your international experience. It is offered as a supplement to your study abroad program. There are no prerequisites for this course, however your university may have a different policy. The course will focus on both the history and current culture of the United Kingdom, as well as drawing connections between the two. In order to help you make the most of your time abroad, the focus will often be on first-hand experience through guided visits around London, required independent experiences, and group trips outside of the city. About Me & My Teaching PhilosophyI completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology at Dominican University, a small catholic liberal arts institution. My master's degree in Higher Education at Loyola University Chicago, a midsize catholic university. Although I lived in my home state of Illinois for both degrees, I also spent some time abroad. My first semester abroad was in London, England, followed by another semester in Salamanca, Spain. Since that time abroad, I have been dedicated to helping students make the most of their undergraduate experiences. My goal is to challenge your conscious or subconscious assumptions about your culture and the cultures of others. Overall, this course is focused around your meaning-making process. There is a great deal of room within the coursework for you to personalize it. I want to provide information to help you, but the opinions you form and the experiences you have depend completely on your interests and interpretations. Course OrganizationClasses and class activities will be held twice a week on Monday and Wednesday. Monday class sessions will be at 9am and typically last 2 hours. Plan to be available for internships or classes by noon to allow for some flexibility. Please block out the entirety of Wednesday when planning for internships or other classes. Every Wednesday we will have a day trip outside of the city. The length of the session will vary on these days. Your host university or internship sites have been notified of this requirement, however it is good to remind them. There will also be two longer study trips that will take place over the course of two separate weekends, you will be given those dates beforehand. Much of your coursework will be independent and outside of the classroom, it will be up to you to schedule wisely so that you have time to visit all the necessary sites. Attendance & ParticipationAttendance is expected for every class. Due to the unique nature of each class session (guest lecturers, guided tours, day trips), missing class will result in missing out on the experience entirely for that lesson. Similarly, failure to engage in the lesson of the day (especially due to a lack of preparation) will negatively impact the learning experience.

Classroom ExpectationsStudents will display a sense of professionalism, respect, and fairness within the classroom. Students must be able to work together well throughout the course. Additionally, in order to discuss a culture outside of their own, students will need to maintain an open-minded attitude. Assignment ExpectationsIf a student will not be able to complete an assignment due to a medical or family emergency, they should contact me prior to the deadline. If contacted after the due date, exceptions will not be made. In all other circumstances, late assignments will not be accepted. No extra credit opportunities will be assigned or accepted. Academic Honesty Academic honesty is an expression of interpersonal justice, responsibility and care, applicable to faculty, students, and staff, which demands that the pursuit of knowledge in the university community be carried out with sincerity and integrity. Please see the school website for the full policy.AccessibilityStudents who have disabilities which they believe entitle them to accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act should register with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD) office. To request accommodations,students mustschedule an appointment with an SSWD coordinator. Students should contact SSWD at leastfour weeks before their first semester or term. Returning students shouldschedule an appointment within the first two weeks of the semester or term.Course MaterialsFilou, E., Fallon, S., Harper, D., & Maric, V. (2014). Lonely Planet London: Travel guide (9th ed.). Oakland, CA: Lonely Planet. Garlund, C. (Producer), & Giles, T., Salaria, F., Whatley, F., & Dashwood, R. (Directors). (2007). Andrew Marr's History of Modern Britain [Motion picture]. UK: BBC Production.

Wasson, E. (2010). A history of modern Britain: 1714 to the present. West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

Notebook- This will be necessary to jot down notes during your site visits so that you have something to refer back to when writing your journal entries. Students may also record tour guides (with their permission, of course!) on their various electronic devices. However, to avoid wandering attention or potential misplacing of valuables, students will not be allowed to type notes on their cellphones.Learning OutcomesFoundational Knowledge: Students will identify key historical factors from British society and culture.

Application: Students will make decisions on how to effectively manage their time.

Integration: Students will connect how history influenced present day British society.

Human dimension: Students will analyze their own cultural beliefs and assumptions.

Caring: Students will value opinions outside of their our culture.

Learning-how-to-learn: Students will be able to identify resources and information helpful to adapting to a new area.Learning Activities/AssessmentsJournalsOver the course of the semester you must complete 85 journal entries. The entries will be based off contact experiences you have with the host culture. The experiences will be a mix of required, recommended, and individual choices. The course is designed to give you a flexible schedule to seek out these opportunities in your free time. Examples of possible contact experiences, as well as a list of the required sites and tours necessary for this assignment, will be provided at the academic orientation. Note: You may not use classroom lectures as your contact experiences. However, visits to sites or tours are permissible for journal entries. Global Current Events: In addition to the required sites, there are required weekly entries on a current news story found in a UK newspaper. Structure: Each journal entry in the should be divided into two parts: 1) A brief summary of research or historical information on the topic (at least one paragraph). 2) Your impression of the experience. This is your chance to reflect on what you really took away from the activity/interaction.Deadlines: You can work ahead on the journals. The number of entries listed is the required minimum that must be completed by that due date. To ensure that they are completed consistently throughout the semester, they will be collected on 4 separate occasions:

Week 4- At least 23 contacts due

Week 6- At least 40 contacts due

Week 9- At least 65 contacts

Week 13- Final 85 contacts dueRevisions: After each submission you will receive detailed feedback. You may improve your overall grade on the journal by making changes or additions to your work based off of the feedback. Your final grade will take into consideration both the effort and progress put forth in the entries over the span of the semester. Neighborhood Teach-Us ProjectsAs an opportunity to develop your ability to plan and research trips, you will be allowed the chance to lead a class session to one of the London neighborhoods. In a group, you will be in charge of providing both historical and practical travel information on a trip to the neighborhood you are assigned. Your Lonely Planet book will be a useful resource for this project. As the guides, you have the freedom to think creatively about how you want to present the neighborhood to the class.

Each group must incorporate:

1)Important Places & Sightseeing

2) Historical/Present Populations

3) Popular Activities

4) Food Recommendations

5) A concise history of the neighborhood.

A handout listing the practical information (like the food and important places, and a map!) should be included for students who want to explore the neighborhood further.

Final You will first select an area of interest from British history that must be approved beforehand. You must select 5 events or individuals from that topic that you believe distinguished themselves as having the greatest impact on British society. Decide on a topic that you found particularly interesting during your trip, because you will need to do further independent research in preparation for the final. The first part of the final will be a short one-on-one oral report presenting your five selections. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity for me to ask you questions about your argument. In order to defend your choices, you will need to have a good understanding of the topic's history and present-day implications.EvaluationClass/Group Participation: 10%

Journal: 40%

Teach-Us Session: 25%

Final: 25%Grading ScaleA= 92-100

B= 84-91

C= 76-83

D= 67-76

F= 66 or lowerPlease Note: The schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances. By mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better student learning. WeekClassTopic/ActivityHmwk Due For Next Class

1MondayOrientation Tour & SyllabusIn Lonely Planet read pp. 4-24 (Intro to London), 400-408 (Transportation Survival Guide), In Lonely Planet read 352-373 (London Today & History)

1WednesdayGuest Lecturer on Architecture, followed by a guided architectural tour of the cityRead through the English Monarchs sections for the Lancasterians, Yorkists, and Tudors on The Official Website of The British Monarchy: http://www.royal.gov.uk/

2MondayMonarchy- War of the Roses through the Tudors, Rank neighborhoods for group project. Group work on diff. monarchies

Read the section on the Stuarts on http://www.royal.gov.uk/

2WednesdayGuided tour on Tudor portaiture of National Portrait GalleryIn a History of Modern Britain, read Ch. 1: The British Isles in 1714

3MondayFilm & Discussion- ElizabethIn a History of Modern Britain read Ch. 2: A New Beginning 1715-1762

3Wednesday Meet at Westminster Abbey for a guided tour on the abbey and it's ties to the monarchsIn a History of Modern Britain read Ch. 8: The United Kingdom 1914 only the sections on Scotland, The Monarchy, The Aristocracy, The Transformation of Traditional Society, and Into the Fray.

4MondayFilm & Discussion- Mrs. BrownJournals Due. In a History of Modern Britain readChapter Eleven: "New" Britain 1980-2008.

4WednesdayThe Monarchs Today lecture & group discussions on present day monarchies in EuropeAdvance Britannia In Andrew Marrs History of Modern Britain. In a History of Modern Britain read- In a Modern History of Britain read Ch.4: A United Kingdom.

5WeekendStudy Tour of Scotland- Walking tour of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Castle

5WeekendStudy Tour of Scotland- Highlands Tour of Edinburgh- All day

6MondayGuest Lecturer on British Gov't & EU PoliticsThe Land of Lost Content In Andrew Marrs History of Modern Britain. Read the first half of Ch. 10- The Warfare and Welfare State In a Modern History.

6WednesdayGuided tour of the Houses of ParliamentJournals Due

7MondayEducation in the UK, student and faculty perspectives (panel)Paradise Lost In Andrew Marrs History of Modern Britain. Read the second half of Ch. 10- The Warfare and Welfare State, In a Modern History.

7WednesdayTrip to Oxford (Tour & Suggested Sites)Revolution! In Andrew Marrs History of Modern Britain.

8Fall Break

8Fall Break

9MondayBritish Youth Culture, in class song activityJournals Due

9WednesdayTrip to CambridgeNew Britannia In Andrew Marrs History of Modern Britain

10MondayGroup #1 PresentationGroup Projects Due

10Wednesday Group's #2 & #3Group Projects Due

11MondayBritish TheaterPlay (TBD) in the evening

11WednesdayGuided Tour of Shakespeare's Globe

11WeekendStudy Tour Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland- Belfast then Dublin

12MondayStudy Tour Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland- DublinPrimary Source Excerpts from Dickens

12Wednesday Charles Dickens & Dickens walk through LondonPrimary Source excerpts from Austen & Woolf

13MondayFemale British Authors (Austen & Woolf) Journals Due.

13WednesdayTrip to Roman City of Bath and StonehengeWatch the film: Becoming Jane.

14MondayCeltic and Roman London Tour, Museum of London

14WednesdayCanterbury Cathedral

15MondayFarewell Dinner and Play

Articulation/Description

Immersion through traditional study abroad programs where students participate in classes at a host university or work in an internship setting provide some exposure to the host culture without formal opportunities or guidance in how to make greater meaning of their exposure. Culture orientations at the start of a program are essential, but are heavily limited by time constraints. The information is presented in an overwhelming manner right as students are trying to adjust to their new surroundings. The course I am proposing allows students to gradually build their knowledge and understanding of the host country. An approach of this kind helps to facilitate integrated thinking because connections can be made between previous information, personal experiences, and new knowledge. Overall, it also helps provide a broader base of knowledge because it is not as tightly confined as an orientation taking place over the course of a day or week. Some programs implementing a very traditional approach place more emphasis on the academic classroom or internship experience that students cannot prioritize exploration of their host society and culture. I designed this course as a supplement to a traditional study abroad program. It could function as part of a specific universitys program, or be offered by the host organization that is responsible for providing student support on-site.

Due to the somewhat unique nature of this course, with its heavy emphasis on active learning and immersion, the organization I chose was two class meetings a week. One meeting would be approximately two hours, while the second would range depending on the activity. The second meeting could be a day trip or guided visit to specific site. The class meetings would therefore vary with regard to length and structure depending on situational factors. Additionally, the course includes two weekend trips. The purpose of this organization around trips is to focus on Finks (2003) components of active learning, specifically experiences, information and ideas. I considered it essential to include time to allow students to observe first hand some of the subjects covered. The more concrete

and relatable the information can be made for students the more likely they are to have a significant learning experience.

Furthermore, including different sources of information was a critical part of my plan to help provide a more well rounded experience. In my classroom activities and homework, I tried to include a mix of primary and secondary sources. The site visits are an opportunity to engage with a primary source, while tour guides and guest lecturers provided a secondary analysis of information. To add another layer of dimension to that, many of those guides and lecturers are locals that can share their first hand experience. Similarly, the reason behind including a student and faculty panel to discuss education in the United Kingdom was to incorporate different perspectives from multiple sides of the education system. In preparing for lessons on specific authors or theater, primary sources will also be assigned. Exposure to the actual artist described will give students context to help them discuss the author in class.

Fink (2003) stressed this idea of utilizing more than one form of content. Beyond the classroom activities, I tried to incorporate that principle into my homework assignments. Traditional lecture was something that I wanted to minimize, but still wanted a way to provide useful content. Fink's emphasis on capitalizing on class time to engage with content, rather than to educate on content resonated with me. I relied on a variation of content to help that component of the course continue to be engaging. I did select a textbook, but opted for one that also highlights interesting individuals from the era. I hoped that this might make it easier to connect for some students that have difficulty connecting to major overviews. The textbook is supplemented by some travel guide readings that provide concise information. Additionally, the primary sources from authors will be fictional works. Instead of relying completely on reading, I also decided to utilize a video series. In order to cover a large span of history outside of class, a video series seemed like a more engaging way of covering the information. Trips to the theater was also a useful way of exposing students to content in a more interactive manner.

The learning goals I created were centered around cultural knowledge, historical knowledge, and travel survival skills. Fink's (2003) integrated model of learning was instrumental in my ability to tease apart the big picture goal I had for the course, to identify what specifically I wanted to accomplish. I knew that I wanted to equip students with the background they needed to process what they were experiencing so that it could be more impactful, but the learning goals allowed me to figure out what tools it was that I wanted to pass on to students. Hopefully, the goals reflect the various types of knowledge I thought represented a positive student growth as a result of the immersion experience.

Subsequently, there was reciprocity between the goals and the learning activities/assessments. A large bulk of the course assessment came from the journal assignment. That section of the syllabus is very detailed because there are quite a few intentional components within the assignment. The idea was to set up an opportunity to really provide FIDeLity feedback (Fink, 2003). In order to do so, I gave students clear guidelines and expectations for the project. The multiple deadlines, and therefore multiple opportunities for feedback, were to reinforce learning the performance-feedback-revision cycle. Therefore, it made sense to give students the chance to continually be improving upon their previous journal entries according to feedback provided.

As a whole the project is dedicated to upholding Fink's (2003) active learning model, specifically reflecting. Although class dialogue offers a chance for reflection, the journal allows the student a chance to reflect in a way that is more personal. The news article portion of it was another attempt to incorporate a new form of content for students to reflect on. Fink pointed out that news paper articles can be a good way for students to learn what is important in the popular culture of an area. However, a greater number of the journal entries reflect on experiences student participated in or observed because that helps to fully engage students in the active learning model. The students are reflecting on concrete life experiences that they have gone through the process of seeking out, rather than responding to a specific prompt for the journal entry. The lens each student brings to the experience will color what parts of the experience they focus on. The final piece of information and ideas ties together the project through the portion of the journal entry where students have to do some background research on their own. They have to access and incorporate the facts about each experience independently, giving them the power to highlight what stood out most to them about their experience.

Similarly, the teach-us project requires students to find information as a group and interpret it for the rest of the class. I wanted the assessment to be educative, rather a typical auditive midterm. One of the great things about study abroad is that it often inspires a travel bug within students. Personally, it made sense to assess students for the skills they have learned about travel that will continue to help them later in life. Whether students decide to travel again, live in a new area, or stay in one place for the rest of their lives, it always is useful to know how to work in groups, conduct basic background research, distinguish between sources to find credible information, and feel confident in navigating a new area. The midterm allows for some creativity, as well as an opportunities for students to take the lead on sharing knowledge. Teach-us sessions are educational for all the students, and mix up the traditional format.

On the other hand, the final for the course was a bit more conventional. The students had to demonstrate competency in an area of history, but they were allowed to chose the topic. The forward looking part of this was really about students taking what they learned in history and making sense of it. Instead of having students repeat information they were told, they need to make a case for the pieces of history they viewed as important. The bigger picture is not whether they mastered all the facts about those individuals or events in history, it was how well they were able to think critically and make connections between history and present society. Analyzing modern society through the lens of those historical pieces bridges the gap between abstract sounding history and their concrete experience in London. Reflection

One of the major hurdles for this assignment was letting go of the content centered approach. That way of thinking has a strong hold on the way I think about courses. Consequently, it was difficult to plan without having a strong grasp of the content. I felt that I needed to have all of the pieces of the content puzzle before I could move forward in the process. In the process of designing the course outline, I found it helpful to remember Fink's explanation that the knowledge should build upon itself. To that end, the integrated model was one of the most useful tools during my process. In designing the course, I looked repeatedly for opportunities to provide connections between the various content through the lens of the integrated model. The learning outcomes-centered approach also helped me to narrow down what I was really tried to accomplish within each of those learning goals. Instead of the daunting task of trying to reduce my big picture thinking automatically into week by week details, the learning outcomes help me work gradually work backwards. My attempts to design weekly in class activities were still my biggest challenges. Initially, I did not think I knew anything about classroom activities, but then I remembered I have spent most of my life in a classroom. Surprisingly, it was also difficult to believe that on-site lessons still could be considered formal learning experiences. Again, I was trapped within the traditional lecture structure.

The outcomes were incredibly challenging to create. I was worried that what I wanted out of the course was not measurable. According to the broader goals I had in my mind, the course was more about skills and attitudes than about content. Realizing that the goals I had were something I could articulate in a simple manner, and that I could measure them, made the entire course design a much more logical process. In a way, the learning outcomes created an argument for the course. The outcomes showed what students would gain, and therefore why the course was a useful tool. For me, this course syllabus is the first draft of something that I have wanted to do for quite some time. The course outcomes were slightly like validation for a project that seemed previously so unattainable. I was finally able to put into words what I want to pass on to students through an study abroad immersion course.

Once I was able to fully grasp those outcomes, I was able to be intentional about how I structured the course. I had a rough idea of what I wanted to do with the course because of my own experience abroad. However, the readings in Fink (2003) were useful by reinforcing the elements I thought were effective. This was especially true with regard to the incorporation of the journals and feedback structure. At times when I was questioning whether something would seem too radical, Fink provided some guidance. I found the examples of the other syllabi to be very helpful when thinking on a more detail oriented level, but always returned to Fink to make sure that I was using an active learning approach. In the case of the teach-us session, I had not originally considered it. After looking at Fink's educative assessments and active learning models, I was able to recognize it as a wonderful engaging learning opportunity. Breaking the mold of one way to teach and one way to grade was challenging. Yet, one of the best takeaways is a greater appreciation towards the many and varied ways to assess students. References Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to developing college courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.