Examining Relationships between Education Abroad Program Design and College Students' Global Learning

Education abroad is a high impact practice that can lead to transformational learning because it challenges students emotionally and intellectually. However, differences in program design may have differential impacts on students’ learning. The purpose of this study was to understand the relationships between desi gn features of education abroad programs specifically, program duration and the extent of students’ engagement in learning and with local communities while abroad and participants’ pre test to post test growth in global learning, measured via the nationall y validated Global Perspective Inventory survey. Using structural equation models, we found program duration and frequency of engagement in certain learning and engagement abroad to have positive effects on participants’ growth, although the relationships varied depending on the dimension of global perspective being measured. Nonetheless, our results provide further support for the need tointentionally design education abroad programs that facilitate deep learning and community interaction in order to ensure student learning.