Article pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Designing a Study Abroad Course in Chemistry: Information from Three Different Courses to Europe Susan Sonchik Marine* Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University Middletown, Middletown, Ohio 45042, United States S Supporting Information *
ABSTRACT: Guidelines for planning a study abroad course in chemistry start with defining the course objectives and outcomes. These, in turn, guide the choice of course content and format, location, length of travel, activities, and assessment. Budgetary issues include transportation, lodging, admission fees, activities, docents and guides (including audio guides), and meals. Contingency plans must also be developed. Information is provided from three different courses taught by the author with study abroad in Europe.
KEYWORDS: First-Year Undergraduate/General, Second-Year Undergraduate, Upper-Division Undergraduate, Curriculum, Interdisciplinary/Multidisciplinary, Administrative Issues, Enrichment/Review Materials, Nonmajors Courses
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I was able to visit the cities 3−8 months prior to the course to confirm arrangements, time transportation segments, and prepare detailed guidelines to learning for each museum.
n today’s world economy, students are encouraged to be global citizens. Because travel offers the opportunity to interact with people of different cultures and to experience how they live, study abroad courses have proliferated. Although some colleges and universities require that all students study abroad prior to graduation,1 others have found that when students choose to study abroad, the experience is more meaningful.2 Some subjects are easy to teach abroad (e.g., history, geography, ecology, art, music, and languages);3−8 others have less obvious connections with travel. Several approaches have been taken with chemistry and have been published in this Journal.8−10 I have taught three very different courses abroad and, in this article, will share my experiences developing and conducting these courses: Torchbearers in Physical Science (INS 45), Famous Experiments in Physical Science (CHE 45), and Chemistry in Art (CHM 201).11 The first two courses were taught simultaneously and are referred to collectively as the Evolution of Modern Chemistry. The Evolution of Modern Chemistry was two six-week courses, each with two weeks oncampus, three weeks of travel to England and France, and one week on-campus to complete the experience. Chemistry in Art was an eight-week course taught on Miami University’s Luxembourg campus with a midcourse study tour to Belgium or The Netherlands and Belgium; the students spent the semester in Europe living with host families and studying four other courses as well. Travel details are supplied as Supporting Information. A planning timeline is outlined in Table 1 based on my experiences at two different institutions. In all instances, I was familiar and comfortable with the travel locations; if not, preparation could have taken longer. For the CHM 201 course, © 2012 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
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DEFINING COURSE CONTENT As for any curriculum development, a travel course starts with identifying the target audience, a well-defined topic, the academic level of content, and the learning objectives for the traditional academic course content. The learning outcomes for traditional academic content are typically listed in a course syllabus (e.g., “Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to explain synthesis in terms of bonding.”) and are generally measured with a variety of formative and summative assessments. When the content and the travel are synergistic, additional teaching objectives are generated by the travel component. Additional course objectives for the three courses included: • Able to explain significant chemical experiments within historic and geographic contexts, while commenting on limitations of available equipment, accuracy of techniques, and volume of data required to draw conclusions. (CHE 45 and INS 45) • Able to explain the role of geography in the importance of Brugge in 1500, Antwerp in 1600, and then Amsterdam as the world diamond center. (CHM 201) • Able to compare and contrast lives and professional success of Rubens and Rembrandt with underlying reasons. (CHM 201) Published: November 21, 2012 178
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Table 1. Planning Timeline Timing
Preparation
14−20 months prior to start of the course
Establish international relationships; identify and contact guest lecturers, places to visit, tours, and cultural events Identify objectives and assessment techniques Develop a curricular proposal: syllabus, itinerary, and budget Discuss the proposal with department chair, colleagues, other faculty members, and the International Office, if your institution has one Obtain course approval Schedule the course Set eligibility and selection criteria Promote your course and actively recruit students, including from other institutions if possible Finalize travel dates, transportation, lodging, and itinerary Communicate to students the passport, visa, and immunization requirements Document liability insurance and indemnification; meet with your institution’s legal counsel about travel-related issues Collect nonrefundable deposit (useful for airfare) Distribute participation forms, health forms, liability forms, emergency contact forms, etc. Conduct a predeparture meeting with students for general information and Q&A Collect participation forms, health forms, liability forms, emergency contact forms, etc. Hold a second predeparture meeting with students to collect copies of passports, visas, international ID cards, medical insurance details, immunization and health forms, and emergency contact information Review code of conduct rules and penalties, expectations, and academic requirements; address legal drinking age in other countries Present cultural information; discuss cultural differences Present mental health information on culture shock, homesickness, drugs, alcohol, eating disorders, anxiety, and depression12 Provide a student travel packet with all details
12−16 months prior to start of course 9−12 months prior to start of course 6−9 months prior to start of course 6 months prior to start of course 3 months prior to start of course 1−2 months prior to start of course
• Be comfortable and socially correct in multicultural situations. (all) • Able to use local customs and language. (all) • Appreciate cultural activities not available at home. (all) • Develop intercultural competence.13 (all)
Length of Travel
The length of travel can range from one week abroad to the entire semester abroad. Cost was an important consideration, as was the impact of travel on the students’ other courses. For example, a one-week trip could be included in a traditional course during spring break without adversely affecting students’ other courses. If the college offered a special short-term for unique courses (such as a 4-1-4 calendar), a chemistry course could easily include a longer travel component, as illustrated by INS 45 and CHE 45.11 Or a chemistry course could be offered while students spend the entire semester abroad, as was the Chemistry in Art course. Short summer term courses could also provide time for travel. When considering the length of travel, it was important to consider a phenomenon that typically occurs at approximately three weeks abroad when most people noticeably tire of travel, suffer mild homesickness, and become irritable. My experiences with international travel showed that during the first two weeks of travel, students were very interested in identifying how the world differed from their experiences at home. But at about three weeks, they began to yearn for the familiar and secure. To minimize these effects, it was important to discuss these observations and schedule time for relaxation and reflection. In 1997, playing with my 4-year-old son calmed many homesick students and eased travel tensions.
When the stated learning objectives are met, they result in learning outcomes that are measurable. For travel-generated learning, some outcomes are easily measured and may be seen immediately (e.g., ability to explain significant chemical experiments within historic and geographic contexts). Other outcomes are more subtle and may not be immediately apparent (e.g., improved comfort level in new situations or ability to function comfortably and seamlessly in multicultural situations). Research has shown that students in study abroad courses integrate the course knowledge better than students in the same course at the home institution.14 In these courses, integrative outcomes are stressed and the effect of travel was seen. Several topics in chemistry are easily augmented by travel: history of chemistry focused on specific themes,10 chemistry related to art,8,9 chemistry of food or beverages, fragrances, and the chemistry of natural products. Traditional mainstream chemistry courses that are best taught in a typical institutional setting are not appropriate for this travel format.
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FORMAT OF THE COURSE
Location of Travel
Possible formats for a course in chemistry with a travel component vary widely.8−10 Most importantly, the design must fit the objectives and cost restrictions. Factors to consider include the length of travel time, the location(s), transportation, and content delivery format. Each of these factors is examined with examples from the three courses. All of the courses contained classroom sessions before and after the travel. In today’s digital age, those sessions may be replaced with an online component in the future, providing detailed reading lists, cooperative assignments, and a research paper. This may open the course to a wider audience.
The location of travel varied with the specific chemistry course and the objectives to be met. While one city could provide all the resources necessary for the course (e.g., “Renaissance Art in Florence” could stay in Florence), one city could also provide a hub from which to travel (e.g., London as central location from which to visit Oxford and Cambridge for CHE 45 and INS 45). The other extreme was to be constantly moving from city to city (e.g., Amsterdam, Delft, Antwerp, and Brussels in five days for CHM 201). Disadvantages of changing locations included hauling and storing luggage, wasting time checking into and out of hotels, and increasing transportation costs. 179
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Transportation
included. Additional unique, budgeted experiences included a chocolate tour of Brugge, a puppet show, the Tower of London, the Globe Theatre, Versailles, a lace-making lesson, a windmill, and Anne Frank’s house. In addition, free time was provided for the students to pursue their own interests (cost not included): seeing a play in London or in Stratford-on-Avon, purchasing chocolate in Brugge, visiting Stonehenge or Canterbury, exploring other museums, shopping for gifts, or quietly reflecting. Students who had not previously traveled internationally demonstrated the most growth in these cultural activities.16,17
Transportation questions started with leaving campus. For most courses that included a travel component, the class traveled together. For courses that did not have an American on-campus component, students were expected to arrive at a foreign location independently. Once there, the class used public transportation or chartered a bus. The biggest consideration for mode of travel was the number of people in the group. Although it was not possible to take 40 people on a regular city bus, there was no problem with 15 people. On the other hand, it was possible with advanced reservations to take either group by train (e.g., CHM 201 in 2008) or by taxis (e.g., CHE 45 to Cavendish labs). The cost of using public transportation required careful consideration; in 2008 student train tickets were inexpensive in Belgium for CHM 201, but tram tickets for a 1-mi ride in Antwerp were relatively expensive.
Activities to Encourage Learning
Activities to encourage learning started well before travel commenced. For the courses, research papers on a topic to be experienced during the travels were critical to the success of the travel component. Students delved into a topic of interest to them, wrote a 5−8 page paper, and presented the information to the class before the travels. Not only did they each encounter a topic in depth,18 they also learned the highlights from their peers on a variety of other topics. When each topic was encountered during the travels, the student “expert” reminded the group of that information. They were raptly engaged and claimed a responsibility for that material. During travel abroad, students kept journals and collected data similar to using a laboratory notebook. New information was received (data) that had to be processed and understood (discussion and conclusions). Daily entry was required, usually with notes taken during museum visits and guest lectures; reflective essays were written during train travel and in the evenings. The journal provided formative assessment and was a powerful tool for learning, but the quality of these reflections usually depended on the directions given and the requirements listed. The first time journals were used, the importance of providing preliminary evaluation and constructive feedback early in the travels became apparent; some students did not understand the level of observation and reflection required. To increase student learning in Chemistry in Art, a packet of learning guidelines was provided that contained a list of questions for each location or activity. In effect, the students were challenged with a “scavenger hunt”, the answers to which were found in lectures, displays, and audio guides. These questions were answered with supporting data in their journals. Reflective essays were important for processing the experiences as they happened; daily essays were written in student journals. Group reflection also aided individual reflection and processing.19 A specific reflection paper on Most Memorable Event at the end of the course proved extremely useful for summative assessment and course evaluation. Discussion of chemistry and cultural events helped students process what they were experiencing. Discussions were led over breakfast in the hotel, on the bus or train, and at meals including the entire class or smaller groups. It was an effective means of highlighting cultural differences and customs; language and vocabulary; and chemistry applications. Discussion of the chemistry being studied helped students understand the content in context and provided formative assessment simultaneously.
Course Content
Course content was presented by the instructor, guest speakers, docents, working chemists, and tour guides. When travel was only a component of the course, classroom time prior to travel provided background and established travel rules. It was an intense learning time filled with anticipation and excitement. Two weeks of lectures and presentations before commencing travel for the Evolution of Modern Chemistry and four weeks for Chemistry in Art provided sufficient background to understand and appreciate the museums’ exhibits and lectures. While traveling, “classroom time” was unconventional; group meals, especially breakfast in the hotel, included short lectures and announcements. The hotel lobby was also used, as long as we did not disturb anyone or obstruct traffic. Some hotels had a meeting room available for traditional classroom use, but rental fees were involved. Train travel provided time for quizzes and group discussions. For example, in the Evolution of Modern Chemistry, during non-peak times we sat in two rows of seats that faced each other and had a small table in the center; although the trains were usually empty, other travelers who were present enjoyed the discussions and seemed pleased with the topics. Classroom time after the travels was important for processing information, tying up loose ends, correcting any misconceptions, and crystallizing concepts. It was critical to include time for reflection and sharing during and after the travel component! In addition to traditional classroom activities, guest speakers and docents provided a wealth of information. Tours of museums, research laboratories, historic labs, factories, and churches provided useful chemistry content or cultural appreciation. It was important that the connection to the course objectives was stated explicitly to the students. If they were not obvious, the students deemed the visit frivolous and of no consequence. Use of the Internet has augmented traditional travel books15 to identify places to visit, providing maps and directions, current hours of operation, and e-mail addresses for scheduling lectures and tours. Activities Abroad
Activities abroad were quite varied. Students were most receptive the first week and learned well from docents. However, as time passed, their energy level decreased and attention spans shortened. A mixture of technical content and cultural activities then provided the necessary variety for engagement. Local culture, history, and unique experiences added dimensions to the course content. In the courses, tours of London, Paris, Stratford-on-Avon, and Amsterdam were
Assessment
Assessment included traditional examinations and quizzes (before, during, or after travels). Depending on the age and maturity of the students, these traditional measures kept the students focused on learning while traveling. Self-evaluation and reflective papers also provided measures of growth in 180
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students opted to forego the meal. The hotels were within walking distance of places of interest and transportation. Meals were handled in several ways depending on the experience of the students. For one course, the cost of all meals was included in the trip, averaging $20/day in 1997. For another, only a few group meals were included. Group breakfasts at the hotel, even just a quick bite together, helped forge a group identity and provided the opportunity for daily announcements. If breakfast was included in the hotel rate, the daily activities were scheduled to include that meal. Lunches were easy to do on-your-own with the students scattering for take-aways. An interesting experience and an inexpensive source of healthy meals was the local grocery store. Students bought bread, cheese, crackers, fruit, and beverages for several lunches and carried a daily supply with them in their packs. (Realizing that the world weighed items in kilograms was a worthwhile experience for chemistry students!) Small group dinners at neighborhood pubs allowed students to interact with local working people. Group dinners were important early in the travels to establish a comfort level. A group dinner on the last evening of travels also provided cohesion and final bonding when all were tired and frazzled. A festive gathering on campus one to two weeks after returning continued that group feeling and confirmed the reality of the travels; photos were shared at that time also.
knowledge and in understanding self and others. Simply attending did not automatically earn an “A”; effort and success often depended on the students’ motives and goals.20
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BUDGET ISSUES Much of the course design was limited by the budget, by how much the students could afford, and by what they were willing to pay. Travel varied widely based on these considerations. Although an educational travel agent could arrange transportation, lodging, and meals (allowing the instructor to focus on academic content), my experiences have been unpleasant when others planned logistics. Being a detail-oriented bargain hunter, I preferred to organize all facets of the travel. In general, the more work that is done for you, the higher the cost and the less control you will have of the arrangements.21 Transportation
The cost of transportation was a major expense. Airlines offered group rates with a fixed price and the freedom to add people prior to a specific deadline. These rates were more expensive than individual rates but provided some flexibility. Because a deposit was collected from the students in advance, less expensive nonrefundable individual airline tickets were purchased for the Evolution of Modern Chemistry. Any student who registered for the course later would have had to purchase available airfare, paying the additional expense. Chartered bus service was convenient for traveling and was cost-effective when the bus was full. Luggage stayed with the bus during the day while the class visited a museum before checking into a hotel. This was especially good for a larger group as the cost of the bus was fixed, but the cost per person was not. What was a great deal for the large group was impossible for the small class. Factors to be considered when chartering a bus included parking, the driver’s room and board, and the driver’s time restrictions. Train travel was common and convenient in Europe.22 School groups (including college-age students) received discounts when traveling for a school event. For the Chemistry in Art course, we traveled by train in Belgium. Students traveled light and used backpacks since wheeled luggage did not roll well on cobblestones. As a class assignment, they had to pack in advance and carry their bag at least 1 mi to simulate walking from train to hotel; thus, bags were very manageable during the travels. Public transportation in a city could be difficult with a large group. Although the tube and the metro have many cars in the same train and could accommodate a group of 40, the local city bus (which only held 50 people) could not. The expected class size greatly influenced the modes of transportation used. When visiting the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, the Evolution of Modern Chemistry class used several British taxis for transport from the train station. One student, who had never been in an American taxi, described the cavernous taxi in great detail in her journal; it was an adventure.
Activities
Lodging
The next budget item was the cost of activities. Admission charges were often based on a group rate, but (depending on the number of people) they were sometimes less if paying student, adult, or senior rates as applicable. Sometimes the chaperones were given free admission; details were defined in advance when setting the budget. The fees for guides or docents were included; school spirit items made special thankyou gifts. Many museums offered audio guides that were informative; some were free and some had a fee. Travel guidebooks were a good source of information about places to visit,14,23 and the Internet provided current details and online reservations for admission. Technology helped with planning the travel component and with managing its cost. A spreadsheet minimized the effort of defining the budget, especially with mixed-cost items depending on age or status. Prepaying hotel and admissions fixed those prices in the budget; however, when someone canceled, the cost was not refunded. The exchange rate fluctuated daily, and all payments were made in local currency, but the budget was reconciled in terms of US$ as that was the currency collected. A binder of printed correspondence with details of agreed-upon prices and schedules proved essential when discrepancies arose. Having the estimated cost ready for each activity avoided surprises when buying tickets. In addition, anticipated fees were included in the budget; fees were charged to exchange currency, use an ATM, or use a credit card at many establishments in The Netherlands. The budget was reconciled daily on the spreadsheet during the travels.
The next major expense was lodging. Inexpensive student housing in college dormitories was considered, but the rooms were not available. Therefore, hotels for budget travel were used. To contain costs, typically four students were housed per room using bunked beds and shared facilities down the hall. Often, the hotel provided a discounted room or room upgrade for the chaperones. Usually, the hotel included breakfast in the room price. When breakfast was an additional charge, the
CONTINGENCY PLANS Emergency cash and a school credit card were securely stored separately in case of problems. University contacts were identified for emergency communications; phone numbers were kept with us. Typical scenarios of missed transportation, lost or sick student, seriously injured person, and unsafe, disruptive student were examined in advance. Health forms and
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personal information on all travelers21 were included in the travel binder. A small first aid kit was carried during the travels. Having a second adult with the class was essential. For one course, the college would not authorize a second chaperone for less than 20 students. Therefore, my husband accompanied us and paid his own way; he took care of one sick student, found one lost student, and provided sweep for long walks. For a second course, the university provided a staff person to deal with communications, monetary issues, and health details. It was a pleasure having the assistance!
(5) Pandit, K. Leading Internationalization. Ann. Assoc. Am. Geographers 2009, 99 (4), 645−656. (6) Fetterling, J. A Pioneering EcoGastonomy Program. Mother Earth News 2009, 232, 25. (7) Guyer, M. S. Faculty-Led, Short-Term Study Abroad. Int. J. Athletic Ther. Training 2011, 16 (1), 17−20. (8) Uffelman, E. S. A Review of Materials for Teaching Science in Art: Technical Examination of 17th Century Dutch Paintings as Interdisciplinary Course Work for Non-Science and Science Majors. J. Chem. Educ. 2007, 84, 1617−1624. (9) Smieja, J. A.; D’Ambruoso, G. D.; Richman, R. M. Art and Chemistry: Designing a Study Abroad Course. J. Chem. Educ. 2010, 87, 1085−1088. (10) Wotiz, J. H. The Evolution of Modern ChemistryAn European Travel and Study Course. J. Chem. Educ. 1972, 49, 593. (11) The Evolution of Modern Chemistry was taught at Centre College in Jan−Feb 1997 and Chemistry in Art was taught at Miami University in the spring of 2008 and 2012. (12) Lindeman, B., Ed. Best Practices in Addressing Mental Health Issues Affecting Education Abroad Participants; NAFSA: Association of International Educators: Washington, DC, 2006. http://www.nafsa. org/MentalHealth (accessed Nov 2012). (13) Deadoff., D. K. The Identification and Assessment of Intercultural Competence as a Student Outcome of Internationalization at Institutes of Higher Education in the United States. J. Stud. Int. Educ. 2006, 10, 241−266. (14) Sutton, R. C. and D. L. Rubin. Documenting the Academic Impact of Study Abroad: Final Report of the GLOSSARI Project. Paper presented at the annual conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, Kansas City, MO, June 2010. Retrieved from http://glossari.uga.edu/?page_id=42&did=24 (accessed Nov 2012). (15) Tanford, C. and Reynolds, J. The Scientific Traveler: A Guide to the People, Places, and Institutions of Europe; John Wiley & Sons: New York, 1992. (16) McKeown, J. S. The First Year Effect: The Impact of Study Abroad on College Student Intellectual Development; State University of New York Press: Albany, NY, 2009. (17) Tarrant, M. A. A Conceptual Framework for Exploring the Role of Studies Abroad in Nurturing Global Citizenship. J. Stud. Int. Educ. 2010, 14 (5), 433−451. (18) Henchman, M. Developing a Science Course for Nonscientists on the Chemistry of Art. J. Chem. Educ. 1994, 71, 670. (19) Donnelly-Smith, L. Global Learning through Short-Term Study Abroad. Peer Rev. 2009, 11 (4), 12−15. (20) Allen, H. W. What Shapes Short-Term Study Abroad Experiences? J. Stud. Int. Educ. 2010, 14 (5), 452−470. (21) O’Rouke, T.; Iammarino, N. Legal, Safety and Budgetary Issues in Developing and Implementing a Health Promotion/Education Study Abroad Course. Am. J. Health Stud. 2010, 25 (3), 165−172. (22) Train schedules for Europe are listed at www.bahn.com (accessed Nov 2012). (23) Steves, R. and Openshaw, G. Rick Steves’ Amsterdam, Bruges, and Brussels; Avalon Travel: Berkeley, CA, 2011.
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CONCLUSIONS While conducting a course with a travel abroad component, I focused on the learning, both scientific and cultural. Summative assessment in the form of exams documented that the students learned the chemical content well. Reflective essays and course evaluations showed they learned much outside the course books about chemical content, historic perspective, influence of geography, and about the world itself and the diverse people we met on our travels. Preplanning for contingencies and possible disasters relieved the stress associated with those concerns. We were ready but very glad we did not need the backup plans. The students grew during their studies abroad; the three-week trip changed their outlook as much as the full semester abroad. They learned to be global citizens and act as ambassadors of the United States. One former student informed me he still had his course journal 11 years after the Evolution of Modern Chemistry. These courses with a European travel component required enormous effort to organize and conduct, but the effort was worth the results.
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ASSOCIATED CONTENT
S Supporting Information *
Course descriptions and travel. This material is available via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org.
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AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*E-mail:
[email protected]. Notes
The authors declare no competing financial interest.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to thank Centre College and its Chemistry Department for the opportunity and encouragement to develop two study abroad courses taught during winter term 1997. She is grateful to Mary Virginia Orna for mentoring when designing the first course abroad. She is also grateful to Patricia Hill for her “Chemistry and Art” and “Advanced Chemistry and Art” workshops and the National Science Foundation for support of the CWCS.
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REFERENCES
(1) D’Acquisto, R. The Business of Global Study. Careers Coll. 2009, 28 (4), 6−7. (2) Kostovich, C. T.; Bermele, C. A. The Top Ten List: Lessons Learned from Teaching a Study Abroad Course. Nurs. Educ. Perspect. 2011, 32 (5), 308−310. (3) Winter, M. Study Abroad Programs: Living and Learning. Hum. Ecol. 2002, 30 (4), 25. (4) Study Abroad Expands Perspectives, Human Ecology, 2002, 30(4), 10. 182
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