“Terps to Tohoku": A Hybrid Study-Abroad Program

• In Event: Online Teaching in Asian Humanities - Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Asian Studies, as a field, requires its students to gain knowledge of one or more Asian cultures; study abroad is a valuable means by which students can develop such knowledge. However, per the 2014 “Open Doors” report from IIE and the U.S. Department of State, less than 10% of U.S. students study abroad; of those who do, 76.3% are white. Many factors can discourage students from spending a semester or year abroad. Short-term study abroad programs can mitigate such concerns by lowering the amount of risk involved. The challenge for instructors and institutions is to develop short-term programs that provide meaningful opportunities for academic learning and cultural immersion. By adding online modules before and after the time spent in the destination country, instructors can prime and reinforce students’ learning without losing the features that attract students to short-term programs in the first place. I illustrate this model using my experiences designing, executing, and refining a 5-week course on disaster recovery: the course took place in the U.S., in Japan, and online; 89% of the participants were students of color, representing over 10 ethnicities. This model and the lessons learned from this course may be applicable across the disciplines, including the Asian Humanities.

Author

• Meredith Collier-Murayama, University of Maryland