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Faculty-Led Global Learning Courses

TWU has a long standing tradition of faculty incorporating international or domestic academic travel components into their coursework. These are often short-term (1-3 week) experiences which can contribute to course contact hour requirements. Education Abroad manages the approval process for Faculty-Led Global Learning Courses, and can provide support in the planning and execution of courses with an with a domestic (out-of-state) or international travel component.
 
SELECTING A COURSE
Faculty-Led Global Learning Courses must be associated with academic credit. Therefore, a good place to begin is considering the focus of your Global Learning course. Here are some considerations:
  • Which courses do you already teach?
    • While you may be exploring a Special Topics course, considering what you are already scheduled to teach may be a good place to begin exploring a potential course to imbed a Global Learning experience into.
  • Which courses count toward degree requirements?
    • Remember, many TWU students utilize financial aid. Financial aid can only be applied to coursework that meets degree requirements.
  • Which of your courses have a large pool of students to recruit from?
    • Is there an opportunity to partner with another academic area to create an interdisciplinary course?
  • How could you make the material you teach “come to life” while in your host destination?
    • Consider the Student Learning Outcomes for the course. How would an abroad or domestic travel component lend itself to the SLOs?
  • Which colleague might be a good Co-Leader?
    • Global Learning courses that include an abroad travel component require at least two TWU leaders. Who might have expertise specific to your course goals and/or the local destination(s)?
 
SYLLABUS AND ASSIGNMENTS
When considering course goals both in-and-out of the classroom, it may be worth considering adapting your syllabus to include TWU Education Abroad Student Learning Outcomes:
  • Global Awareness: knowledge related to how environmental, social, cultural, political, and economic systems impact the world
  • Global Perspective: ability to examine links between one’s own life and the diverse lives of others
  • Global Engagement: intentionally participating in intercultural interactions and problem solving

Include assignments and assessments directly related to experiences occurring during the travel component. See Planning Resources for helpful links and tools.

FACULTY FUNDING NEEDS
You will want to have a discussion with your academic component leader to determine what funding might be available, if any, from your department to support your Global Learning course. Depending on the program model you select, some expenses related to faculty travel may be able to be absorbed by students participating in the course. Remember, absorbing costs for 1 or 2 co-leaders will increase the per-person price.
TWU Education Abroad has partnerships with several travel organizations and agencies who can offer a range of services - from arranging travel logistics to fully customizing the entire abroad itinerary. The type of program model that works best for each Global Learning course ultimately depends on the goals and connections of faculty leaders. Below are some of the models most frequently utilized by TWU faculty:
 
  • Customized Program: travel organization manages the travel logistics, and fully customizes all of the academic and cultural activities in the host location with significant input from faculty related to course goals and objectives.
 
  • Self-Designed Program: faculty coordinate most, if not all, of the academic activities in the host location; travel organization manage travel logistics, along with cultural activities. 
 
  • Consortium Program: academic activities in host location organized by a consortium of universities; may be traveling alongside faculty and students from the consortium; travel organization manages travel logistics
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  • Platform Program: minimal customization. Faculty plug their course into an already built itinerary managed by a travel organization. Example of Platform Programs.
It is never too soon to begin planning a Faculty-Led Global Learning Course. The sooner plans begin, the more time becomes available to recruit students, potentially lowering the price-point and increasing the likelihood the course will meet enrollment requirements. The timeline below is highly encouraged:
 
Months prior to departure 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2
Course Conceptualization & Approval 18-9 Months Prior             Abroad or Local Travel    
Student Recruitment                 10-4 Months Prior      
Student Preparation & Orientation                               3-1 Months Prior    
Travel Component                                        
Re-entry & Assessment                                     1-2 Months After
COMPLIANCE STANDARDS
ACADEMIC FRAMEWORK & COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
  • Coming Soon

TRAVEL ORGANIZATIONS DOMESTIC STUDY AWAY
Looking for ways to incorporate intercultural experiences into your course without crossing an ocean? The video below presented by TWU International Affairs along with international education partner WorldStrides explores global learning opportunities “at home” in the United States.

Coming Soon