ACM Faculty Career Enhancement Workshop June 3-4, 2011

Finding Our Way: Strategies for Internationalizing Undergraduate Psychology

Dana Gross and Kenneth AbramsSt. Olaf College • Carleton College

The Project

A 2-day workshop for psychology faculty from across the ACM will create a focused, collaborative environment in which to network, share ideas, and develop strategies for internationalizing undergraduate psychology, both through study abroad and conventional classroom experiences.

Study Abroad and the Psychology Major

• Whereas study abroad once was commonly viewed as relevant only for certain majors and fields of study, a broader range of today’s college students sees value in off-campus learning.

• Students studying psychology -- one of the most popular undergraduate majors in the United States -- see the value of study abroad, even though it typically requires making a conscious choice to interrupt their studies in the discipline.

International Study in the ACM:

• Three ACM colleges currently offer off-campus international courses taught by faculty in their own departments: -Beloit: Cross-Cultural Psychology (in Morocco and Estonia) -Carleton: Cross-Cultural Psychology in Prague -Cornell: Culture, Gender, & Public Policy in Japan

• St. Olaf psychology faculty have given increased attention to global perspectives in recent years: -Chuck Huff, Donna McMillan, and Gary Muir have led/will lead the Global Semester and the Term in the Middle East -A new psychology course in India is being developed by Dana Gross, to be offered for the first time in Interim 2012 -Grace Cho and Dana Gross teach on-campus courses that explicitly address cultural contexts and carry MCD or MCG credit

• Four other colleges – Colorado, Lake Forest, Macalester, and Monmouth – explore related themes in on-campus electives such as Cultural Psychology, Cross-Cultural Psychology, and Multicultural Psychology.

American Psychological Association Learning Goals for Psychology Majors:

• Recognize and describe sociocultural differences and commonalities between people; consider how the diversity of human behavior around the world contributes to the study and practice of psychology

• Explain the research methods and skills necessary for international research competence

• Describe how the discipline of psychology is developed, studied, and applied in and across cultures

• Use psychological knowledge and understanding of cultural differences and behavior to demonstrate skills and values and function effectively in a complex multicultural global world

• Recognize and describe the role that psychological knowledge plays in addressing issues related to the human condition from a global perspective

Workshop Schedule

Each day will include a keynote speaker, panel presentation, and roundtable discussions. In addition:

• An initial poster session will enable participants to describe their interests, plans, and needs for internationalizing teaching and research

• A mini-international film festival will facilitate discussion about using media to internationalize on-campus courses

• Keynote Speakers: Helle Harnisch (Danish Institute for Study Abroad) & Carol Enns (Cornell College)

Intended Outcomes

The workshop is intended to enhance psychology students’ sociocultural and international awareness by:

• Educating ACM psychology faculty about APA learning goals and initiatives for enhancing students’ sociocultural and international awareness both on and off campus.

• Facilitating dissemination of best practices and lessons learned by faculty (including those in the ACM) who have taught psychology courses off campus in international settings.

• Developing an ACM network to encourage and support faculty who would like to develop off-campus psychology courses in international settings or incorporate related issues into courses taught on campus.

• Creating a listserv for continued discussion and collaboration among ACM workshop participants, exploring avenues for co-authoring publications.

• Creating an online SERC database of presentations, teaching materials, and bibliographies from ACM faculty and related to internationalizing psychology.

• Increasing interest among ACM psychology faculty in opportunities for research and collaboration in international settings, measured by indicators such as numbers of Fulbright grant proposals for teaching and research

• Enhancing sociocultural and international interest and awareness among students, measured by indicators such

as rates of participation in international study and, possibly, numbers of applications by psychology students for Fulbright grants

Workshop Topics

• The current state of psychology as it is studied, applied, and practiced outside of the United States, including the influence of cultural, social, and political systems

• Recommendations and guidelines for contacting and pursuing collaboration with academic psychologistsoutside of the United States

• Methodological, technological, and ethical issues in international research

• Assignments for fostering students’ awareness of their own cultural biases and promoting effective interactions with people whose beliefs, philosophies, and values differ from their own

• Preparing students to utilize psychological knowledge and research skills in traditional study abroad courses and service learning in international settings

• Strategies for facilitating students’ reintegration by incorporating their international learning experiences into subsequent coursework and undergraduate research

• Integrating international perspectives across the psychology curriculum and in undergraduate research

• Assessing learning outcomes of international and off-campus study, as well as in on-campus courses addressing related issues

Resources

• Arnett, J.J. (2002). The psychology of globalization. American Psychologist, 57, 774-783.• American Psychological Association Office of International Affairs. http://www.apa.org/in• International Teaching of Psychology Network (InterTOP). http://interteachpsy.org• Lutsky, N., Torney-Purta, J., Velayo, R., Whittlesey, V., Woolf, L., & McCarthy, M. (2005). American Psychological Association Working Group on Internationalizing the Undergraduate Psychology Curriculum: Report and Recommended Learning Outcomes for Internationalizing the Undergraduate Curriculum. Washington, DC: APA Education Directorate. http://www.apa.org/ed/resources.html