Undergraduate students’ short-term inquiry- or design-based overseas experiences enhance their global engagement acumen

ABSTRACT Undergraduate science/engineering students are being encouraged to engage in inquiry- or design-based learning with global dimensions. However, outcomes of longer versus short overseas engagements have been predominantly anecdotal. In light of the high cost associated with longer engagements, a comparative assessment for short and long stays is needed. Using Intercultural Communication Apprehension and World Minded Attitudes instruments, we compared three groups of students (seniors with local projects, seniors with short overseas stay, and seniors with long overseas stay projects). Students who conducted projects overseas exhibited lower anxiety associated with intercultural communication and greater world mindedness and these changes were independent of the length of overseas stay. The length of overseas stay similarity between short and long stays was confirmed through analysis of student reflections. These results provide preliminary evidence in support of the notion that both short- and long-term projects equally put students on a trajectory toward developing global competencies, suggesting more study of the effectiveness of short overseas stay projects.