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International Learning Outcomes

Selecting learning outcomes is a critical first step in the assessment process. International learning outcomes are the desired knowledge, skills, and attitudes students should have as effective citizens and workers in a global environment. Specifying learning outcomes provides the crucial foundation for an institution to determine whether the curriculum and other programs provide students with the appropriate opportunities to achieve these outcomes.

Due to the complexity of international learning, it can be challenging to select only a few international learning outcomes to assess. Developing a ranking document is an effective way to collect feedback on what outcomes should be selected for assessment. The ranking document can be distributed to a wide variety of stakeholders, including internationally-oriented faculty and administrators. The feedback collected from the ranking exercise can be compiled and used to assist the assessment coordinators in coming to consensus on what learning outcomes should be assessed.

Using the ranking document approach, the ACE/FIPSE project group developed this set of international learning goals to be assessed:

A globally competent student graduating from our institution gains...

Knowledge

• Understands his culture within a global and comparative context (that is, the student recognizes that his culture is one of many diverse cultures and that alternate perceptions and behaviors may be based in cultural differences).
• Demonstrates knowledge of global issues, processes, trends, and systems (that is, economic and political interdependency among nations, environmental-cultural interaction, global governance bodies, and nongovernmental organizations).
• Demonstrates knowledge of other cultures (including beliefs, values, perspectives, practices, and products).

Skills

• Uses knowledge, diverse cultural frames of reference, and alternate perspectives to think critically and solve problems.
• Communicates and connects with people in other language communities in a range of settings for a variety of purposes, developing skills in each of the four modalities: speaking (productive), listening (receptive), reading (receptive), and writing (productive).
• Uses foreign language skills and/or knowledge of other cultures to extend his access to information, experiences, and understanding.

Attitudes

• Appreciates the language, art, religion, philosophy, and material culture of different cultures.
• Accepts cultural differences and tolerates cultural ambiguity.
• Demonstrates an ongoing willingness to seek out international or intercultural opportunities.

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This page last updated on: 09/24/2008