IU School of Physical Education and Tourism Management
Internationalized Course:
Global Tourism
This is a senior level required course that has deeply integrated both the Global Crossroads Classroom and the Global Classmates feature into its course design. This course provides students at IUPUI and the University of Primorska in Slovenia with an international perspective on the key issues facing global tourism. About 96 IUPUI students and 80 Slovenian students have been impacted by this course. The main goals for the course are to learn about global tourism from different global and cultural perspectives, provide students with an international experience without traveling abroad, and further develop students' intercultural competence.
“I think overall our class has learned a lot about a different culture and through our differences; we have created a bond through learning from each other. I believe we will continue to build upon this bond and will continue our global dialogue long after this course is over.Student
The course involves two weekly videoconferences, during which students from both countries discuss topics related to global tourism. Course Networking Global Classmates feature is used by students and faculty to connect outside the classroom. In addition, class activities are designed to provide students with a variety of formal and informal ways to connect and engage in intercultural learning. At the end of the semester, students are asked to reflect on their virtual global experience using a conceptual framework based on knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) that represent intercultural competence (Deardorff, 2008).
Benefit to the Students
The virtual global experience has been very fruitful for the students who learned about a different culture, its history, expanded their intercultural understanding and learnt to appreciate the differences. These outcomes are in line with the IUPUI’s International Learning Goals.
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