Preparing Students for Intercultural Experience

The student’s experience will be enhance through:

• Their development of a global mindset and competence

• An awareness of cross cultural issues especially in business.

As Global Intensives can occur outside of the Academic calendar , the use of a Blackboard environment is unavailable. To compensate for this, the use of other online communication methods such as social media can be an alternative collaborative solution pre-departure. Students would continue to submit their assessment to a designated Blackboard Shell during and post the two week Intensive tour.

Advertise and Engage

1. Advertising commences in October/November of the preceding year. Students are invited to attend information sessions, which emphasises the University’s focus on International Engagement as well as having the opportunity to enhance their global mindset. (See: Study Tour of Canada Video)

Note: By commencing the advertising early allows many students to plan their finances and with the postgraduates who are working full time they can apply for leave from work almost 12 months in advance.

2. Applications are received via paper-based forms and assessed before an offer is made.
3. A Facebook group is then set up as a ‘Closed Group’ to offer student an online solution to introduce themselves to the group, and build friendships.
4. Students are then sent an email welcoming them to the study-tour, as well as details about the first weekend workshop and how to access the Facebook group. (See: Canada Study Tour - First Weekend Workshop -11th and 12th of April example).

Workshop One

5. The first workshop is conducted, students participate in group-based question activities on the following topics:

   • Globalisation and Business
   • Globalisation and Culture
   • Globalisation and Ethics
   • A topic on the specific country being visited.

These questions challenge their view of globalisation, culture and ethics. (See: Workshop One Questions resource.)

6. A Google Site is created and will host all of the information available regarding the Global Intensive, as the Blackboard Shell may not be available during this time. See example. The Google site includes the weekend workshop content; examples of assessment tasks from previous semesters; useful links; Twitter and Facebook links - all of which have been built up over the previous study tours.
7. At the conclusion of the first weekend workshop, another email is sent to the students. (See: Canada Study Tour - First Weekend Wrap-up example.)
8. A Google form, set up by the Academic Services Coordinator to gather information in regards to the students arrival, departure, dietary requirements and any other travel companions.
9. Students need to update their Emergency contact/s via MyRMIT>My Details> Update My details via Enrollment Online.

Visa Workshop

10. Two weeks later, an email is sent to all students asking them to come in for a Visa workshop. As part of this email, a requirements checklist is included. (See: Canada visa requirements example.)
11. The Visa workshop is held for any student who requires a visa to visit that particular country. The students are stepped through the visa application.
12. At the end of the Visa workshop, a follow-up email is sent to those that attended. (See: Canada Visa Workshop Follow-up.)

Workshop Two

13. Four weeks after Workshop One, an email is sent out to students reminding them of the upcoming Workshop Two (See: Workshop Two Questions resource).
14. The second workshop is conducted, students participate in group-based question activities on the following topics:
    • Globalisation and Challenges
    • Global Mindset.

These questions challenge their view of globalisation and a way to develop a global minds. (See: Workshop Two Questions resource.)

15. A guide is also distributed to students that outlines travel information such as: hotel check-in, costs of different transport options, immigration and customs, electronic devices, the first field trip, when and where to meet etc. (See: Canada bound students example).

The Overseas Experience

16. Students participate in a two-week tour, which usually consists of classes in the morning and a corresponding field trip in the afternoon. It is important that any lecture material from the Canada component are added to Blackboard and the Google Site. See example.

Post Tour

17. Academics/teachers are required to ensure that all resources and lecture material is uploaded to the Course Blackboard.

18. An email is then sent to students once everyone is back in Melbourne, welcoming students back and summerising some of the key aspects of the tour. In addition the Google site and Blackboard is referenced again for access to the resources used on the tour. Some photos of the tour are also included in the email (Optional) (See: Canada Study Tour - weblink and photos resource).

19. Assessment tasks that assess the Global Mindset are then due in after the tour.

Note: It is recommended to consider the following:

The challenges experienced relate to the lack of IT infrastructure available for the tours. As the tours run in different stages throughout the year, the usual RMIT infrastructure, such as Blackboard, is unavailable until towards the end of the tour when the assessment tasks are due. The choice to use alternative online presence for collaboration between students was made and consists of Google Sites, Google Community and Facebook.

It is also important to encourage students to make use of different technology to talk and engage with one another, as well as identify ways to enhance group work and interaction.