Transformative Learning Abroad for Honors Students: Leveraging High-Impact Practices at Global Partner Institutions

Authors

Craig Wallace, Monash UniversityFollow

Date of this Version

2020

Document Type

Article

Citation

From Internationalizing Honors, ed. Kim Klein and Mary Kay Mulvaney (Lincoln, NE: National Collegiate Honors Council, 2020)

Comments

Copyright © 2020 National Collegiate Honors Council

Abstract

The substantial increase in student participation in learning abroad and the proliferation of program types have greatly changed the international education landscape in the United States and beyond, providing new opportunities for global outreach and collaboration. Creative global partnerships can help students overcome longstanding barriers to studying abroad and provide students with opportunities to enhance their undergraduate education by stacking the high-impact practice of study abroad with other transformative high-impact practices, such as undergraduate research and service learning, which are defining elements of an honors experience. Given the potential for transformation as a result of learning abroad, honors educators and institutions are challenged to ensure that these opportunities are of high quality and made accessible to as many students as possible. Based in Melbourne, Australia, Monash University is one of a select number of universities around the world that prioritizes developing international partnerships that strengthen the connections between its curricula and learning abroad. This chapter discusses initiatives at Monash and offers practical recommendations for enhancing the honors undergraduate experience through increased access to high-impact practices at global partner institutions. Monash University is the leading Australian institution for outbound learning abroad participation among undergraduate students, sending over 4,100 students on overseas experiences in 2016 (“AUIDF”). Monash has become a leader in learning abroad by implementing robust mechanisms to remove barriers for students, diversify offerings, and promote global opportunities effectively. At Monash, developing and leveraging international partnerships are key mechanisms for increasing access to learning abroad opportunities. In this chapter, I will contextualize research about access to learning abroad programming, discuss Monash’s most extensive global partnership, and highlight the benefits for students and institutions of developing trusted partnerships with international universities. Because of the global differences in honors education, my intent here is to highlight diverse program offerings from an Australian perspective, especially those that can remove barriers to learning abroad and honors program completion and enhance students’ opportunities to participate in multiple high-impact practices during their undergraduate careers.