Engineering Students Learning Abroad: Experiences Captured via Longitudinal Video Reflections

Contribution: Longitudinal video reflections are a unique approach to assessing student learning in study abroad. This study utilizes this method to understand the experiences of ten engineering students. The results show how their learning experiences changed over time and how the students connected these experiences to culture and engineering. Background: Study abroad research has demonstrated that students learn through a variety of experiences while abroad, but this research has been limited by narrow assessments, limited longitudinal data, and a lack of connection to engineering. This study uses longitudinal video reflections to explore student experiences in study abroad programs in a holistic way, capturing a wide range of learning outcomes over time. Research Questions: What types of significant experiences do engineering students abroad discuss in weekly reflection videos? How do engineering students abroad connect their significant experiences to engineering? Methodology: The critical incident technique (CIT) was used to collect video reflections from ten students for 14 weeks during a semester abroad. Their experiences were characterized using CIT methods and tracked shifts in incident types over time. The results show which types of experiences resulted in students reflecting deeply about cultural learning and engineering learning. Findings: The experiences students described in their videos shifted from a focus on communication and environmental factors early on to more cross-cultural comparison later in the program. Certain types of incidents resulted in cultural reflection, while others led to engineering learning. Communication incidents often served as a connecting point between engineering and cultural learning.