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SAGE Journal User Guide

Article 1

Hamza, A. (2010). International experience: An opportunity for professional development in higher education. Journal of Studies in International Education, 14(1), 50–69.

Topics in this article:

• This qualitative study examines the role of international experience in the transforma­tive learning of educators as it relates to professional development in a higher education context. It also investigates how the learning productions of these experi­ences were transferred to the participants’ home country.  
• The results suggest that the transformative learning of the educators was reflected in three themes: changes in personal and professional attitudes, experiencing a new classroom environment that included different students’ learning styles and unfamiliar classroom behavior, and broadening of participants’ glo­bal perspectives.

Questions from this article:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of international experience in the transformative learning of educators?
2. What are some best practices to transfer the knowledge gained from international experience in transformative learning to the home country?
3. State why you agree or disagree with this statement: “One of the most valuable aspects of international experience is its disposition as a catalyst for intellectual development, and it is vital for academics, students, and institutional identity, mission, growth, and excellence.” Do you believe that students who pursue higher education in today’s environment need it to be done with major integration of international components? Why or why not? Would your answer differ depending on the major the student was pursuing?

Article 2

Patterson, L. M., Carrillo, P. B., & Salinas, R. S. (2012). Lessons from a global learning virtual classroom. Journal of Studies in International Education, 16(2), 182–197.

Topics in this article:

• As institutions of higher education adopt more global learning initiatives to improve global competencies and increase global citizenship among their students, the creative implementation of intercultural exchanges is critical.
• The virtual classroom is designed to address global competencies in the areas of knowledge, empathy, acceptance, foreign language ability, and intercultural teamwork. This article outlines the project history, specific class activities, challenges faced in implementation, and recommendations for modifying a future course and for adaptation at other universities.

Questions from this article:

1. What are some opportunities and challenges of using virtual classrooms? What are some strategies for reducing or removing the challenges?
2. As institutions of higher education adopt more global learning initiatives to improve global competencies and increase global citizenship among their students, what are the implications for organizations and in particular, human resource personnel?