Developing courses that address the challenges of teaching on the road (abroad)

Courses taught off campus present truly unique opportunities for students. The material becomes alive and the first-hand personal experience enriches the learning process. No graph or photo can capture the real-life situation and the impact on the students’ learning is extraordinary. However, teaching a course in a non-traditional setting presents its own set of challenges. Off campus courses are often shorter in duration, involve travel and excursions, and students may not have access to the typical campus resources such as a library with printers. I developed an Economics of Immigration course for a 5-week study abroad program taking place in Berlin, Germany. Excursions include trips to the CES Ifo Institute in Munich, Germany, the European Commission and European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, and the Economics University in Krakow, Poland. Given the current migration situation in Europe, being on site allows the students to form their own opinions, attend lectures at local institutions and be exposed to the perspectives of different nations. The class meets twice a week for 3 hours and some of the time is allocated to the excursions. In this paper I present the strategies for developing the course under these circumstances. To maximize the learning opportunities abroad and in order to prepare the students ahead of time, this course includes a substantial graded pre-departure assignment and several meetings on campus in the preceding semester. This allows the class to start without any delays once on site and also allows the students to get to know each other prior to the program. Developing a stronger relationship among the students is beneficial for study abroad programs, as they will be more likely to watch out for each other. The supporting course materials and assignments are built entirely online except for the final exam, addressing the unique needs of a short session abroad. I also give substantial weight to reflections on the excursions, which are a crucial component of the course. The reflections are delivered via the students’ ePortfolios and graded based on a detailed iRubric evaluating their understanding the material and also the cultural connections.