In Study Abroad, Simple Is Sophisticated
When I was 23 years old and working for the Peace Corps in Africa, I lived in a mud hut with no running water, no electricity, and virtually no technology or modern-day conveniences. I collected rainwater in containers, bathed in a bucket, and used a latrine outside. I lived with cockroaches, tarantulas, snakes, and other critters. But my life was simple. Today I cannot live without my BlackBerry, every minute of every day is scheduled, and my life is complex.
The difference between my life today and my Africa experience brings to mind the quote from Leonardo da Vinci: "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
My field, study abroad, is far from simple, and if you follow the buzz, you probably know how "unsophisticated" it can be. A recent study at the University of Washington, published in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, found that many American students double their alcohol consumption while studying abroad in Europe, Australia, or New Zealand. Study abroad has long been associated with partying and, as a recent article in The Chronicle put it, "a perk for wealthy students at selective colleges."
This is disappointing because many of us who work with college students, or send them to other countries to study, have higher aspirations for their international experience than drinking more alcohol or backpacking around Europe. We see study abroad as education, not vacation, and we honestly believe that the study-abroad experience has the potential to change lives, and the world, for the better.
There are two ways in which we can approach education: linear and circular.
Linear education is the traditional approach. It treats the teacher as the giver of knowledge and the student as the receiver. Knowledge is static, passed in one direction, and is one-dimensional.
Circular education takes a systems approach. Education is an interrelational, experiential process to engage with rather than follow. Knowledge is dynamic, passed in various directions, and is multidimensional.
Sophisticated study abroad is more than going to college in another country; it's a shift from linear to circular education.
Instead of asking, "How can we educate international students?," those of us who work with college students ask, "How can we foster international education?" Instead of asking, "What courses and activities can benefit international students and their education?," we ask, "How can we create an atmosphere where local people, culture, art, and the environment are the classroom?" Instead of asking, "How can we integrate international students with locals, businesses, and the community?," we ask, "How can we facilitate communication among them?"
via chronicle.com
