Evidence-based approaches for engineering global preparedness programming: Research to inform practice

Abstract

Higher education has emphasized global education as a strategic goal over the past few decades, yet little empirical data has been collected to inform the decisions of global education. Engineering schools have integrated global experiences into programs with limited knowledge regarding the effectiveness of their program planning and capacity for supporting internationalization. Research is needed regarding strategies that support effective global programming and how outcomes of these strategies can be evaluated. Through three separate studies, this research addresses how engineering educators may implement, assess, and evaluate effective global engineering education programs. Using concept mapping, the first study will engage international engineering program facilitators to develop a framework that highlights effective global engineering education strategies and their evaluation. Data Envelopment Analysis will then be utilized to measure the relative effectiveness of global engineering education programming strategies using indices and outcomes identified in the framework. Using Latent Profile Analysis, the third study explores engineering global preparedness patterns among undergraduate engineering students as well as evaluates the relationships of engineering global preparedness with different student, institutional, and global programming variables. The anticipated results of this research are evidence-based global engineering programming strategies and systematic evaluation methods for international engineering program facilitators and educators.