Globalizing the U.S. Undergraduate Experience: A Case Study of the Benefits of an International Agriculture Field-Based Course

Abstract

Globalizing the undergraduate experience is increasingly important. Students need opportunities to understand culture, improve language skills, learn about international markets, and possess a contextual awareness of international communities. The purpose of this study was to determine the benefits to students who participated in an international course. The objectives were to evaluate the transferability of a modified rapid appraisal process used to analyze rural communities, to identify the international agriculture content students learned and describe cultural understandings gained by students enrolled in an internationally focused course. The results indicated that students gained knowledge of tropical agricultural production systems, cultural appreciation, and students effectively used rapid appraisal methods to collect data from local farmers. Rapid appraisal techniques are effective methods to promote active student learning. Students reported that they could transfer the needs assessment strategies, learned through applying rapid appraisal techniques, to their communities in Montana. Universities can use this case to improve international learning opportunities for students across colleges of agriculture.