Outcome Assessment of a Short-Term U.S. Thailand Student Exchange Program

NACTA Journal, Dec 2004 by Robbins, Kelly, Orr, Robert, Phavaphutanon, Lop

All participating U.S. students were required to complete and submit a travel journal. We used entries in these journals to gage participant satisfaction with the study tour and, to the degree possible, assess learning. Based upon travel journal entries, it was apparent that some U.S. students gained more from the experience than others. From the journals it was apparent which students had "immersed" themselves in the culture as the trip progressed. Journal entries of these students became more reflective as the trip progressed, and frequently included comments on the differences between, and relative merits of, American and Thai cultures. On the other end of the spectrum, each of the four years we had some students who seemed to be focused in large measure on issues such as personal comfort, diet, conflict with other group members, and homesickness throughout the study tour. These students' journal entries were much less reflective and these students were more apt to be disengaged during tour stops. Nonetheless all students expressed great enthusiasm and excitement about their participation following their return home.

All participating Thai students had considerable English language training and perhaps one of the significant benefits of their participation in the study tour was the gain in English proficiency and confidence in speaking the language. This worked to the benefit of U.S. students. While participating in the U.S. study tour, Thai students became acquainted with U.S. participants; consequently the U.S. students had Thai friends at the outset of their study tour. This added much to their experience in Thailand given that the Thai students would engage them in a variety of social and recreational events that would not have been otherwise possible given the language barrier.

Study tours such as this are resource-intensive, and that is a definite challenge. We enjoyed strong financial support from our universities. Because this was the first international student exchange to be sponsored by the University of Tennessee College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, and given concern that it could be difficult to attract a sufficient number of participants, the first three years of the program were very heavily subsidized by the College and by grants from the University and a corporate sponsor. Cost to participating students was relatively modest. In year 4, students were expected to share a greater cost of the program in an attempt to create a financially sustainable exchange program, but we did not experience any decline in student interest with the imposition of a program fee. A summary of costs incurred by the University of Tennessee and Kasetsart University for the 2003 program is presented in Table 1. In 2003, the 12 University of Tennessee student participants enrolled in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources were charged a $700 program fee. Departments also agreed to contribute $300 to the program for each student participant from that department. The 1 student participant enrolled in another college was charged a program fee.