CULTURAL INFLUENCE ON LEARNING OUTCOMES AT INTERNATIONAL FIELD CAMPS

In recent years, more internationally based geoscience education opportunities have been created and held in destinations around the world, and offered by universities across the U.S. These opportunities include some internationally based field camp programs. We have investigated the impact of the cultural experience during internationally based field camps on the learning outcomes of the academic program. We find that the cultural interaction that occurred during international field camps was a significant part of the experience. Those students who attended domestic field camp sessions achieved the planned learning outcomes, but had a less robust overall experience potentially leading less retention. A pre-camp and post-camp survey was conducted with students participating in a traditional, US based field camp program as well as for students participating in several international field camps. The surveys addressed the expectations of the students prior to the trip regarding interaction with the culture, and their perspective after the trip regarding both educational outcomes and cultural experience. Those students who participated in international camps regularly stated that the most memorable part of the experience was something related to culture. The pre-camp survey of domestic field camp students showed that fewer of them were open to the idea of employment outside of the US, and had done less international travel previously. Also, their choice of the camp that they attended was more strongly influenced by timing than the location. In post-camp surveys of domestic field camp students, they were less likely to remember the specifics of the geology of the field areas. This suggests that the experience of being in a culturally different environment improves the retention of all aspects of the experience, including the academic aspects. Thus, the learning outcomes are enhanced by the cultural experiences. When asked what the most memorable part of the course would be, the most common answer was related to meeting other students and making new friends. Therefore, while the cultural experience is not as significant for domestic field camps as compared to international field camps, the social aspect of the experience is still very impactful.