This study examines the effectiveness of six intercultural learning modules in enhancing students’ intercultural competency. In addition, it explores students’ attitudes toward the design of the learning modules from an instructional designer's perspective. The research participants included 15 students enrolled in a core learning design class. Students were required to complete the first two topics (i.e., Topics 1&2) and one additional topic of their choice listed below:

1. Topic 1: Understanding Accents Different from Your Own (UA)
2. Topic 2: Digging Deeper with Critical Reflection (CR)
3. Topic 3: Intercultural Collaboration
4. Topic 4: Teaming I: Communication
5. Topic 5: Teaming II: Self and Other Awareness
6. Topic 6: Teaming III: Productive Conflict

Students also completed their evaluations and reflections for each topic through a survey that included 25 Likert scale questions (1 = poor and 4 = exceptional) relevant to five categories (i.e., content quality, motivation, instructional design, cognitive, and intuitiveness) and five open-ended questions. Quantitative data analysis indicated that students’ learning experiences were positive. The average score of the 25 questions for the topics reviewed is around 3 or above. The open-ended question responses were analyzed using thematic analysis and R-Studio – Sentimental Analysis. The bing sentiment lexicons and nrc sentiment lexicons showed that students were positive toward the learning modules as well. Additionally, two themes evolved from the open-ended responses: 1) Students learned more about cultural differences and how to communicate in a team environment, and 2) Students are motivated to be more proactive in reaching out to people with different backgrounds, accents, etc.

Wanju Huang (2023). Enhancing Students' Intercultural Competence Through a Service-Learning Project | Seed Grant 2022. (Version 3.0). https://hubicl.org/publications/192/3

This study took a combined view of intercultural competence and understanding contemporary students. In terms of intercultural competence, students’ attitudes, knowledge, and skills toward different cultures are theoretical domains to evaluate. To understand Generation Z, parental bonding, tolerance of uncertainty, and personal values in evaluating different cultures were also investigated. A sequential mixed method design was used to achieve the practical goals of this study.

Huai-rhin Kim, Jungsun Kim (2023). Systematic and phenomenological investigation of intercultural competency among Purdue undergraduates | Seed Grant 2020. (Version 2.0). https://hubicl.org/publications/134/2

From the abstract: "Implementing targeted intercultural activities into STEM-based courses may be one method to develop students' intercultural competencies and improve their ability to thrive in a diverse workplace."

Wickenhauser, J .L. & Karcher, E. L. (2020). Developing student intercultural competence in an introductory STEM-based course. NACTA Journal.

From the abstract: "...the objective of the study was to measure changes in student IC before and after participating in the remote course with intercultural learning (ICL) assignments embedded into animal science topics."

Wickenhauser, J., Rosenkrans, A., Ebner, P., Flaherty, E. A., & Karcher, E. L. Intercultural competence: Fostering skill development during emergency remote learning. NACTA Journal. 65: 288-296.

From the abstract: "In this work-in-progress paper, we discuss the impact of an interactive online module on the development of the intercultural competence of twenty-five first-year computer science students. After completing the online module, students were required to reflect on a scenario where the student's role was to manage a culturally diverse team. The students were asked to identify the cultural differences that could lead to conflicts on the team and to reflect on the ways cultural differences could benefit the team."

Jaiswal, A., Starr, L & Stahl, A. (2023). Assessing the impact of curriculum integration on the intercultural learning gains of first-year computer science students. IEEE Frontiers in Education (FIE). https://www.computer.org/csdl/proceedings-article/fie/2023/10343046/1TsCbWwOhwc

Data is presented from 3 administrations of the BEVI (pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest) in an evaluation of the 2018-19 Global Dialogues Program at Purdue University.

Starr, L., Acheson, K., & Ham, T. (2019). Purdue University College of Science Global Dialogues program: 2018-19 program assessment. HubICL Research Repository.  https://hubicl.org/publications/75/1

This study uses mixed assessment methods to analyze learning outcomes for six cohorts of students in a first-year "global science" learning community for international and domestic students.

Starr, L. & Yngve, K. (2020). Global Science Partnerships learning community: The first six years. https://hubicl.org/publications/82/2.

From the abstract: "The authors build on their existing project-based inquiry model to include global themes (e.g., poverty, global water and sanitation, climate change) and cross-cultural exchange. This theory-into-practice article explains the Project-Based Inquiry Global process and six design features that enable teachers to facilitate collaborative inquiry projects with their students."

Spires, H. A., Himes, M., Paul, C. M., & Kerkhoff, S. N. (2019, January 10). Going global with Project Based Inquiry Global: Cosmopolitan literacies in practice.  Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 63(1), 51-64.

Sapkota, B., Zhou, L., Mbewe, R., Newton, J., & Phillion, J. (2022). Fostering pre-service teachers and intercultural competencies through global cross-cultural collaborations. In C. Ullom & N. Guler (Eds.), At school in the world: Developing globally engaged teachers (pp. 212-237). Rowman & Littlefield.

From the abstract: "The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative impact of embedding intercultural learning activities on students’ intercultural competence when included in an on-campus course compared to a study abroad program."

Krishnan, LA., Jin, L. & Calahan, C. (2021). Enhancing Intercultural Competence: Can it be done without Studying Abroad? In Press. Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders. 

From the abstract: "Participation in a study abroad program to Zambia with intentional intercultural activities embedded in the course curriculum has been shown to enhance cultural competence as measured by the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI®) (Krishnan, Masters, Holgate, Wang & Calahan, 2017). The purpose of this study was to assess whether a new program to India, developed using a. similar model, was effective in increasing student intercultural competence and to compare student outcomes with the previous program to evaluate possible differences in outcomes related to the destination country."

Krishnan, LA., Diatta-Holgate, H. & Calahan, C. (2021). Intercultural Competence Gains from Study Abroad in India. Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders.(5), 2, Article 6.  https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/tlcsd/vol5/iss2/6

From the abstract: "This study is guided by the research question, how can intercultural competence be characterized for students enrolled in a first-year introductory cybersecurity course?"

Jaiswal, A., Thomas, P.J., & Karabiyik, T., (2023). Characterizing intercultural competence among cybersecurity majors. IEEE Frontiers in Education.

From the abstract: "This study used Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) instrument to understand the intercultural learning gains of technology students by administrating the survey in the program’s first year and final year."

Jaiswal A., Jin, L., & Acheson-Clair. A. (2024, January 5). Evaluation of STEM program on student intercultural development: Do intercultural interventions work? Innovative Higher Education. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10755-023-09691-4

From  the abstract: "Drawing on the guidelines in the AAC&U Intercultural Knowledge and Competence VALUE Rubric, [the author] argues heavy metal music can serve as a model for using music to increase students’ intercultural knowledge, competency, and awareness, as well as their ability to critically reflect on issues in their own society, including gender, race, and class."

Guberman, D. (2020). Teaching intercultural competence through heavy metal music. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474022220903403

From the description: "The purpose of this article to highlight one university’s new approach to transforming global higher education and eLearning with competency-based education, link this new and innovative approach to research, and provide implications and recommendations to build the case for a new teaching and learning paradigm."

Bosman, L. (2020). The Future of Education: Transforming Higher Education with Integrated Competency-Based Education. https://hubicl.org/publications/90/1

From the abstract: "In this article, the authors propose and argue for an intercultural competence–oriented approach to internationalizing writing programs through a linked course model curriculum that pairs international and domestic students in separate second language–specific and mainstream FYW classes. The linked course model curriculum develops and assesses students’ intercultural learning and writing skills as core learning outcomes. This article presents the curricular design and interventions, the research design of the study conducted across three semesters of curriculum implementation, and the reflective writing results from the pilot semester to communicate the preliminary effectiveness of this curricular model."

Banat, H., Sims, R., Tran, P., Panahi, P., & Dilger, B. (2021). “Developing intercultural competence through a linked course model curriculum: Mainstream and L2-specific first year writing.” TESOL Journal 12(3).

From the abstract: "The current study addresses the gap in the [Human Resource Developmen] HRD literature by conducting the first empirical research related to VR technology and its impact on training. The paper examines [virtual reality-based simulations] VRBS with a mixed methods research design within the interpersonal skills training context, comparing the effectiveness of this new medium to more traditional training platforms such as [video-based training] VBT."

Akdere, M., Acheson, K., & Jiang, Y. (2021). To simulate or not to simulate? Comparing the effectiveness of video-based training versus virtual reality-based simulations on interpersonal skills development. Human Resource Development Quarterly.