New study validates effectiveness of AFS Global Competence Certificate Program

NEW YORK, July 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study from Purdue University confirmed that students who participated in the AFS Global Competence Certificate Program (GCC) to prepare for their short-term study abroad experience achieved significant gains in the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), a leading cross-cultural assessment of intercultural competence that is used by thousands of individuals and organizations to build intercultural competence to achieve international and domestic diversity and inclusion goals and outcomes.

According to the study An Instructor's Experiment: Adding Intentional Global Competency into a Pre-Existing Short-Term Study Abroad Program published recently in the Intercultural Learning Hub (Hubicl), an online research repository for researchers, educators, and entrepreneurs in intercultural learning, pre- and post-program scores of the Intercultural Development Inventory showed that U.S. students attending a 6-week program in Italy attained an astonishing mean increase of 13.54 IDI points, moving from the "Polarization" stage (where the student group was more likely to judge differences) to the "Minimization" stage (where the group has been enabled to find common ground with people from other cultures).  Other short-term programs reached even higher averaging 15.36 IDI points.

"The AFS Global Competence Certificate moved my students beyond their comfort zones," explained Michael Bittinger, author of the study and Assistant Director of the Study Abroad Office at Purdue University (USA).

"Intercultural understanding is mission-critical for our societies," said Daniel Obst, President and CEO of AFS. "At a time when more and more people are fearful of the 'other' and turn towards nationalism, it is urgent to provide youth with a global perspective and help them engage in open and effective interactions with people from different cultures. Our Global Competence Certificate Program supports institutions in better preparing their students."

"Study abroad programs are often designed on the assumption that participants learn simply through reading about culture or by coming into contact with new and different people and situations," said Linda Stuart, Director of the AFS GCC. "Research has concluded otherwise – that global competence, the capacity to communicate, collaborate and lead effectively across differences, is developed through intentional, facilitated learning."

In 2018, more than 2,600 students, faculty, staff and program participants worldwide participated in the AFS GCC. The program is available in eight languages, and provides blended, personalized learning experiences through 18 modules with clear educational goals. It is currently used by 65 organizations in 40+ countries. Partners include Purdue University, University of Indianapolis, Augsburg University, the University of St. Thomas, Languages Canada, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Belgium, and others.

For more information on the AFS Global Competence Certificate, click here.

ABOUT AFS INTERCULTURAL PROGRAMS, INC.
AFS Intercultural Programs is a global not-for-profit Network that provides intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world. Each year more than 65,000 people people take part in AFS Programs that are supported by over 50,000 volunteers and staff in 60 countries worldwide. Since its founding in 1914, AFS has exchanged more than 500,000 young people all around the world.

ABOUT PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Purdue University, a top public research institution, offers higher education at its highest proven value. Committed to affordability, the university has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels. Committed to student success, Purdue is changing the student experience with greater focus on faculty-student interaction and creative use of technology. Committed to pursuing scientific discoveries and engineered solutions, Purdue has streamlined pathways for faculty and student innovators who have a vision for moving the world forward.

SOURCE AFS Intercultural Programs

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