Understanding the Impact of a Diversity and Inclusion Oriented Curriculum in Short-Term Study Abroad Programs for Undergraduate Engineering Students

The purpose of this study is to describe the impact of the Engineering, Diversity, Global Engineering and Service (EDGES) program in the intercultural development of undergraduate engineering students at the University of Missouri (MU). Using a mixed methods inquiry approach, the central question of this study is: how do intensive and affordable short-term study abroad programs (such as EDGES) impact the cultural awareness and competence of undergraduate engineering students? Thus, this research study uses the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), and personal reflections and discussions (on-line and in person) as instruments to measure the cross-cultural growth of EDGES participants and describes their experiential learning journeys. Overall, the EDGES program resulted in attracting increased participation by women and students traditionally underrepresented in engineering, accelerating cultural competency development and increasing students' self-confidence in discussing diversity and inclusion topics.