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Recently, many Italian universities began offering graduate courses or entire programs in English to attract international students, assist domestic students with English language proficiency, and internationalize the learning experience for all. This research investigated Italian faculty's perspectives on their experiences of teaching international graduate students. The article begins with an overview of European university internationalization and then reviews the literature on faculty perspectives on teaching international students and instructional professional development for internationalization of teaching and learning. Findings include participant demographics and faculty perspectives on teaching international graduate students as compared with domestic students, their current and desired ways of learning how to teach international students, and their recommendations for faculty teaching in international programs/courses with English as the language of instruction. Implications for instructional professional development, communities of instructional practice, and further research are offered.

Introduction: Some family members who previously made the decision to donate a family member's organs support the organ procurement organization (OPO) through volunteer work. Volunteers were asked to describe their family's organ donation story to educate the general and medical communities about organ donation. This study explored the transformative learning experienced by volunteers during and following the organ donation consent process and throughout their volunteer work. Methods/Approach: A narrative inquiry research methodology and transformative learning theoretical framework was used and 6 volunteers were recruited to participate. Two semistructured virtual interviews were conducted. Interviews were transcribed, radically reduced, and subjected to holistic-content and holistic-form narrative analysis. Findings: Participants experienced strong emotional responses during and after the loss of their family member, characterized as a period of disorientation, which lasted for an extended period preventing transformative learning. After the OPO contacted participants regarding the opportunity to volunteer, participants experienced a period of self-examination when they reengaged with the topic of organ donation. Critical reflection occurred through the act of storytelling about their family's organ donation story during their volunteer work. Storytelling to the community facilitated making meaning of their loss and transformations. Conclusion: Volunteering for an OPO played an important role by initiating self-examination and critical reflection of their prior assumptions. Through storytelling, participants reflected on their roles and made meaning of their organ donation experiences. The act of inviting donor families to reengage with the topic of organ donation through volunteer work fostered positive permanent meaningful transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the role relationships have in learning among graduate students during a short-term cross-cultural field study in Italy. During group and personal reflections, students expressed the value of relationships and engagement, and how they perceived these experiences to influence their learning. Using relational learning and communities of practice as our framework, we analyzed blogs written by master's and doctoral students as well as interviews conducted with the nine students to determine how relationships and interpersonal interactions may have helped shape their experiences abroad. Our findings provide insight into relationships, participation, and characteristics of a study abroad program to support becoming a member of a knowledge community of comparative international adult education. Our findings also provide implications for design, implementation, and facilitation for faculty and others who conduct educational programs abroad for adults.

This study explores primary perceptions of and motivations to study abroad for adult and higher education learners. A large Hispanic-serving Southwestern university serves as the context of this study where undergraduate students and one graduate student were enrolled in an Italian urbanism study abroad program. The age of the participants ranged from 20 to 47, with six males and 11 females (N = 17) for an average age of 25. Participants self-identified as Caucasian (35%), Asian (6%), Latino/a (24%), Middle-Eastern (6%), and Mexican-American (52) %. Semi-structured interviews assessed formative and influential messages impacting perceptions of and motivations to study abroad. Findings lend special importance to popular culture, peer networks within and outside the institution and socially constructed meaning made about study abroad. Limitations of this study are highlighted, along with implications and directions for future research.

The authors examine current literature and practice focusing on employability of doctoral students, discuss a case study involving Italian and U.S. students presenting research at an international graduate student research conference, and discuss how that experience may impact student learning, development, and employability after completing their doctoral degrees.

This review of the literature offers an analysis of ways in which the theory and pedagogical concepts of cosmopolitanism have been employed across research in adult education contexts. Twenty-nine research articles and dissertations on cosmopolitanism and adult education, conducted in various geographical locations and adult education contexts, were selected for the analysis. The article presents how researchers define and theorize cosmopolitanism, the purposes for using cosmopolitanism tenets in the studies, and conclusions that the findings proffer about cosmopolitanism for adult learning, teaching, and continuing and professional development. The review concludes with implications for practice and future research.

This cross-border narrative analyzes the intercultural perspectives of two doctoral students, one Chinese and the other Italian, who are international doctoral students conducting research in the United States. The first author is doing a doctorate in education in international adult and higher education, while the second author is undertaking a doctorate in adult and community education. Utilizing reflection rooted in Kolb’s (1984) model of experiential learning and adopting a collaborative autoethnography framework, the cross-border narrative seeks to draw comparisons between their respective intercultural learning and living experiences. It underscores the interconnectedness of these experiences despite their diverse cultural backgrounds. The reflection contributes to a better understanding of their varied intercultural experiences, leading to the conclusion that self-awareness is the initial step toward improving intercultural competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitioning to graduate school in the United States presents many challenges for international students including culture shock, academic shock, language barriers, and homesickness. As universities continue to bring international students to their classrooms, it is imperative that they feel welcome and supported. To this end, a university in the Southwest United States employed a peer mentor circle program aimed at easing the transition for international graduate students as they began their programs. Using Schlossberg's (2011) transition theory, this study examined the moving in and moving through phases of eight new international graduate students as they participated in the peer mentor circle program with six current international graduate students. The study provides insight into the moving in phase of new international graduate students and found that the peer mentor circle program eases transition to graduate school and fosters movement toward the moving through phase of the transition model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the inner experiences of adults learning to become educational researchers. Through narrative analysis of doctoral students' tales of memorable early encounters in conducting research, insight was gained into the self-questioning tension, conflict, and drama often experienced. A discussion about how to utilize students' reflective writings to provide appropriate developmental support in doctoral programmes is provided.

Across the United States, colleges and universities are increasingly giving voice to campus internationalization. However, the benefits of this endeavor cannot be fully realized if institutions do not balance their efforts with deliberate and consistent assessment practices. This study examined the global worldviews of students, faculty, and administration/staff at a Hispanic and minority serving institution in Texas. Results indicating areas of global perspective strength and challenge for each group are highlighted. Strategies for campus internationalization that incorporate the perspectives of these groups are also discussed.

To live and work in today's global community, adults need to develop an intercultural responsiveness and flexibility in order to interact sensitively in situations involving international cultural contexts, practices, beliefs, understandings, and communications. One way to support this development in adult and higher education is to offer opportunities to study abroad. These experiences can present adult learners with a setting in which to learn about global diversity and the interrelationships of issues across the world's population today. There is very little evidence, however, about adult learning in study abroad. Therefore, the author conducted an extensive investigation that examined adult learning within the context of a short-term program in Italy. In this paper, the author first offers further clarification of the adult learning theory that frames this study and provides an overview of the relevant literature. She then explains the research methodology, followed by a description of the short-term study abroad program under investigation. Finally, she presents the findings of the research and the implications on what the data suggest about the nature of adult learning and communities of practice in study abroad experiences. (Contains 1 table and 1 note.)

This study investigates the case of 7 female heritage learners of Spanish who have chosen, as adults, to enroll in online Spanish language instruction at the postsecondary level. Drawing on symbolic convergence theory, it identifies a cultural fantasy metanarrative that participants collectively constructed as they made sense of their language learning histories and desires. Analysis of this metanarrative revealed several subthemes on which participants drew to understand their multilingual identities, their borderland communities, and their language learning perceptions, actions, and responses. It is argued that the heritage learners in this study appropriated and reproduced a metanarrative in which the acquisition of "proper Spanish" (as opposed to a more local variety) was consonant with the attainment of an idealized identity for which they all strived. This metanarrative shaped both the way in which they approached and experienced the learning of Spanish in these online settings. As such, recommendations are provided for designing more responsive and responsible heritage language pedagogies, particularly in computer-mediated environments.

This study investigated self-assessed anxious learners who enrolled in online Spanish courses to determine if their anxiety was mediated by the lack of face-to-face (F2F) and other synchronous learning interactions. Participants were enrolled in courses at two postsecondary institutions located in south-central Texas. Narrative analysis was used to interpret the interview data. Findings indicated participants experienced language anxiety because their previous F2F and online learning experiences enforced the concept of language as performance with a focus on correctness and precision. However, intercultural respect and a desire to participate meaningfully with diverse cultural communities became a resource for our participants as they wrestled with language learning anxiety and persisted in their learning endeavors. Implications for designing online language instruction for anxious, self-directed adults are offered. (Contains 1 note and 1 table.)

The growing use of both computers and the Internet in adult English language classrooms has widespread implications for English language programs. As computer access increases, so do new learning technologies in adult literacy education. Specifically, this paper is interested in the case of adult English language instruction, also commonly referred to as English as a Second Language (ESL) or English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and blending e-learning components as tools for supporting English acquisition. Increasingly in adult English language classrooms, e-learning is being employed as an instructional strategy. Given the multitude of options, how do instructors and program directors of English Language Learners (ELLs) begin to choose an approach that is right for their programs and learners? Through the analysis of survey and focus group data, this study explored how programs across the United States are successfully implementing e-learning components in their adult English language classrooms.

Few research studies have focused on student learning as conference participants. Framed by situated cognition and informal learning theories, this qualitative study investigated how participation in a uniquely designed, international doctoral forum may have played a role in students' educational development as scholars. Findings indicate that participation in the forum had positive influences on doctoral student learning and development including enhanced understandings of the research process and the larger professional community of scholarly practice as well as increased confidence and motivation regarding students' own dissertation studies and identities as developing researchers. The paper concludes with suggestions for designing the kinds of forums and experiences that might simultaneously extend pedagogic practice and support doctoral student development. Recommendations for further research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current era of global society, adults need to cultivate cognitive and affective capabilities for interacting in a wide variety of work and living situations. Studying abroad can provide unique learning opportunities toward this end. Good intentions in offering study abroad experiences do not, however, always produce the kind of learning, development, and transformations that are intended. The author first describes an instructional design that was underpinned by adult education theory and practice, then presents the research methodology and findings of the study that evaluated the design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]