Degree Name

MA in International Education

First Advisor

William Hoffa

Abstract

Exploring Sydney: An Onsite Orientation Program for Students Studying in Australia is a four-day onsite orientation program designed for students spending the semester in Australia. In this program design, the students explore Sydney and learn about the country’s history and local culture. The onsite orientation is run by CISabroad, a third party provider based in Northampton, Massachusetts which offers college students affordable study abroad programs.

The orientation takes place prior to the start of the five Australia semester programs. The Australian site director leads the onsite orientation and is with the students for the entire program. The program takes place in Sydney because the most of the students fly into the city before traveling to the final semester host school location. Sydney is Australia’s oldest city (Sydney, 2012), making it an excellent place to learn an overview of the country’s history. Activities are designed to acquaint students with the site director, other program participants, the streets and public transportation system in Sydney, and local culture. The activities build on the students’ previous knowledge gained from the online pre-departure program orientations while enabling them to continue learning and growing in Sydney.

In order to create an effective, quality, and fun onsite orientation program, several learning theories, journal articles, and current CISabroad onsite orientation programs were researched. Reviews from past students and other staff members were consulted as well. Following implementation of the onsite orientation, the students and site director will evaluate the program through online forms and direct contact with CISabroad staff. The constant evaluation of the onsite orientation will ensure the quality of the program remains consistent throughout the years.

Disciplines

Curriculum and Instruction | International and Comparative Education

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