Session: 10-03-01: Globalization of Engineering, Study Abroad Education, Engineering Accreditation, Curricular Reforms and Revisions, ABET Programs Assessment, Continuous Education and Ethical Dimensions

Paper Number: 163832

The Statistics Behind the Educational and Diversification Benefits for Students whom Study Abroad 

Studying abroad programs were created to allow students to immerse themselves in another part of the world for a semester while continuing their education. Universities such as Midwestern State University send professors from the home campus across the world with the students, ensuring the education received is in compliance with academic standards and that students get the most out of the experience. Most programs provide a brochure of promises—transformation, adventure, personal growth—all wrapped up in an appealing image of students smiling at a beautiful location. However, many of these promises are groundless, lacking concrete data to support their claims. Our research seeks to investigate how studying abroad has actually affected students, whether adversely or beneficially. To explore this, we examined both personal and academic impacts of studying abroad. The study involved reviewing academic articles, journals, and statistical data, alongside collecting firsthand experiences and reflections from students at Midwestern State University who have studied abroad. Our objective was to present an accurate and data-driven perspective on studying abroad rather than relying on promotional materials. To achieve this, we developed a Likert-scale-based survey covering multiple aspects, such as academic performance, attitude shifts, cultural awareness, and diversity appreciation. The survey was designed to capture a broad range of effects by asking students to rate their agreement or disagreement with various statements regarding their experiences. Statistical methods were applied to determine the required sample size for significance, ensuring that the results would be representative of the broader student population. A critical step in our research process was obtaining approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Since our study involved human participants, it was necessary to comply with ethical research standards. Additionally, we completed certification in Engineering Research through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) to ensure that our study followed to the highest ethical standards. This process allowed us to collect demographic data while ensuring participant confidentiality and ethical considerations. Our findings revealed key insights into the study abroad experience. Majority of respondents identified as African American, and most were male, though the sample still had a considerable presence of diversity. One of the most significant reported benefits of studying abroad was increased cultural awareness and inclusivity, a crucial skill in today’s globalized workforce. However, contrary to popular belief, our data suggested that studying abroad had little to no impact on students' GPA performance. Overall, our study challenges the unverified claims often made by university marketing materials. By presenting real student experiences and statistical analysis, we aim to provide prospective study abroad students with a clearer, data-backed understanding of what they can truly expect. This research highlights the real benefits of studying abroad, such as increased cultural competence, while also disproving myths about automatic academic improvement. Future studies could expand upon this work by incorporating a larger sample size or comparing experiences across multiple universities.

Presenting Author: Mahmoud Elsharafi Midwestern State University

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Mahmoud Elsharafi attended the International Mechanical Engineering Conference (IMECE) in November 2016 through 2024 where he served as chair, co-chair , Topic organizer for several sessions. He worked with the students for different UGROW, EURECA, and Senior Design projects such as (Heat Transfer Technology, Dynamic Filtration Test, Sucker Rod Pump, Film Boiling Droplet Motion, Viscosity Measurements, Enhanced Oil Recovery, Water Shut-off, Dynamic Contact Angle, Energy from Salt Water, Multiphase Flow). He has a different ongoing project (Darcy and Non-Darcy Flow through Packing Particles, Energy Recovery Unit Using Phase Change Materials). He served as reviewer for more than 60 journals and conferences papers. He published several journals papers with a very high impact factor journal such as fuel and petroleum science journal. He also presented and published several conference papers. He served as an honorable associate editorial board member for various journals. He served as petroleum engineering program coordinator and associate graduate faculty at Midwestern State University. He worked with the Graduate and international service offices to admit many students. He served as a faculty advisor for SPE Student Chapter at MSU, Saudi Students Association, and National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).

Authors:

Ty Criss Midwestern State niversity
Mahmoud Elsharafi Midwestern State University