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1. General Program Description.
2.
Digital Component--"Virtual Course Pack."
3. Benefits for Students.
1. The Program.
In accordance with Radford University’s
mandates for students’ learning goals and learning outcomes, this "Maymester"
Program is designed to meet the educational goals of all RU students by
providing opportunities for intellectual reflection and growth through travel to Ireland
and
Italy. The destinations selected for "European Literary Trails" offer a
broad range of
educational values: students visit sites long-recognized for their literary,
cultural and historical significance and experience first hand both texts and
contexts in historical/cultural settings.
This website provides information about
"European Literary Trails;" more can be found on the
Curriculum & Cost page.
2. Virtual Literary Trails: Digital
Course Pack for Travel-Based Programs.
“European Literary
Trails” Study Abroad Program was launched in 2002 and, initially, it has been enhanced by Radford University’s “Support of Teaching and Curriculum Development: Innovative Teaching Grant.” Because
travel-based literature courses make it impractical to rely on textbooks and
because absence of classroom instruction precludes traditional lecturing and
content analysis, the grant funds allowed for the development of a server-based
digital course
pack, with materials accessible to students “on the road” and/or away from urban
areas. In 2007 the Program's content has migrated to iTunesU.
As described under Curriculum, “European
Literary Trails” Program coursework includes digital requirement: students
submit their final projects as
"electronic scrap-books", i.e., web sites that anchor their personal and
cultural experiences abroad. The content of students' websites has to include
literary journals interwoven with personal reflection on reading/writing
assignments, photographs, and research material (with links to
literary/cultural sites named in their writings).
3. Benefits for Students
"European Literary Trails" Program
benefits students as it supports the missions of the University by:
- incorporating digital infrastructure and integrating multimedia
educational technology;
- developing curriculum that stresses active, experiential learning through travel-based
and content-oriented course work;
- internationalizing curriculum (and in his case, combining the
Program’s virtual, digital content with “hands-on” environment).
- developing critical curiosity, cultural diversity and
communication skills,
- fostering students’
international perspective, cultural and international awareness, and
- engaging them in truly
“world wide web” cross-cultural research.
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