INTERNATIONALIZING THE FRESHMAN EXPERIENCE:
THE GLOBAL VILLAGE SIMULATION

Hermant Rustogi and Michael Truscott, University of Tampa

The globalization of business in general, and society at large, requires that universities take a comprehensive approach to providing an international experience for all students. This paper presents one experiential, interdisciplinary approach that can be used to meet the needs of incoming freshman students to better prepare them for the international environment.

There is no question that students today must become increasingly aware of nuances of the global environment in which they live and work. Environmental dynamics and the integration of political and economic enterprises have forced universities to become broader, and more integrative, in the knowledge base they provide their students. Knowledge of other cultures and elimination of ethnocentric biases are essential for building a foundation of tolerance and flexibility (Erffmeyer and Al-Khatib 1997). Universities must adopt an integrative approach to education -- one that serves to inculcate an international perspective into the mind-set of the students, businesses, and communities which the school serves. While most institutions have made progress towards meeting their goals, they have been hindered by poor initial organization, faculty resistance to making real changes, resource control and misuse, and lack of a long-term commitment (Cavusgil, Schecter and Yaprak, 1992; Steers and Ungson, 1992). The American higher education system has been "slow to recognize and respond to the increasing interconnectedness of the world we find ourselves facing" (Johnston and Edelstein 1993).

Recognizing these shortfalls, institutions of higher learning lead the charge through a variety of international experiences driven by curriculum development, study abroad programs and experiential learning exercises (Erffmeyer and Al-Khatib 1997, Chan 1995, Gwin 1995).

Traditional education models that focused on functionally-oriented courses were "globalized" by the addition of international modules to these courses. Unfortunately, the outcome of most of these initiatives has been the "tacking on" of an international chapter in current textbooks. Though significant research has focused on internationalizing the functional disciplines (see Rugman and Stanbury 1992), the application of an interdisciplinary approach to achieving international goals has been limited. "Global interdependence requires a multi-disciplinary approach which necessarily involves the intersection of the liberal arts and business" (Johnston and Edelstein 1993). It is only logical to assume that the training ground for students should closely parallel the world in which we live. This type of training, in simulated environments, is likely to facilitate the transition from the classroom to the "real world" by providing "practice fields." Keys et.al (1996), indicate that simulated environments can create meaningful, realistic roles and reward intelligent, sound and well executed decisions.

The purpose of this paper is to present the interdisciplinary experiential learning approach used at one small private liberal arts institution in the southeastern U.S. to meet stated international education goals for our freshman class. The "Global Village" behavioral simulation was specifically designed to provide a "practice field" for freshman students to learn about culture, trade, and the larger issues facing our world. This simulation also serves as a common bonding experience for all students in the early stage of university life. The simulation was developed through the integration of economics, international trade, political science and organization behavior. Integration of these disciplines was facilitated by the creation of an interdisciplinary faculty team charged with examining the flow of activity across several courses. Specifically, this study has the following objectives:

(1) Present the Global Village Simulation as a model that can be used to internationalize the freshman experience.

(2) Examine the extent to which the simulation meets its stated learning objectives - enhancing the leadership abilities, global awareness and student personal involvement with world issues.

(3) Examine the quality of the students' learning experience based on the level of support they receive from their teachers. The authors hypothesize that the quality of the students' learning experience is directly related to the level of involvement of the faculty members in coordinating the simulation activities.

The need for innovation in the classroom demands a teaching approach which incorporates "active" elements, as opposed to a straight lecture/discussion format, in order to promote a higher level of critical thinking and to better develop the communications skills necessary to succeed in today's society. In this paper we are advocating the use of behavioral simulations, which help to develop critical thinking and communications skills while applying academic concepts to solve simulated real world problems.

A 1984 U.S. Department of Education study involving leaders in the field of higher education expressed an urgent need for college and university faculty to more actively engage their students in participatory types of learning as opposed to passive learning. (Study Group on the Conditions of Excellence in American Higher Education, 1984). Although the term active learning" has never been precisely defined, it goes beyond merely listening and transmitting information and requires students to analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and communicate information in an interactive environment. It requires students to "think on their feet" and to be able to apply the knowledge they have acquired interactively with other students and faculty. Requiring students to engage in participatory exercises, where students know they will have to make public their observations and/or analysis, will enhance learning since the student will feel the need to be better prepared to face the uncertainty that comes with group interaction. In an analogous case, graduate students who teach their first course realize that the amount of preparation time required to deliver their first set of lectures is substantial and that their level of comprehension of the subject matter after completion of the course is much higher. Johnson et. al have developed an active teaching approach which they label "Constructive Controversy," which takes students through a process that requires research and preparation of a position, followed by advocacy of this position in a group setting, and finally group consensus. (Johnson et al., 1997). This approach, which has yielded impressive results, challenges students to develop consensus in problem solving by utilizing their speaking and listening skills.

The lecture approach to teaching, on the other hand, has been the norm in higher education for many years. Offering an explanation for the predominance of this "listen/absorb/repeat" approach to teaching and learning, Hansen notes that what we do (in the classroom) is what we are trained to do in our graduate programs (Hansen, 1991, 1054). Preparing and delivering lectures by their faculty mentors is what graduate students observe as they prepare for a career in the academic world. In reference to lecturing as a teaching style, Pollio offers the analogy of the "Container-Dispenser model", in which knowledge is substance, material, or source of power, instructors are containers (filled with content, material, and facts), and students are vessels wanting to be filled up"(Pollio, 1987, 13). Bonwell and Eison, in reviewing the literature on the effectiveness of the lecture method of teaching, cite several studies which conclude that student retention during a 50 minute lecture period was relatively high only for the first 15 minutes and dropped off steadily thereafter. (Bonwell and Eison, 1991).

Faculty members considering a change in teaching style that incorporates more active elements in the classroom face considerable risks. In addition to departing from the tried and widely accepted academic tradition of lecturing, faculty members must contend with the limited incentives to change, consider the trade-off in class time to cover course material, weigh the extent to which the students themselves will respond to an active teaching style, decide the degree to which the new approach will cause him/her to lose control in the classroom, and finally, decide whether the discomfort and anxiety that the change itself creates, is worth it. (Bonwell and Eison, 1991, 62-64).

What is important to note at this juncture is that a mix of teaching styles is not only desirable but necessary in our view. Lectures must be an integral part of any course, particularly in the lower level courses. The lecture provides the theory and infrastructure that will be used in the analysis and interpretation of the applications. The two go hand in hand. It is also obvious to us as teachers that talking about applications without some framework for analysis is counterproductive. The degree to which active learning approaches can be used in the classroom, then, depends on the background with which students come into the course. Applying what students have learned in the classroom to an experiential activity enhances learning. We agree with Victor Fuchs' observation that student involvement is the key to student learning and that the teacher's primary task is to motivate and facilitate that learning. (Fuchs. 1993, 23).

Although we feel that the use of cases to provide an experiential component is commendable (we would encourage more widespread use of this technique), we feel that behavioral simulations are more comprehensive and will take student learning to a higher level.

The Global Village Simulation (Rustogi, Stumpf, Truscott, Watson and Young 1996) is an intensive, interactive learning experience. Teams of participants represent countries and assume the role of the leaders and policymakers. In their role as leaders and policymakers, participants establish goals and policies and then interact with other country leaders to find mutually satisfying activities that support their goals and policies. This simulation involves from ten to twenty-five countries with varying political systems, economic conditions and cultural attributes (Rustogi et.al 1996).

The activities of the Global Village simulation are designed to:

(1) Have participants develop goals and policies for a country that are based on the country's culture, values, needs, and resources;

(2) Enter into agreements and exchanges with other countries and world associations to accomplish the desired outcomes for their country while maintaining or improving world conditions.

The Global Village Simulation is an exercise that simulates the interpersonal dynamics that occur among people with different values and social relationships, as they address key international trade issues. The objectives of the simulation are accomplished by having groups of participants role play the leaders/ policymakers of different countries in a global village while enhancing the student's leadership abilities, global awareness and personal involvement with world issues.

Visualize the following scenario:

There are 250 participants in a large room. Twelve to fifteen participants represent each different country. Each country has a separate workspace including tables, chairs and several cultural-specific characteristics or behaviors that are visible to others (e.g. a country flag, hats, food, clothing, intensity of eye contact, or amount of personal space provided).

An "emcee" provides instructions for the first activity. As the action begins, each country works separately to identify and prioritize its goals and policies. The emcee announces the commencement of "Global Village" activities, including United Nations discussions on health and the environment and the initiation of world trade. One hundred or more participants begin to move from their country locations to meet with others to address key world issues or to trade various goods and services. Introductions, discussions, exchanges and negotiations are occurring--twenty or more simultaneously.

The emcee announces that the first interactive period is over. All participants return to their country tables. Discussion, analysis, and synthesis follows within each country. Another interactive period is announced. More action, discussion, and negotiations follow.

The second interactive period ends. Country participants summarize their activities. The Prime Minister of each country reports to the "Global Village" the results of their country's activities.

Questionnaires are completed and returned to facilitators. People celebrate their performances and await the results of their questionnaire responses (Rustogi et. al 1996).

You have just witnessed the "action" portion of Global Village. Significant preparation preceded the simulation and several hours of reflection and debriefing follow. It is the combination of all these component parts which ensures that specific learning goals and objectives are addressed.

Student participants are required to complete two separate questionnaires to assess simulation outcomes. The first survey was completed at the conclusion of the trading portion of this exercise and is designed to assess student satisfaction with their country goals, actions and leadership (on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 represented low satisfaction and 5 represented high satisfaction). The second survey, completed a few days after the debriefing session, measures the extent to which the Global Village Simulation enhances the students' leadership abilities, global awareness and personal involvement with world issues( on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 represented a low score and 5 represented a high score on outcome measures).

The first survey yielded 378 completed and useable questionnaires, the second only 142. This may be attributable to the fact that the second survey was completed under the supervision of individual faculty members and the level of cooperation in this regard was marginal, at best. This, coupled with the faculty members failure to identify specific questionnaires as being from their specific classes are weaknesses of this study. Efforts are already under way to ensure that these problems are eliminated from future administrations of the simulation.

Graduate facilitators (graduate assistants enrolled in the MBA program) play a critical role in preparing the students for the simulation. These facilitators are trained, and assigned to assist faculty members in getting their students ready for the simulation. The lack of cooperation and involvement of the faculty they assist limit the effectiveness of these facilitators. The level of faculty involvement was assessed based on self-reported judgement measures by the graduate facilitators. Faculty members were grouped by their facilitators as being "highly involved", "moderately involved" and "not at all involved" in getting their students ready for the simulation.

The reliability of the two measurement instruments was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and the data was analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and factor analysis. ANOVA was used to test for differences in outcomes between students based on the level of involvement of their faculty members. Factor analysis was based on principal components extraction (varimax rotation with an eigenvalue of 1) and was used to assess construct validity of the outcomes measure.

The results of student satisfaction with country goals, actions and quality of leadership are presented in Table 1.

Cronbach's alpha for this scale was 0.87. ANOVA results support the notion that the level of faculty involvement impacted student satisfaction. Statistically significant differences (Alpha = 0.05) were apparent on all thirteen dimensions listed in Table 1. Students working with "highly involved faculty" scored significantly higher on all dimensions than those that worked with faculty who were "not at all involved." This finding lends support to the notion that faculty support of a shared experience is essential to enhance student learning and the credibility they associate with the simulation.

The factor analysis yielded a three factor solution (Table 2). Alpha reliability for the entire scale was 0.86.

Table 1.
Student Satisfaction with Goals, Actions and Leadership -- and ANOVA Results
							GROUP	HIGHLY	MODERAT	NOT AT
Global Village Simulation - Student Assessment Variables							MEAN	INVOLVED	INVOLVED	INVOLVED	F-	SIGNIFICA
Scale Reliability - Cronbach's Alpha = 0.87FACULTYFACULTYFACULTY
							n=378	n=171	n=66	n=141
Satisfaction with rank order of goals established							4.30	4.52	4.26	4.05	11.96	0.000*
Satisfaction with process used to establish country goals							4.25	4.42	4.24	4.04	7.34	0.001*
Satisfaction with performance of your countries import/ export							4.38	4.51	4.35	4.24	5.21	0.006*
Extent to which country's actions contributed to world peace							3.91	4.18	3.87	3.58	11.92	0.000*
Extent to which country's actions helped preserve the							3.51	3.80	3.21	3.30	9.13	0.000*
Extent to which country's actions enhanced quality of life for its							4.16	4.40	4.22	3.85	15.03	0.000*
Extent to which country's actions contributed to economic development							4.41	4.50	4.59	4.20	7.95	0.000*
Satisfaction with the leadership of the country							4.51	4.60	4.53	4.37	3.01	0.050*
Eagerness to continue as a leader for the country							3.91	4.12	3.80	3.68	6.29	0.002*
Understanding of the country's issues within the global							4.16	4.29	4.22	3.97	5.26	0.006*
Understanding of the country's culture							4.02	4.22	3.95	3.80	7.75	0.001*
Awareness of political, economic and cultural differences between							4.06	4.17	4.32	3.80	8.26	0.000*
Usefulness of the simulation to learn about country and world issues							4.23	4.42	4.21	4.01	7.14	0.001*
NOTE	(1) A low score represents low satisfaction and a high score represents high
	(2) * Represents statistically significant differences between groups of students based on faculty

The three factors were named as "Global Awareness," "Leadership," and "Quality of Experience." Approximately 70 percent of the results were explained by this three factor solution. This three factor solution supports the original objectives of the simulation. Moreover, the results lend credence to the validity of the construct. Historically, factor analysis has been considered to be the most appropriate technique to establish construct validity (Kerlinger 1973).

The results of this study serve notice to the usefulness of the global village simulation as a tool for college freshmen to learn about cultural diversity and the challenges associated with international commerce.

Our experience with this simulation, along with the positive and encouraging results obtained, reinforces and gives credence to these new directions in teaching pedagogy. Involving students actively to analyze and evaluate information, to formulate strategy, and to communicate this information to other groups in a public forum stimulates thought and reinforces learning. The interactive learning process, however, goes beyond this and requires students to challenge the thinking of others while at the same time striving to reach their strategic goals and, ultimately, a consensus.

Working in small groups to consolidate country strategies, negotiating one on one with other students to achieve consensus, and objectively analyzing the economic, social and cultural impacts of their decisions, are the important operational components of the Global Village Simulation. Besides the pedagogical advantages of using a behavioral simulation, we feel that students really enjoy engaging in the give and take of negotiations with their colleagues and this leaves them with a positive learning experience.

The effectiveness of these learning tools is determined, to a large extent, by the efficacy of the process. Any one part alone (e.g. pre-preparation, focal activities, debriefing), while providing marginally useful learning experiences, does not yield the benefit the simulation is designed to accomplish. True learning takes place, and insights emerge, when participants have the opportunity to reflect on their actions through facilitated debriefing activities. In this regard, the commitment of the faculty members in supporting the activity and preparing their respective students becomes critical to its success.

As participants in these experiences, students (a) recognize that they are a small part of an interdependent world, (b) realize the alternative approaches of "cooperation" versus "confrontation" in getting things done, and, (c) understand the power of persuasion. Students enjoy the opportunity to apply basic concepts that they have learned. They also have the opportunity to experiment with ideas and activities in a risk free environment (Keys et.al 1996).

The usefulness of this simulation lies in the success associated with meeting desired outcomes. The survey measures used capture these outcomes with reasonable accuracy - and the initial results presented in this study are promising.

It is crucial that students learn the importance of trade-offs, to live with ambiguity, to communicate effectively, and to think on their feet (Marks and Rukstad 1996). The greater the similarity of the practice setting to the performance setting, the more likely the practice behaviors will be representative of performance setting behaviors (Stumpf et. al 1994). Experiential simulations create realistic practice fields for future managers, and country leaders to practice their decision making skills as they prepare themselves to deal with the complexities of the global economy.

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